SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Gov. J.B. Pritzker intends to appeal a southern Illinois judge’s ruling that his emergency actions aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus violate the Constitution.
State Attorney General Kwame Raoul filed a notice of appeal with the Illinois 5th District Appellate Court late Monday regarding a ruling earlier in the day from Clay County Circuit Judge Michael McHaney. He found that Pritzker’s stay-at-home order and other provisions in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic don’t apply to the state lawmaker who sued, Republican Rep. Darren Bailey.
The court’s ruling opened the door for others to challenge Pritzker’s order that he recently extended through May.
Pritzker, a Democrat, has used an April 2 disaster declaration to justify his unilateral power to close schools and nonessential businesses. His stay-at-home order began March 21.
Bailey argued that state law gives the governor emergency authority for 30 days. He said the stay-at-home order has done too much economic damage and his constituents around his hometown of Xenia, some 240 miles south of Chicago, want to return to work.
Illinois’ more rural areas have far fewer coronavirus cases than in the Chicago area. Pritzker has countered that several counties with the highest rates of infections and of deaths from the disease are in southern Illinois.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.