(WSIL) -- An Illinois legislative committee has voted against a new push to extend the school mask mandate.Ìý
The IllinoisÌýJoint Committee on Administrative Rules objected to an emergency rule filed Monday night by the Illinois Department of Public Health, according to committee member Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Peru).
The emergency rule would have forced schools to enforce masks while the legal standing of the executive order from the governor is under appeal in the appellate court.Ìý
Rep. Tom Demmer (R-Dixon), also a committee member, said, "Our government is built on a system of checks and balances—and is not designed for the Governor to rule unilaterally. Today my colleagues and I on the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) voted 9-0-2 to suspend the Illinois Department of Public Health emergency rules requiring masks to be worn in schools."
On Friday, February 4th, a judge in Sangamon CountyÌýruled againstÌýGovernor Pritzker’s mask mandate in schools. The ruling allowed schools to make their own decisions on requiring masks.Ìý
The judge’s ruling was in response to lawsuits from parents and teachers from over 150 school districts.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame RaoulÌýfiled an emergency appeal to the 4th District Appellate Court in Springfield.
Several school districts across the state,Ìýincluding in southern Illinois, have made the choice to walk back several COVID-19 policies.
The governor did however proclaim on February 9, 2022 that if hospitalizations and cases from COVID-19 continue to decrease, the statewide mask mandate for public places, excluding schools, would be lifted.Ìý
Other lawmakers reacted to the decision by JCAR.
Senator Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) welcomed the vote.Ìý
“Today the Governor learned that no matter how big his ego may be, he is not the dictator of Illinois and is not above the rule of law.ÌýFor far too long, the Governor has exerted his will to control every aspect of our pandemic response. When our co-equal judicial branch pushed back on his unilateral control, I had hoped that he would have reevaluated his continuous go-it-alone approach and allow the process to work. Instead, he decided to double down on masking students despite a court ruling that nullified his original rules.ÌýIf JCAR had not voted to block the Governor’s attempt to circumvent our court system, schools who finally regained their local control would have been immediately thrown into chaos and left confused. Even the Governor’s legislative allies made it clear that he went too far with their bipartisan vote.â€�
Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie said,Ìý“In his quest for power at all costs, the Governor attempted to go above the judicial system to continue to require masks in schools, a move that even his Democrat allies in the legislature wouldn’t support. Even they agree he has gone too far.ÌýToday, the Governor was willing to add to the confusion and chaos that has overwhelmed our schools and parents in the last several days. Fortunately for the people of Illinois, he was stopped.ÌýEnough is enough. Let’s start governing this state through the rightful democratic process, not under one man’s rule and ego."
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