Will County Gazette

Jed Davis, the Republican candidate for the newly formed 75th House District, has criticized Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker for continuing to issue disaster declarations more than two years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and called upon the Legislature to take action. 

Pritzker issued his latest executive order on Aug. 19, which labeled every county in the state as a "disaster area" because of the pandemic. The order also authorized the governor to continue to use emergency powers. Pritzker issued the first executive order relating to the pandemic on March 9, 2020.

"JB issued his 33rd consecutive disaster declaration, a whopping 896 consecutive days of executive overreach," Davis wrote Monday in a Facebook post. "Will the real legislature please stand up!"

According to the National Academy for State Health Policy, none of the states neighboring Illinois remain under emergency orders. 

Illinois' lawmakers do not have the power to limit Pritzker's emergency powers, unlike legislatures in 34 other states, Illinois Policy reports. State laws in nearby Michigan and Wisconsin require governors to get approval from the legislature to extend emergency powers. 

Davis defeated incumbent David Welter in the June Republican primary for the 75th House District, according to Ballotpedia. He will face Democrat Heidi Henry in the general election.