Kane County Reporter

Illinois state Rep. Allen Skillicorn (R-East Dundee) believes that Gov. J.B. Pritzker should have to answer to the people, especially in times of crisis.

“Throughout this process, I have joined several of my colleagues in the House in asking for some basic information from the governor such as daily hospitalization numbers and other information,” Skillicorn told the Kane County Reporter in reference to Pritzker’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We have asked for clear guidelines on what the timetable for reopening the economy would be and what criteria would be used.”

Instead, critics charge that Pritzker has made himself the only voice that matters in the process, as evidenced by his recent decision to extend his statewide stay-at-home order through the end of May.

“The governor has provided very little information, which has been frustrating,” Skillicorn said. “People’s lives and their livelihood are being ruined and Gov. Pritzker continues to spend the majority of his time at these press conferences ripping the president. We don’t need partisan politics during this crisis. We need real leadership.”

Skillicorn argues that the governor has fallen far short of that standard.

“What he has essentially done is punt on making any real tough decisions,” Skillicorn said. “The governor should be meeting with business owners and talking to other leaders in the state and developing a real plan for reopening the economy. Instead, all we get is low-information press conferences and a continued void of leadership.”

Since Pritzker enacted his stay-at-home order at the end of March that forced countless small businesses to either close or limit operations, the state’s unemployment rate has climbed to 4.6 percent.