Dupage Policy Journal

State Rep. Amy Grant (R-Wheaton) feels Gov. J.B. Pritzker is overstepping the bounds of his authority for all the wrong reasons.

“He wants to be able to file misdemeanor charges for violating an executive order that he violated the law in enacting,” Grant told the DuPage Policy Journal. “It’s a dark day in Illinois when we’re at the point of wanting to charge small business owners for trying to salvage their livelihood.”

 Faced with mounting opposition to the stay-at-home order he first enacted nearly two-months ago and has since extended through the end of the month in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pritzker recently vowed to get law enforcement involved against any small business that move to open their business prior to the timeline he has outlined for them in his five phased Restore Illinois plan. Before that, he talked about stripping away federal funding for all counties that acted in a similar fashion.

“People are fed up with the governor not allowing small business owners to open up while big box stores have never missed a day,” Grant said. “How long can you expect that they will be able to survive?”

While the governor has already stressed that the state is already in Phase 2 of his plan, he quickly adds he doesn’t envision the state moving to the plan's Phase 5 allowing for the full reopening of the state economy until a vaccine or highly effected treatment is found.   

“We’ll see how it plays out, but businesses in my district they are already talking about opening back up,” Grant said. “And from what I hear, I don’t believe the sheriff down here will run around giving citations.”

Grant said she can’t wait for lawmakers to get back to Springfield so they can finally have their voices heard on the issue.

“(The governor needs) to be doing everything we can to help our small businesses, not placing even more obstacles in front of them,” she said.