Gov. J.B. Pritzker | File photo
Gov. J.B. Pritzker | File photo
Republican activist Don Moore fears that Illinois Gov. J.B.Pritzker is again overstepping the bounds of his powers to the detriment of residents everywhere.
“I believe the governor is again illegally imposing restrictions on business owners that is a violation of their rights to open, operate and serve their communities,” Moore, a former Republican House candidate, told the South Central Reporter. “These restrictions are continuing to strangle the life out of small businesses and are taking away the freedom of consumers to spend their money where they choose.”
Citing rising cronavirus positivity rates, the governor recently enacted stiffer restrictions for Will and Kankakee counties, including banning indoor service at bars at restaurants along with an 11 p.m. curfew for outdoor services offered by those establishments. In addition, casinos are also under the same curfew and are limited to 25% capacity.
With the counties suddenly posting positivity rates of more than 8% on three consecutive days, Pritzker wasted little time making the region the second of the state’s 11 to be sent in reverse in terms of state’s reopening process. To return to Phase 4 of the governor’s five-part Restore Illinois plan, the positivity rate needs to decline to 6.5% by the end of a two-week period.
Moore largely views it as just more government overreach.
“It almost seems like Gov. Pritzker is trying to tell us where we can spend our money,” he added. “Walmart and other big box stores that have lobbyists sending money to politicians are OK, but small businesses are not.”
Moore argues the list of victims seems to grow by the day, with the governor having also instituted a statewide restaurant and bar policy mandating that all patrons wear a mask while interacting with wait staff and other employees.
“Our state and country is being forced into a two-class system without a middle-class,” he said.
As of Aug. 31, the Department of Public Health reported 235,023 overall cases of the virus and including 8,026 deaths.
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