Republican state House candidate Eric Wallace doesn’t see how the ends would justify the means in Gov. J.B. Pritzker threatening to take steps that would again lock down the state in the ongoing COVID-19 battle.
“The only reason to clamp down like that would be if our hospitals were being filled up to the point sick people coudn't get in and that’s not something we’re seeing Wallace told the South Cook News. “We don’t need the governor just arbitrarily enacting his one-size-fits-all policies. People need to be able to get out and negotiate for themselves what’s important for them.”
Citing rising COVID-19 infection rates, Pritzker recently warned that the state could be headed for yet another shutdown of some form if the numbers don’t turn around. Eleven counties across Illinois – Cass, Gallatin, Jackson, Jo Daviess, Johnson, Perry, Randolph, Saline, Sangamon, St. Clair and White – have all experienced recent upticks that are linked to business operations and high-risk activities.
“There is a risk in life period,” said Wallace, who is running to replace Toi Hutchinson in the 40th District. “I’m really against cracking down like that anymore, not to mention there's the big question about the governor even having the legal authority to do any of this. People want to be able to make their own choice.”
And then there’s all the collateral damage Wallace is convinced would be caused by yet another shutdown.
“You can’t give people this glimmer of hope that they might be able to scrap out a living by allowing them to reopen their businesses, than take it all back by doing the same thing all over again,” he said. “Not only are you ruining businesses, you’re destroying spirits.”
Wallace said he’s never understood the logic of allowing big-box retail stores to continue operating while forcing small businesses to shutter.
“It’s like they’re picking and choosing and that has people really riled up about the government trying to control everything,” he said.
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