Kane County Reporter

The Kane County GOP is saluting one of its own for standing up to Gov. J.B. Pritzker on the COVID-19 front.

“Thank you state Rep. Dan Ugaste (R-Geneva) for speaking out against Gov. Pritzker and his tyrannical continuance of forcing children in Illinois to mask up,” the group posted on Twitter. “This is the parents' choice, not a wannabe dictator.”

With the governor now flexing his executive power to impose a universal mask mandate for all public and private school students, Republicans all over the state are taking a stand. The new edict also stipulates that all state employees working at congregate settings like long-term care facilities or veterans’ homes be vaccinated by Oct. 4 and that all teachers and staff members from preschool through 12th grade wear masks regardless of vaccination status.

Ugaste argues it’s just the latest instance of the governor ignoring the will of the people to press forward with his own agenda.

"It should be up to the local school districts to decide what is best for each community,” he told the Daily Herald. “I have heard from countless parents on this issue, parents who have talked to and worked with local school boards on masking their children this school year, and most all of which I am aware already resolved the issue or are in the process of doing so."

State Rep. Tom Morrison (R-Palatine) goes even further, openly questioning if the governor even has the power to do what he’s doing.

 "It violates constitutional checks and balances, public input, and local control," he told The Daily Herald. In a statement, he added school officials, parents and students themselves are better equipped to make determinations about what would be best for their individual communities.

Pritzker seems unshaken and vows to press forward.

"My goal has always been to safely bring all kids back into the classroom and, crucially, keep them there,” he said, arguing that science and common sense are on his side as evidenced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and The American Academy of Pediatrics both also standing in support of universal masking.

 "Without these measures, we will likely see many more outbreaks," he said. "As governor, it's my duty to take immediate and urgent action to slow the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19.”