South Central Reporter

State Rep. Terri Byrant (R-Murphysboro) isn’t wasting any time offering the people of the newly drawn 58th District what she is convinced they want and need.

“The people of the 58th district deserve a Senator with a strong conservative record,” Bryant said in a post to Facebook. “My record as state senator reflects my pro-growth, pro-jobs, limited government philosophy.”

Bryant argues her Springfield record speaks for itself when it comes to championing conservative principles and values.

“I’ve stood strong against what I think are executive overreaches and I’ve taken JB Pritzker to task for his failed handling of the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said.

In a district where new boundaries are formally set to take place in 2023, Bryant recently announced her candidacy after serving in the House since 2015, then as a senator since January.

In addition to blasting the governor for his overall handling of the COVID-19 crisis, Bryan has assailed him for what she brands as his botched distribution of unemployment benefits, causing even more hardship for countless other residents across the state.

“The Governor’s lack of engagement with the legislature in managing the COVID-19 pandemic amount to the actions of an out-of-control chief executive and people are sick of it,” she said.

Bryant recently filed legislation she said is designed to give parents a voice against what she sees as the governor’s constant overreach.

“This legislation seeks to preserve a parent's decision-making authority regarding their child’s education and healthcare,” she recently posted on Facebook. “Throughout this pandemic, we’ve seen countless examples of the government’s disregard for the rights of Illinois parents. Enough is enough. Parents have a right to be involved and to have a say in the education and wellbeing of their child.”

Senate Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment (SJRCA 12) seeks to add a new section to the Illinois Bill of Rights establishing that parents have the right to determine their child’s education and healthcare in relationship to the coronavirus without infringement up until the time that the child attains the age of majority.

Over the last several months, Republican lawmakers have been critical of what they view as the governor’s uneven handling of the pandemic, including his recent reimposing of a universal masking mandate for all public and private school students. The mandate also expands to apply to all teachers and other staffers.

“Throughout this entire pandemic the governor has continued to exclude other lawmakers, local leaders and parents in his pandemic response,” Bryant said. “SJRCA 12 is a proactive step to put an end to his ongoing record of overstepping his authority, and to take a stand against any future attempts to cut parents out of decisions impacting the health, future and wellbeing of their children.”