Illinois House of Representatives
June 8, 2021
Governor JB Pritzker 207 State House Springfield, IL 62706
Dear Governor Pritzker,
On Friday, June 11, 2021, Illinois 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 Chris Bos State Representative – 70th District State Representative – 51st District
Tony McCombie State Representative – 71st District Jim Durkin House Republican Leader – 82nd District
Ryan Spain State Representative – 73rd District Bradley Stephens State Representative – 20th District
Jackie Haas th Tim Ozinga 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 Norine Hammond State Representative – 64th District State Representative – 93rd District
Mike Murphy Joe Sosnowski State Representative – 99th District State Representative – 69th District
C.D. Davidsmeyer David Friess 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