Grundy Reporter

Republican Congressional candidate Catalina Lauf argues the more Gov. J.B. Pritzker gets his way, the more the COVID-19 crisis seems to grow in Illinois.

“Over the past year, we have seen every Democrat mandate fail,” Lauf posted on Twitter. “J.B.’s mask mandate will be no different. Parents should decide if their child wears a mask, not Springfield.”

Lauf’s outrage comes after the governor recently used his executive power to impose a universal mask mandate for public and private school students. The Daily Herald reports that language in the bill also stipulates that all state employees in businesses such as long-term care centers or veterans’ homes be vaccinated by Oct. 4 and that all teachers and staff members from preschool through 12th grade wear masks regardless of vaccination status.

Lauf’s view of the situation is shared by several local Republican lawmakers, including state Sen. Dan McConchie (R-Lake Zurich), who told the Daily Herald, "The governor's continued unilateral, go-it-alone approach on pandemic decision-making actively undermines the state's ability to have broadly accepted mitigation strategies."

State Rep. Tom Morrison (R-Palatine) wonders how much of the governor's mandate is even legal, charging the Pritzker’s new policy "violates constitutional checks and balances, public input, and local control."

In a statement, he said school officials, parents and students themselves are better equipped to make determinations about what would be best for their individual communities.

All the mounting criticism is proving to have little effect on Pritzker, who argues science and common sense are on his side, stressing that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and The American Academy of Pediatrics have both come out in support of universal masking.

"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."