Will County Republican Chair George Pearson | File Photo
Will County Republican Chair George Pearson | File Photo
The Will County Republican Central Committee is calling on residents to protest Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s decision to fine businesses up to $2,500 for not enforcing the wearing of facial coverings by customers.
On Aug. 7, Pritzker announced a rule, intended to curb the spread of COVID-19, that penalizes business owners with fines ranging from $75 to $2,500 if a patron is at their establishment without a mask.
“We're allowing rioters and looters to tear up the place but the governor wants business owners and the police department to run around mandating people to wear a mask,” said George Pearson, chair of the Will County Republican Central Committee.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker
| File photo
NBC Chicago reported that the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) voted to uphold the new rule on Aug. 11. In response, the Will County GOP Central Committee is asking Illinois citizens to contact JCAR's 12 members by email or phone to object.
“Business owners or their employees are in jeopardy of a confrontation with a customer if they try to enforce wearing a mask and enforcement is not a business owner’s job,” Pearson told the Will County Gazette. “It’s the job of the police, but calling the police because a customer is not wearing a mask is not an effective use of the police. If a business owner calls the police to report a customer, we are criminalizing clients.”
Created in 1977, JCAR is a bipartisan oversight committee created by the General Assembly. Outcry from Illinoisans to JCAR in May thwarted Pritzker's last emergency rule that would have charged business owners with a Class A misdemeanor, fined them up to $2,500 and punished them with up to one year in prison for violating his stay-at-home order, according to the Illinois Policy Center.
“People put enough pressure on the governor that his team withdrew that rule, but for this proposed rule, I’m getting word that a deal was struck behind doors and that’s why there’s not an automatic fine,” said Pearson. “Instead, the first offense is education, the second offense is a warning and the third offense will result in a fine. Now, we've got people calling the police and calling the Department of Public Health on business owners if they're not enforcing the mask mandate. These are the same reporting tactics that were used during the Nazi regime in Germany.”
As of Aug. 14, there were 200,427 coronavirus cases statewide and 7,696 deaths, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
“We don't push anyone to call in about the murders and the looting that’s going on, but we want people to call in about face masks,” Pearson said. “We don't want anybody to call in and report corruption or what’s happening down in Springfield and the billions of dollars that are being wastefully spent in this state. No, don't call on that. We want you to call about face masks for the coronavirus.”
According to a press release issued by the Will County Republican Committee, JCAR members can be reached at the following phone numbers and email addresses:
Sen. Bill Cunningham (D-Chicago): 217 782-5145, bill@billcunningham.com
Sen. John Curran (R-Lemont): 217 782-9407, senatorcurran@gmail.com
Sen. Kimberly Lightford (D-Hillside): 217 782-8505, http://www.senatorlightford.com/contact-us
Sen. Tony Munoz (D-Chicago): 217 782-9415, http://www.senatortonymunoz.com/contact-us
Sen. Sue Rezin (R- Peru): 217 782-3840, senatorrezin@gmail.com
Sen. Paul Schimpf (R-Murphysboro): 217 782-8137, http://senatorschimpf.com/Contact
Rep. Tom Demmer (R-Dixon): 217 782-0535, demmer@ilhousegop.org
Rep. Mike Halpin (D-Rock Island): 217 782-5970, rephalpin@gmail.com
Rep. Frances Ann Hurley (D-Chicago): 217 782-8200, repfranhurley@gmail.com
Rep. Steve Reick (R-Woodstock): 217 782-1717, https://www.ilhousegop.org/contactreick
Rep. Andre Thapedi (D-Chicago): 217 782-1702, rep32district@gmail.com
Rep. Keith Wheeler (R-North Aurora): 217 782-1486, office@repkeithwheeler.org
Alerts Sign-up