Will County Gazette

Lawsuits are not the answer to stopping the alleged unconstitutional actions of Gov. J.B. Priztker, according to Dale Fontana.

The Plainfield resident and Republican precinct committeeperson said his party needs to actively oppose the governor for what he believes are blatantly unconstitutional actions.

The Illinois Republican Party has filed a federal lawsuit against Pritzker, accusing the Democratic governor of violating the First Amendment. Pritzker has taken part in large rallies and endorsed other activities that drew large crowds — while his COVID-19 executive orders ban Illinois Republicans, and other groups, from gathering in groups larger than 10 people. 

“Gov. Pritzker is ruling Illinois like an unaccountable king where only he gets to decide which violations of his executive order have his blessing,” Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider said in a statement.

“The Illinois Republican Party will not sit idly by while the governor of Illinois applies one rule for himself and his political allies and another rule for everyone else. We agree that peaceful protesters have just cause to exercise their First Amendment rights, but they aren’t the only ones,” Schneider said. “The days of Gov. Pritzker picking winners and losers is coming to an end. The hypocrisy has to end. The violation of our First Amendment rights has to end.”

The Illinois Republican Party was forced to hold its quadrennial convention virtually, eliminating in-person collaboration, networking and training, the release noted.

“The 2020 general election is five months away and the only opposition to Pritzker and Illinois Democrats’ control is indefinitely barred from meeting for normal party functions,” Schneider said. “This isn’t the first time Gov. Pritzker has played by a different set of rules. When restrictions barred travel to vacation homes and the governor lectured Illinoisans daily about not crossing state borders, Pritzker’s family was traveling to and from their equestrian estates in Florida and Wisconsin.

“And now, we see Pritzker continue to restrict funerals, weddings, festivals, youth sports — and political gatherings — at the same time he marches with thousands of protesters on a crowded street.”

Fontana told Will County Gazette that the GOP is not going far enough.

“I posit the following: While in a general sense I agree somewhat with the Illinois GOP chairman, those moments are few and far between,” he said. “There is no disagreement on the premise of the argument; namely that the governor is behaving in an unconstitutional manner, joining many other governors and mayors in states across the country. However, I personally am way beyond the point of civil argument in the form of lawsuits which take forever to resolve.

“The courts have proven as corrupt as the other branches of government and as such, I have no confidence that they will rule in accordance with the constitutions, federal or state,” Fontana said.

That doesn’t mean he is opposed to the legal action. 

The lawsuit was filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The Illinois Republican Party will be represented by the Liberty Justice Center. Other plaintiffs include the Will County Republican Central Committee, the Schaumburg Township Republican Organization and the Northwest Side GOP Club.

“So to answer your question directly, I support the lawsuit filed,” Fontana said. “But, frankly, I am appalled at the blind willful compliance shown by the citizenry and Republican elected office holders. I am looking for bold, decisive leadership with total defiance across the board which would force the hand of these tyrants to make even more unconstitutional moves to enforce their decrees. If nothing else, it would serve to showcase plainly and openly to the public at large, the abominable world view held by the progressive left and the steps they are willing to take to bring it about.”

He said the GOP has bowed down to Pritzker’s directives even as it battles him in court.

“An example of this would be the Republican Party’s decision, even at the county level, to hold routine meetings virtually online instead of in person,” Fontana said. “Why don’t they rebel? Why are they acknowledging the legitimacy (even though there is none) of the executive orders?

“Lip service is not what is called for here and unfortunately that is all the jellyfish Republican Party can come up with. Action does the talking and BS does the walking,” he said. “And when adding in the unbelievable lawlessness, vandalism and rioting that has been permitted to take place without protection of the public which is a bipartisan mandate, you can see that ‘We The People’ have absolutely no representation.”