McHenry Times

Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie doesn’t hide his ire when it comes to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis.

“Regarding Pritzker’s latest unilateral COVID orders, his continued go-it-alone approach is actively undermining the state’s ability to have broadly accepted mitigation strategies,” McConchie posted on Twitter. “So much for being ‘all in’ for Illinois.”

McConchie isn’t the only Republican lawmaker calling out the governor for what they see as his habit of putting his own agenda ahead of the best interest of the state, with the latest example coming in the form of the statewide masking mandate he recently imposed on all public and private school students, ABC7 reported.

Pritzker’s order also requires all teachers and staff members at every grade level to wear masks regardless of vaccination status and for all state employees working at congregate settings, such as long-term care facilities or veterans' homes, to be vaccinated no later than Oct. 4.

McConchie is far from being the only GOP lawmaker expressing outrage, with state Rep. Tom Morrison (R-Palatine) going as far as to question whether the governor even has the legal authority to do what he’s doing.

In a statement, Morrison argues the new policy “violates constitutional checks and balances, public input, and local control."

None of it seems to faze Pritzker, who has defended his actions by stressing that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy for Pediatrics also stand in favor of universal masking, The Daily Herald reported. The governor also argues he had little choice short of imposing such a mandate given the growing number of school districts now essentially ignoring the CDC’s recommendations.

"My goal has always been to safely bring all kids back into the classroom and, crucially, keep them there,” he said. “Without these measures, we will likely see many more outbreaks."