Illinois Republicans push back after Pritzker asks supreme court to reinstate mask mandate for schools
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Republicans are pushing back after Illinois. Gov. J.B. Pritzker asked the state supreme court to reinstate a mask mandate for schools.
Illinois Attorney Kwame Raoul supported the governor's appeal to the state supreme court, citing "significant legal errors" by two lower courts that ruled against the governor.
A Republican running for attorney general wants the issue to be dropped.
"Right now is the time for the governor to move on and really tackle the very important issues that are facing this state, such as crime, such as corruption and the high taxes that we are all facing," said Steve Kim, candidate for Illinois Attorney General.
But Democrats continue to insist that face masks provide protection against the pandemic, and that it's premature to drop the mandate for schools.
Court dismisses Pritzker's appeal to reinforce mask mandate in Illinois schools
On Friday morning, many families across the state woke up to the news that depending on the district, students will no longer be required to wear a mask in classrooms, despite Gov. J.B. Pritzker's appeal to bring it back.
Incumbent AG Raoul wrote, "The COVID-19 pandemic is not over, and the attorney general is committed to defending the governor’s actions to mitigate the spread of a virus that has resulted in more than 32,000 deaths in Illinois alone, and to protecting the health and safety of all Illinois residents."
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A spokeswoman for Pritzker said he's appealing to the supreme court because, "The governor is disappointed in the appellate court’s decision and concerned for the health of those in schools – particularly vulnerable children and adults – and the ability to continue in-person learning."
Local school districts are allowed to implement their own mask mandates, and CPS is doing just that.