By: Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner
He’s done it again. Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued his 35th Covid Disaster Proclamation on October 14, 2022.
Here’s what he proclaimed: “I find that a disaster exists within the State of Illinois and specifically declare all counties in the State of Illinois as a disaster area.”
With this latest declaration, the governor has extended his unilateral executive powers through the November 8 elections (his declaration expires November 12).
The governor’s repeated Covid declarations have completely bastardized the intended purpose of Illinois’ emergency rules.
Here’s what you should know:
- The latest proclamation marks 35 straight 28-day periods during which the governor has maintained the power to make emergency executive orders without the input of the legislature – and by extension, the people of Illinois.
- It’s been nearly 950 days that Illinoisans have lived under emergency rules unilaterally set by the governor. Gov. Pritzker has maintained these emergency rules for more than two-thirds of his time in office.
- That proclamation is what has allowed him to close businesses, demand masks, mandate vaccinations, force remote learning and more over the last 2.5 years. This latest version allows him to reimpose those restrictions at his discretion.
- Gov. Pritzker includes all 102 counties in his Disaster Declaration, treating Cook County, with its 5,173,146 population, exactly the same as Illinois’ smallest county, Hardin County, population 3,650.
- Democratic supermajorities, led by House Speaker Chris Welch and Senate President Don Harmon, have more than enough votes to end the governor’s abuse of his emergency powers. They’ve done nothing.
- All of Illinois’ neighboring states ended their emergency orders either months or years ago. Michigan ended its orders two years ago and Wisconsin, about 1.5 years ago. All the other neighboring states stopped using such powers more than six months ago.
- Pritzker says he’s maintaining his Disaster Declaration to keep getting additional federal funds for food stamps and Medicaid. His continued demand for handouts – part of the trillions in federal Covid cash distributed to states – is contributing to the highest rate of inflation in 40 years.
Expect no retraction or apology. This what they do.
The state’s existing buyout program for its own pensions is the precedent for Chicago, which should be a warning: Look out for similar exaggerated claims and shoddy analysis.
Pritzker is gaming the system … what else would you expect from a billionaire who, to save on property taxes, removed toilets from the mansion he purchased adjacent to his own. Then he threw his wife under the bus when he publicly stated that she ordered the toilets removed without his knowledge.
This buffoon also tried to bribe Gov. Blago to get Obama’s senate seat.
He locked down IL residents while sending his family to Florida.
This guy is no friend to IL residents and taxpayers – VOTE THE BUM OUT!
Fat slob.
What a piece of garbage. How this happens people are blind
Tie him to a rail and run him out of Springfield
Follow the money
These emergency declarations are an attack on democracy
I think Pritzker thinks he’s Moses in the photo. “Let my People Go” Not only are we going but many already went. More like Exodus!
Pritzker is a failure. Always has been a failure. Never accomplished anything on his own. He always had to to use trust fund money. Case in point: In his fifties, an attempt to bring some type of sense of self-importance by attempting to purchase Obama’s senate seat.
Pritzker never accomplished anything without using family money. Guys like Ken Griffin know this. They laughed at Pritzker. There’s billionaires, then there’s guys that made their own billions.
Pritzker has no sense of real purpose. No sense of self. What a pitiful, empty life JB Pritzker leads.
Ballotpedia – State Emergency Health Orders During the Pandemic.
https://ballotpedia.org/State_emergency_health_orders_during_the_coronavirus_(COVID-19)_pandemic,_2021-2022
Well, one thing is for sure. Illinois IS a disaster. Could you say maybe this is truth in advertising ?
Don’t the neighboring states need to keep the fed covid emergency Medicaid & food stamp $ flowing as well?…or are they’re just all systemic inequitable bigots??
Did illinois somehow sign up a ton of folks to Medicaid & food stamp during covid that are neighboring states didn’t? What’s the story?
But IL is a disaster.
And yet there are “JB” signs in yards. Emperors do not willingly give up power.
The amount of ignorant voters continues to rise. If one is ignorant about the issues the way to become less ignorant is to educate yourself on the issues. The folks with JB signs are counting on the permanent transformation of the country, Pritzker is certainly part of that. These are people knowingly falling for this Marxist ploy or who are willing participants. I am afraid for Illinois its too late.
And I add, more than likely don’t pay any taxes.
Next door neighbor is just such a one. I know that they work for the govt
“JB gets things done.”
Super majority + executive orders.
And a self-funded war chest that is willing to spend more money on a gubernatorial race than any other candidate has spent on a gubernatorial in the history of the United States.
How much is the bag, JB?
So now in Illinois disaster declarations are a budget gimmick.
Failed Gov, failed state.