West Cook News

State Sen. John Curran (R-Lemont) recently issued a statement on the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules' (JCAR) ruling that ended Gov. J.B. Pritzker's (D-IL) school mask mandate.

"This isn't about whether you support or oppose masks," Curran said in a Facebook post. "It's about respecting the rule of law and abiding by a decision handed down by the judicial branch of IL government."

On Feb. 15, the bipartisan JCAR of the Illinois General Assembly ruled against extending Pritzker's emergency orders by a vote of 9-0-2. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) attempted to counteract a judge's temporary restraining order by reissuing an emergency order. Now, because of the JCAR ruling, Pritzker and IDPH cannot reissue a statewide mask mandate for schools, according to Illinois Policy.

Last week, Pritzker announced that he would lift the statewide mask mandate he had issued for most indoor spaces on Feb. 28. However, Pritzker kept the emergency order for masks in schools in place, according to ABC 7 Chicago.

On Feb. 4, an Illinois judge granted a temporary restraining order, prohibiting school districts across the state from mandating masks, according to NBC Chicago.

Attorney Thomas DeVore represented more than 700 parents involved in the lawsuit. The lawsuit alleged that Pritzker’s mask mandate did not follow due process, according to NBC Chicago.

A Chicago Tribune article highlighted the significance of the bipartisan committee presenting a united front against the governor. The article states, "After two years in which lawmakers, especially Republicans in the General Assembly’s super minority, have criticized Pritzker for taking a unilateral approach to leading Illinois through the pandemic; it was a rare instance of legislators flexing their muscle — and an equally uncommon move by Democrats against the governor."

Curran's colleague, State Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris), also issued a statement on the ruling.

“Today, the Joint Committee of Administrative Rules made it clear that we would not accept the governor’s attempts to go above a court ruling made by a co-equal branch of government,” Rezin said, according to Illinois Policy. “In his quest for power and control, Pritzker and his administration were willing to further the chaos and confusion for schools throughout the state. With this bipartisan vote, I hope that the Governor finally recognizes that his go-it-alone tactic is not in the best interest of our state or its people.”