NW Illinois News

Veteran state Sen. Neil Anderson (R-Andalusia) has seen enough of what he views as Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s one-man act when it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“For nearly two years now, we've seen the governor take a unilateral approach at mitigations and mandates,” Anderson said at an Oct. 26 news conference on the subject. “Trying to figure out the best way to get people safely back to work and get our state back on its feet should not be done by rule by fiat by the governor. In his traditional go it alone approach, the governor's encouraged the public to be all in with Illinois, but ... elected officials that represent three co-equal branches of government have been left out of the process time and time again.”

Anderson argues many have been left to pay a heavy price.

“This has impacted communities on the borders like my district, and I'm sure some of my colleagues, too,” he added. “People are fleeing Illinois to Iowa to go shopping, to buy fuel, and to have the retail experience. By continuing to exclude us as leaders and local leaders, he has caused a huge problem not only with government but with trust in the process.”

One by one, Anderson lays out moves made by the governor that he believes have only helped to divide people.

“At first, the shutdown pitted essential workers against non-essential workers,” he said. “Then, it was okay to go to Walmart to buy something, but you couldn't go to your local hardware store. Now, in the latest example, he's creating a huge issue on a local level with our school boards, telling them that they don't know what's best for their schools, that he does. When does it stop?”

Anderson argues that a bill he is now co-sponsoring that seeks to amend the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act could hold some of the answers.

At its core, SB 103 seeks to establish that “after an initial proclamation declaring that a disaster exists, the governor may only extend that declaration or make further proclamations regarding the same disaster if the General Assembly passes a resolution within 5 calendar days that approves the extension or further proclamation.”

Anderson said that’s as it should be.

“At what point is it no longer an emergency?” he added. “Our constituents demand that we go back to recognizing the three co-equal branches of government and what our constitutional republic is made up of. He was elected governor, not dictator.”