Will County Gazette

Veteran state Rep. Jim Oberweis (R-Sugar Grove), rages Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s (D) assault on small businesses in the age of the COVID-19 pandemic is nothing new.

“The truth is Illinois has had a hostile environment for businesses for a long time and for many the government mandated lockdown of our economy was just the final nail in the coffin,” Oberweis told Will County Gazette. “It is so sad to see so many small businesses close down, but I don’t believe the virus is the only thing to blame here.”

Oberweis argues what’s indisputable is the impact, pointing to a new TrackTheRecovery.org analysis finding that since the dawn of 2020, Illinois has lost more than a third of all its small businesses. 

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (D) | Stock Photo

Data compiled by Harvard and Brown universities, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, shows as of Nov. 16, 2020 the number of small businesses open dipped by some 35.4%. That is in comparison to January of this year with the industry also experiencing a revenue decline topping 39%.

“We need to focus on our economy in Illinois and we need to implement policies that will create jobs,” Oberweis said. “The longer we wait to accomplish these goals the more difficult it will be to bring these lost businesses back.”

National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Illinois State Director, Mark Grant, points out that running a small business in Illinois was already quite the challenge even before the pandemic hit, given such factors as higher property taxes and workers’ compensation.

Meanwhile, Oberweis has long been a staunch critic of the governor’s handling of the virus, recently blasting him over a plan that would pave the way for small business owners to be fined up to $2,500 for failure to enforce regulations for face coverings and social distancing.

“It is up to individuals to wear masks,” Oberweis said. “Holding businesses accountable for the actions of individuals is simply not fair.”