Kane County Reporter

Jeanette Ward has grown weary of what she sees as all Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s strong-arm tactics.

“The governor was outside his statutory authority as of April 7, 2020, as I have repeatedly stated,” Ward told the Kane County Reporter.

Ward’s latest outrage stems from the governor recently moving to seek to reaffirm the statewide mask and social distancing requirements for Illinoisans for another 150 days. The updated emergency rule also prohibits gatherings of more than 50 people, including at public and nonpublic schools where the same capacity restriction ban is in place.

Ward, who narrowly lost her 25th District race to democratic incumbent Sen. Karina Villa, has long been a staunch critic of the governor’s handling of the COVID pandemic.

“It’s unconscionable that the governor continues to act like a king and rule by edict instead of convening the legislation and doing the job the way its intended,” she told the Kane County Reporter. “The fact that we’re losing so many people means we will have even less revenue to fill the enormous budget gap from this budget that is in no way balanced.”

Ward dejectedly points to the findings in a new TrackTheRecovery.org analysis that details how since the start of the year Illinois has lost more than a third of all its small businesses. Again, she fingers Pritzker as being one of the chief culprits.

“He is destroying people’s livelihoods by fiat and he’s showing no signs of coming to his senses,” she said. "What he is doing is crippling our small business industry.”

Ward said she often wonders if the governor ever gives serious thought to much damage his decrees are causing for small business owners.

“I really don’t think he does,” she added. “If he did, I have to believe he wouldn’t still being doing these things. Unless we change course soon and finally get government spending under control it won’t be long before we’ll be headed toward bankruptcy.”