South Central Reporter

With drug overdose deaths reported to be up 52 % in DuPage County, Illinois state Rep. Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City) is warning people to be careful of what they wish for in the battle to control COVID-19.

“People clamoring for additional restrictive measures really need to start acknowledging the deaths and long-term issues that result from these policies, especially the effect to young people that already suffer from anxiety, depression and a host of other issues, Wilhour said. Suicides are up as well. Lockdowns don’t work and are more deadly than the virus.”

The County of DuPage is now studying the data in hopes of coming up with solutions to the suddenly rising problem, adding that the majority of the increase in fatalities can be traced to the period of the statewide “shelter at home” order enacted by Gov. J.B. Pritzker just over five months ago. As alarming as the raw numbers is the fact that the majority of added deaths involve young people between the ages of 20-and-30-years old.

Wilhour has long been critical of the governor’s handling of the coronavirus crisis, recently blasting him over what he deemed to be his blatant disregard for rules and regulations in his largely one-man handing of the situation, including recently pushing to establish penalties for violators of a face mask requirement.

“Rules, otherwise known as laws, are the responsibility of the legislature,” he 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.”

Wilhour’s concerns about government overreach go all the way back to the initial stay-at-home order instituted by Pritzker back in mid-March.

“I’ve said from the beginning, I don’t think he has the constitutional power to be putting restrictions like this in place,” he said. "When you’re taking these kinds of draconian measures that impact personal liberties, you have to be transparent. The governor hasn’t done that.”