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PRITZKER
ASKED WHAT COVID-19 MEASURE WILL LET ILLINOISANS DITCH MASKS
Illinois Policy Institute/
Robert Brutvan
A state lawmaker has asked Gov. J.B.
Pritzker for the metrics needed to drop statewide mask mandates. He also
called for public hearings on masking harms to student development,
others in Illinois. |
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 Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker had a five and one-half phase plan
for reopening Illinois with specific measures to say when the COVID-19 pandemic
was receding enough to let life become more normal, but he’s shared no measures
about when his current statewide mask mandates will be eased or lifted.
So state Rep. Mark Batinick, R-Plainfield, asked Pritzker for some specifics and
transparency on ending COVID-19 mitigation strategies, such as indoor masking
regardless of vaccination status, school mask mandates and broad economic
restrictions.
Batinick also suggested Illinois stop using statewide mandates, and embrace a
localized approach.
“If the public can go to their representative and their representative can sit
in committee and they can talk about what they’ve heard, there’s a little more
buy-in from the public and they’re likely to trust the mitigations,” Batnick
told The Center Square.
In his letter to Pritzker, Batinick also argued Illinois could respond to
outbreaks more quickly using localized data, reducing the need for intrusive
public policy in everyday life.
The letter noted Pritzker’s economic restrictions of 2020, such as the decision
to unilaterally close indoor dining, used a metrics-based tier system,
considering data from various regions of the state. Illinois’ current school
mask mandate has no such system.
Responding to Batinik’s letter, Prtizker’s office said he does have metrics in
mind for relaxing the school mask mandate, but avoided offering specific
details.
Factors that could lead to the tapering of the mandate included “a significant
reduction in transmission, the availability and utilization of vaccines for
school-aged children under 12, an improving vaccination rate for children 12 to
17 and for adults that interact with the school community, and/or additional
guidance from the CDC,” Pritzker said in his response.
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The prospect of using localized data to relax
mandates “would be inaccurate, unfair, and unworkable,” Pritzker
wrote. “For example, to tell kids that masks can be off on Tuesday
only to put them back on by Thursday” would trigger never-ending
chaos until herd immunity is achieved.
While Batinik said he thought the letter was thoughtful, he said
after nearly 20 months of restrictions, public hearings are needed
to examine their consequences.
“I was the first state elected official to push for the use of face
masks,” Batinik said. But “there are downsides for younger children
wearing masks. For example, social-emotional learning is directly
tied to facial expressions.”
Pritzker’s letter reiterated that Illinois will continue to follow
the CDC guidance on masks in schools. Currently, the CDC
“recommends” masks in schools, but Pritzker turned that into a
statewide mandate just weeks after saying it should be a local
decision.
Since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, Pritzker has declared
a statewide COVID-19 disaster 20 times, giving himself the ability
to make state law on his own with 80 executive orders during the
past 20 months. Pritzker has declined to specify how many
Illinoisans would need to be vaccinated to lift the state’s disaster
status.
Illinois’ one-man rule was supposed to end when Mike Madigan was
ousted. If Pritzker will not end his reign voluntarily, there are
two co-equal branches of Illinois government that should be expected
to step up.
State lawmakers have been quietly willing to let Illinois be an
autocracy. Maybe the solution rests with the state’s courts.
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