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State Rep. Janet Yang Rohr, D-Naperville, said her measure,
House Bill 1167, is similar to a previous measure that passed
both chambers with overwhelming bipartisan support last year,
but was vetoed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
Like the vetoed measure, Rohr’s bill gives administrative leave
rather than sick time to staff for COVID-issues, and guarantees
pay for school staff if there are emergency closures in schools.
There’s one difference.
“It structures this bill as an incentive so that teachers and
staff need to be vaccinated within five weeks of the bill
signing in order to receive the benefits of the administrative
days,” Rohr said.
But, Republicans, like State Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer,
R-Jacksonville, who supported the measure Pritzker vetoed, said
the measure is discriminatory, and the first vote the state
legislature is taking on a Pritzker mandate.
“The reality of what we’re dealing with here is you are
mandating that somebody get the vaccine if they wanted to be
treated the same way as all the other teachers,” Davidsmeyer
said.
The measure passed 70-28 with six members voting present and
will now be taken up by the Senate.
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