McHenry Times

Republican state Rep. Steve Reick is hoping lawmakers are ready to reclaim their legislative power against Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s executive orders and "scientific hobgoblins."

“It’s the job of policy makers, and ultimately, the people, to balance the risk of the disease against other considerations,” Reick said on his website of what he views as the governor’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis. “It’s time that we reassert our constitutional role and put a stop to the serial nightmare of the governor’s executive overreach. Let the people speak.”

One by one, Reick ticks off instances of what he sees as overreach, from taking away parents’ and guardians' rights to be informed if their daughter seeks an abortion, to making sure that boys' bathrooms in every high school in the state is stocked with feminine hygiene products.  

“We didn’t defund the police, but we did the next best thing by trying to do away with qualified immunity, which is causing police officers to retire in droves and discouraging those who would replace them from applying for the job,” he added. “We need only look at our crime statistics to see how well that’s working.”

According to the American Bar Association, qualified immunity prevents police officers and other government officials from being sued for violating someone's civil rights, unless that conduct also breaks "clearly established law." 

Reick is also blasting the governor for reneging on the promise he made as a candidate not to sign any redistricting map drawn along partisan lines.

“A bow was put on all this by the issuance of gerrymandered election maps that J.B. Pritzker promised he’d never sign when he was running for the job but now figures that being governor means you never have to say you’re sorry,” he added. “There are serious issues that demand serious attention. I wish we could convince the Democrats to take their job (and their constituents) seriously and address a few of them.”

Reick argues that starts with lawmakers taking back their power and once again be a fully functioning co-equal branch of government.

“COVID-19 dictated the agenda on everything that has happened since 2020 and has given J.B. Pritzker the colorable pretext to do whatever he damn well pleases,” he said on his site. “The mantra justifying this has been the governor’s insistence that he 'follow the science.' It’s time for the General Assembly to reassert itself as the voice of the people of Illinois and tell the governor that it’s time for that mantra to end.”

Reick says he believes the stakes are high.

“Now we’re no longer debating whether to spend a few weeks in quarantine,” he added. “We’re debating permanent changes: from children wearing masks all day in school and at day-care facilities to whether people should have to show evidence of vaccination to do the normal things incident to living in a free society.”

The 102nd Illinois General Assembly is scheduled to convene to begin the Spring Session on Jan. 12.