By: Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner
It’s been so long now that most of the media and many Illinoisans no longer care that Gov. J.B. Pritzker continues to maintain a Covid disaster declaration for all of Illinois’ 102 counties. And with the elections out of the way, many may care even less.
What began as a 30-day proclamation back on March 12, 2020 has turned into 979 consecutive days of special executive powers for the governor. Pritzker just declared the 36th straight disaster declaration on Nov. 10 and that will go on for another 28 days. Until the next one.
With that declaration comes continued executive powers for Pritzker to make all kinds of unilateral decisions regarding the economy, schools, health and basic civil rights – in the name of an emergency – should he alone deem them necessary.
It was those powers that allowed the governor to unilaterally shut down many businesses during the pandemic while keeping others open. Those same powers let him anoint some workers as “essential” while others were deemed “non-essential.” They also gave him the ability to require masks everywhere across the entire state and in some cases, force vaccinations. And of course, school closures and remote learning were an outcome of those emergency powers. Overall, Illinoisans lived under some of the most draconian emergency rules in the country.
All those decisions were made unilaterally by the governor, with no checks and balances from the legislature.
Even if one thinks the governor should have had those powers early on, there’s no justification for him to maintain those powers today. As we’ve argued for some time now, every one of Illinois’ neighboring states gave up the use of emergency powers months or years ago. Wisconsin ended their powers more than 1.5 years ago while Michigan ended theirs more than two years ago. And the rest of our neighbors ended theirs at least nine months ago.
In Michigan and Wisconsin, the courts stepped in to end the emergency powers. But in the rest of the states, they simply realized that Covid was no longer a pandemic and it made no sense for their governors to retain unilateral, executive-order powers.
The pandemic has ended here, as well, with fatalities bottoming out long ago. The virus has become endemic, yet the governor continues the “emergency. ”From Wirepoints’ Covid page:
To those who support Pritzker’s continued use of emergency declarations – just think beyond the next few years. Are you comfortable with someone on the opposite end of the political aisle using executive orders the way the Governor is? Making policy decisions – with no checks or balances – that you disagree with?
No governor of either party should have such power. That’s the whole reason for having a legislative branch. But Gov. Pritzker has set a precedent. And with no one in the media or within the corporate establishment calling out his overreach, expect Illinois’ future leaders to further abuse the standard he’s set.
Read more from Wirepoints:
A set of state lawmakers want to extend CPS’ current school closing moratorium to February 1, 2027 – the same year CPS is set to transition to a fully-elected school board. That means schools like Manley High School, with capacity for more than 1,000 students but enrollment of just 78, can’t be closed for anther three years. The school spends $45,000 per student, but just 2.4% of students read at grade level.
Hopefully, all media will get the message, in Illinois, too.
Ted joined Tom Miller of WJPF to talk about Illinois’ highest-in-the-nation property taxes, why lawmakers don’t want to touch the tax’s cost drivers, just how much Illinoisans’ tax burden has grown over the decades, why Gov. Pritzker failed to meet his promise to reform property taxes, and more.
I don’t take his declarations seriously. I figure if your going to get it you will. I have had the 2 shots and a booster, so has many of my relatives and some still get it. It is something we will have to live with like the flu. All Pritzker wants is help from the federal government and then brag how Illinois economy is doing so great and that he is doing his job. Bullhockey!!!
Just came back from a trip to three Southern states. Covid isn’t even talked about anymore down there. Past history. Zero mention of it. And Illinoisans would be shocked if they heard what so many people think about Illinois. We just look like a bunch of silly fools.
The only utterance I can recall from Gov Pritzker on why these declarations are continuing is that it’s a budget gimmick so IL can sop up some Federal Covid monies that it hasn’t already.
I am writing Speaker McCarthy today to put an end to this abuse of Federal emergency funds by Gov Pritzker and the State of IL. I am requesting Speaker McCarthy to investigate the organized abuse and fraud of Federal emergency funds by Gov Pritzker and the State of IL.
You are a fine American.
And here I thought Madigan was bad
If Pritzker were to run and win the Presidency what does this foretell about how he intends to rule the country?
I find it whimsical that anyone still thinks we can change anything about Illinois anymore. The election has cemented the state’s last mile march to socialism. The governor, born on third base but thinking he’s hit a triple in his life, has grown comfortable in his role as emperor, issuing executive orders without so much as a whimper from the General Assembly. And that body has solidified its ability to choose voters and judges rather than us choosing them. When Chuy Garcia, the communist, becomes mayor next year, one can then confidently claim that democracy truly is dead in Illinois.
Come on. Like leadfoot is not enough to prove it?
Illinois voters have spoken … only the minority is aware of the ongoing emergency powers declarations. MSM has assured that.
The legislature might as well stay home and pursue their hobbies – they have no relevance. Their powers exist only on paper.
Last week JB was declared king of Illinois with the majority of his subjects supporting him at the ballot box. The rest of the state can go pound salt.
for goodness sakes, “when the people allow government to take away rights for an emergency, the government will create emergencys.” -I forget who said it, could be a paraphrase.
No thinking primate who believes in science can believe there is still a Covid emergency. The fat man’s extremist permanent state of emergency is un-American, unpatriotic, anti-science and anti-democracy
Unneeded states of emergency are a threat to democracy
Love it. One of the best comments I’ve read in weeks!
I never imagined I would long for the days of *Madiganistan*…
But *Pritzgertopia* is proving to be way worse…
Wirepoints thinks the people of Illinois deserve better. I don’t. When Illinois does hit rock bottom, and change finally comes, it will be because enough people left and there simply weren’t enough taxpayers remaining. Those who refused to submit actually did deserve better, and they found it in other states.
I suspect that this has a lot to do with public employee unions wanting to continue “working” from their dining room tables, rather than their taxpayer-funded vacant offices, and the lack of accountability in the public aid and unemployment eligibility systems permitted by “emergency” COVID accommodations.
Got little or nothing to do with people falling ill…..
JB doning a mask is the picture of health.
Is that a mask or a feedbag, lol….
Feed bag.