South Central Reporter

State Rep. Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City) is voicing his outrage over what he views as Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s effort to remove a federal decree banning patronage hiring in the midst of an ongoing federal probe into a pay-for-play scandal.

“Gov. Pritzker is seeking to vacate a set of court decrees that prevent politically motivated hiring or firing for public employees while our state faces one of the largest patronage scandals in history,” Wilhour said. “Now is not the time to let up on ethics reform in Illinois.”

Wilhour joins a growing number of GOP lawmakers expressing concern about the fate of the Shakman Decrees that prohibit lawmakers from controlling state government jobs. The decrees also created federal oversight of hiring practices in Springfield and Cook County.

While the governor argues the state is no longer in need of the nearly half-century old laws, his efforts come at a time when longtime House Speaker Mike Madigan finds himself cast as a central figure in a still evolving federal investigation targeting utility giant ComEd.

The growing controversy hardly marks the first time Wilhour has taken Pritzker to task over some of his policies and actions, including his recent push to enact a rule allowing businesses to be fined up to $2,500 for failure to enforce face mask and social-distancing regulations aimed at fighting the spread of COVID-19.

“Rules, otherwise known as laws, are the responsibility of the legislature,” Wilhour said. “The governor has no right to circumvent our legal process. If he wants the mask mandate with associated penalties, then call the legislature back in and do it the right way. The rule of law, separation of powers and executive restraint are important, even in a pandemic.”