West Central Reporter

Sen. Jil Tracy says a balance of power is required in the Illinois State Constitution.

In the Aug. 5 Week in Review news release, Tracy spoke out against Gov. J.B. Pritzker's executive orders.

"The Illinois State Constitution calls for a balance of power between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches when making decisions that affect Illinoisans," Tracy said.

Tracy's statement comes the same week that Pritzker announced that monkeypox was a public health crisis in the state of Illinois. She said that with his executive order on monkeypox, Pritzker was "governing by fiat."

First filed in February 2021, Senate Bill 103 would require after an initial disaster proclamation, the Governor may only extend that declaration or make further proclamations regarding the same disaster if the General Assembly passes a resolution within 5 calendar days that approves the extension or further proclamation. The last action on this bill was on May 21, 2021, when it was re-referred to the Assignments committee.

The Aug. 1 declaration on Monkeypox includes this statement, according to CBS News: "MPV is a rare, but potentially serious disease that requires the full mobilization of all available public health resources to prevent the spread," Pritzker said in a news release. "That's why I am declaring a state of emergency to ensure smooth coordination between state agencies and all levels of government, thereby increasing our ability to prevent and treat the disease quickly. We have seen this virus disproportionately impact the LGBTQ+ community in its initial spread. Here in Illinois we will ensure our LGBTQ+ community has the resources they need to stay safe while ensuring members are not stigmatized as they access critical health care."