Illinois House of Representatives

June 8, 2021

Governor JB Pritzker 207 State House Springfield, IL 62706

Dear Governor Pritzker,

On Friday, June 11, 2021, will enter Phase 5: Illinois Restored of your Restore Illinois COVID-19 reopening plan:  Testing, tracing and treatment are widely available throughout the state. Either a vaccine is developed to prevent additional spread of COVID-19, a treatment option is readily available that ensures health care capacity is no longer a concern, or there are no new cases over a sustained period.  All sectors of the economy reopen with businesses, schools, and recreation resuming normal operations.  Conventions, festivals, and large events can take place.

As Phase 5 of your plan notes – Illinois is Restored. The science clearly bears this out – we have multiple available vaccines with more than 50% of Illinoisans being fully vaccinated and more than 68% percent of residents receiving at least one dose already, which puts us on pace to easily exceed the President’s 70% vaccination goal by July. We have effective treatment and health care capacity is more than adequate. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have updated their guidance that reflects the overwhelming body of evidence showing the effectiveness of the vaccines and that vaccinated people do not need to wear masks in the overwhelming majority of situations.

Taking all of these facts into account, we are pleased to see we are finally fully reopening our economy and allowing Illinoisans to return to their normal lives. However, if Phase 5 really does mean Illinois is Restored, then there is another issue that must be resolved – your continued issuance of Executive Orders. Even though we will be in Phase 5 on June 11, your most recent Executive Order extending various restrictions, your eightieth COVID-19 Executive Order, will run through June 26.

If our state is truly Restored, it is time to stop running the state by executive authority and return it to a fully representative government in which the duly elected representatives of the people – the General Assembly – is a co-equal branch of government with the executive. Therefore, we call on you to stop issuing Executive Orders when EXECUTIVE ORDER 2021-11 expires on June 26.

Sincerely,

Jeff Keicher State Representative – 70th District State Representative – 51st District

Tony McCombie State Representative – 71st District House Republican Leader – 82nd District

Ryan Spain State Representative – 73rd District State Representative – 20th District

Jackie Haas th State Representative – 79 District State Representative – 37th District

Tim Butler State Representative, 87th District Martin McLaughlin State Representative – 52nd District

Thomas A. Morrison Andrew S. Chesney State Representative – 54th District State Representative – 89th District

Tom Weber State Representative – 64th District State Representative – 93rd District

Mike Murphy State Representative – 99th District State Representative – 69th District

C.D. Davidsmeyer th State Representative – 100th District State Representative – 116 District

Dan Caulkins State Representative – 101st District

Brad Halbrook State Representative – 102nd District

Daniel Brady State Representative – 105th District

Blaine Wilhour State Representative – 107th District

Charlie Meier State Representative – 108th District

Adam M. Niemerg State Representative – 109th District

Chris Miller State Representative – 110th District

Paul Jacobs State Representative – 115th District