South Cook News

Gov. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois reserved a special mention in his recent State of the State Address to blast what he called “demagogues who are pushing censorship". 

Recently, Pritzker and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have conflicted over the educational treatment of issues concerning the Black community.

While Pritzker didn't mention DeSantis by name, those following the tension between two governors didn't need help connecting the dots; Pritzker has criticized DeSantis' decision to bar an Advanced Placement course on African American studies from curriculum in Florida schools, according to Politico.

The comment about censorship came out of a Feb.15 message to the Illinois General Assembly at the state Capitol, which constituted a return to normalcy after COVID-19 with Pritzker's first live address in some time.

“It’s an ideological battle by the right-wing, hiding behind a claim that they would protect our children — but whose real intention is to marginalize people and ideas they don’t like,” Pritzker said in the article. “This has been done in the past, and it doesn’t stop with just snuffing it out."

DeSantis said that he is willing to take what some might consider drastic measures by removing Advanced Placement (AP) academia in addition to critical race theory. DeSantis has signed into law the “Stop W.O.K.E. Act”, a ban on exposing Florida students to critical race theory, and more recently, toughened his stance by threatening to end state support for AP programs, Politico said.

In addition, the two governors may be looking to take their careers to the next level. DeSantis is all but anticipated to enter the GOP primary with former President Donald Trump, Politico reports. Despite Pritzker's frequent expressions of support for President Joe Biden's reelection bid, he too has been rumored to be considering a run of his own.