An Illinois state judge granted a temporary restraining or in rural Sangamon County a temporary halt to the school mask mandate. J.B. Pritzker was exceeding his authority. As some districts attempted to keep the mandate, others tried to end it, there was a lot of confusion in schools.
A bipartisan panel of legislators also rejected a request from the Illinois Department of Public Health for the renewal of the mask mandates. Pritzker’s authority to make children cover-up was dissolved with the expiration of the emergency order.
But Pritzker isn’t finished. Pritzker is appealing to the Illinois Supreme Court. The appellate court that heard his appeal cited Pritzker’s bipartisan legislative rules committee action. Pritzker’s appeal was therefore moot.
In a statement, Attorney General Kwame Raoul stated that the appellate court’s failure to address important legal issues has contributed to the confusion resulting in the circuit court’s decision to prioritize a small number of plaintiffs who refuse science recognition or the need to implement public health measures to protect vulnerable Illinois residents.
Raoul stated that the ruling did not address the emergency rule blocked by lawmakers. It “doesn’t affect executive orders issued under the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act including the governor’s executive order requiring the use of masks at school, exclusion from school for persons exposed to COVID-19 and testing of unvaccinated staff members working on school premises.”
AG Raoul knows this and is full of it. The Sangamon County judge found that the governor had issued executive orders that were not legal. The appellate court refused to rule on this aspect, or any other aspect since the emergency orders had expired.
Gracia Livie, a Naperville resident and mother of four, was thrilled to receive an email from DeVore Friday morning alerting her about the appeals court decision.
“This decision is a victory for the parents of Illinois, proving the right to due process, and mask choice,” stated Livie. She has three children attending Naperville School District203. One of them is a kindergartner who struggles with wearing a mask. This prompted Livie’s pushback against the governor’s mandate.
Although District 203 has recently adopted a mask-optional policy, Livie stated that her children could attend school without masks even before Grischow’s directive was lifted.
The Chicago Public Schools have not changed their requirement for masks. Children who do not wear masks are sent home. This is why multiple parents are bringing their cases to the same Sangamon County appellate court to seek relief.
If history is any guide, they will succeed.
