Authoritarian idiot and hypocrite Gov. J.B. Pritzker
At a special meeting Friday of the Madison County Board of Health, committee members backed a resolution that would allow local businesses and churches to reopen after submitting a plan to the county board of health, contrary to Pritzker's executive order and recently announced five-phase "Restore Illinois" COVID-19 plan.
The county, however, delayed final action on the resolution until at least Tuesday so it may be reviewed and fine-tuned by the Madison County State's Attorney's Office. The resolution is titled "Resolution Stating a Phased-In Approach of Core Principles, Recommendations, and Guidelines for How Individuals and Small Businesses can 'Return To Normal' in a Safe and Responsible Manner with Respect to the COVID-19 Virus."
The resolution came at the end of the second meeting in as many days by the board, which includes all Madison County Board members. The group usually meets quarterly at the end of a county board meeting.
There was a unanimous consensus Friday that county board members want local businesses to reopen quickly, but in a safe manner. There was, however, disagreement on how to do that.
Announced May 5, Pritzker's Restore Illinois Plan has been criticized by members of both parties as taking too long and not recognizing unique local conditions. Pritzker has said the plan is an attempt to use a regional attempt to reopen Illinois' economy using "science and data."
Board of health members on Friday also discussed filing a lawsuit against the governor over the pandemic executive orders and business reopening plan. Multiple county board said Madison County is not like Chicago or the rest of the state and is, instead, more tied to the St. Louis region than Chicago. Local business owners and potential customers are capable of acting responsibly, they said.
"People are ready to take this on in a responsible fashion," said Don Moore, R-Troy.
Madison County Health Department Director Toni Corona expressed concerns about the action sought by the resolution.
"I've never not followed the guidance of the Illinois Department of Public Health," she said. "I don't know how to reopen the county outside of the guidelines of the state."
Similar concerns were expressed by Madison County Board Member Mike Parkinson, D-Granite City, who initially sought to amend the resolution and have Madison County State's Attorney Tom Gibbons file a lawsuit against the state on behalf of local businesses. Parkinson, a police officer, said he could not vote for the resolution because it encouraged civil disobedience.
Dr. Loren Hughes, a Collinsville physician, opened Friday's meeting with a brief discussion about health-related issues. Board Chairman Kurt Prenzler then said each county board member would get a chance to speak, but first asked for a motion to consider the resolution to allow further discussion.
Once those resolutions were made, Parkinson motioned to amend the resolution and allow the lawsuit. Prenzler, however, delayed action on that until all the board members had a chance to speak.
All were supportive of having local businesses reopen, but there were differences of opinion on how to do it. Many questioned or criticized Pritzker's order and plan.
David Michael, R-Highland, said he was "very disappointed" in the Restore Illinois plan. He said the county health department could oversee local businesses in a "reasonable way," terming the proposed arrangement a "win-win."
"We know our businesses," Michael said. "We need to give them that freedom."
Michael "Doc" Holliday, D-Alton, said he was in favor of businesses opening up, "but under the auspices of what the governor and the Illinois Department of Public Health have put forth." He said he didn't want businesses to be hurt if the state took action against them.
Pritzker has said businesses requiring state licenses could be penalized if they opened in defiance of the executive order.
Gibbons said he wanted a chance to look over the resolution which he had received a few hours earlier. At that point, all of the motions were withdrawn and it was decided to reconvene the board at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Several board members from both parties were appointed to a committee to fine-tune the resolution. Prenzler said that committee might be adjusted.
Comment: Looks like a greater number of state officials are becoming more proactive in countering the stupidly-conceived lockdown policies that have so thoroughly upended the lives and businesses of tens of millions US citizens.
Remember that Governor Pritzker, and many leaders like him, are completely out of touch not only with the actual "science and data" but with the very lives of most of their constituency: Illinois judge rules against Gov. Pritzker's stay-at-home order in suit brought by GOP lawmaker