By State Rep. Margo McDermed (R-Mokena) -
After two months of inaction, the General Assembly is finally reconvening to have some input on how the state navigates the coronavirus pandemic.
Over the past few months I believe that our governor has chosen not to actually govern, but instead has turned over decision making about our state solely to scientists. Yes, we must be guided by science and safety but our jobs as elected officials is to balance complex, ever changing science with every other aspect of life.
The Governor and legislature are supposed to utilize science, but then create policy that weighs risks and outcomes. By hiding behind science, the governor can take the easy way out and avoid tough decisions. Naturally if the only basis for decisions is science, every problem is one-dimensional. If you’re a hammer, every problem is a nail. Life isn’t like that. It’s multi-dimensional.
This virus is going to be with us always, so we have to learn to adapt and live with it in our midst. The 28 days we have between phases is found in no other states’ plan. Let’s figure out a way to shield older people, people with pre-existing health conditions and allow others with less vulnerability move into a more open life. Instead of locking everyone down it’s time to be more surgical and fine tune our approach. We don’t need a hammer, we need a scalpel. What is needed to protect a high density area like Chicago has no relevance to the rest of Illinois.
Like other Republicans, I have joined in repeated demands that the legislative branch participate in decision making regarding Illinois’ response to COVID. The General Assembly is a co-equal branch of government and we 118 members of the Illinois House actually represent every part of our diverse state. We should have input into the pandemic response. As it stands now Governor Pritzker intends to operate unilaterally under Executive Orders until such time as all parts of the state complete Phase 5. That could be a year or more from now. There isn’t any part of Illinois law or its constitution that ever contemplated long term, one-man rule like this.
The Illinois House will convene in a special session starting Wednesday. However, even though the House is finally going back to work, I want to manage expectations. Unfortunately, I expect the Democrat majority of the Illinois House solely to pass bills that will ratify the Governor’s phased plan in its entirety as it currently stands, clarify the law respecting executive orders so they can continue indefinitely, and pass a budget granting unheard of spending discretion to the Governor.
I will continue to speak as long and as loudly as I can for my constituents, as will my fellow Republicans. However, we are in the super-minority and Speaker Madigan can pass any bill he and Governor Pritzker choose without even one Republican vote. Unfortunately, the Democrats who run Illinois have the votes to continue the status quo if they want to. We all need to stand together and pressure legislators aligned with the Governor, urging them to work with us to force changes to the Governor’s policies.
