A downstate Illinois judge blasted both the state&#8217;s Democrat Governor, J.B. Pritzker, and the governor&#8217;s stay-at-home order in a ruling issued over the weekend, calling the continued coronavirus-related lockdown measures “insanity” and “completely devoid of anything approaching common sense.”
The <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2020/5/22/21267665/downstate-judge-blasts-illinois-governor-jb-pritzker-stay-at-home-order">Chicago Sun-Times reported</a>, earlier this week, that Clay County Judge Michael McHaney, who has already issued one ruling exempting a Republican state lawmaker from the governor&#8217;s lockdown orders, again issued a ruling granting a temporary restraining order, this time to James Mainer, an Iraq War veteran, and his business, HCL Deluxe Tan LLC, exempting Mainer and his business from the stay-at-home order.
In this ruling, though, McHaney let the governor have it, pointing out inconsistency after inconsistency in Pritzker&#8217;s orders, excoriating the Illinois state government for allowing marijuana dispensaries and Wal-Marts to operate but not small businesses and religious institutions, severely criticizing the state&#8217;s decision to allow abortions to continue during lockdown but not elective medical procedures, and dressing down the governor, who, McHaney claims, has far over-reached his authority and the extent of his emergency powers.
“Americans don’t get ruled,” McHaney said.
&#8220;Since the inception of this insanity, the following regulations, rules, or consequences have occurred: I won’t get COVID if I get an abortion but I will get COVID if I get a colonoscopy. Selling pot is essential but selling goods and services at a family-owned business is not,&#8221; McHaney railed. &#8220;The pot wasn’t even legal and pot dispensaries didn’t even exist in this state until five months ago and, in that five months, they have become essential but a family-owned business in existence for five generations is not.&#8221;
He then began listing the inconsistencies in the governor&#8217;s order.
&#8220;A family of six can pile in their car and drive to Carlyle Lake without contracting COVID but, if they all get in the same boat, they will,&#8221; McHaney said. &#8220;We are told that kids rarely contract the virus and sunlight kills it, but summer youth programs, sports programs are canceled. Four people can drive to the golf course and not get COVID but, if they play in a foursome, they will. If I go to Walmart, I won’t get COVID but, if I go to church, I will. Murderers are released from custody while small business owners are threatened with arrest if they have the audacity to attempt to feed their families.&#8221;
McHaney then took Pritzker to task for allowing his own family members to travel to Florida and Wisconsin while demanding Illinois residents stay put to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
&#8220;Our economy is shut down because of a flu virus with a 98 percent-plus survival rate,&#8221; McHaney explained. &#8220;Doctors and experts say different things weekly. The defendant cites models in his opposition. The only thing experts will agree on is that all models are wrong and some are useful. The Centers for Disease Control now says the virus is not easily spread on surfaces.&#8221;
&#8216;The defendant, in this case, orders you to stay home and pronounces that, if you leave the state, you are putting people in danger,&#8221; McHaney added, referring to Pritzker himself. &#8220;But his family members traveled to Florida and Wisconsin because he deems such travel essential. One initial rationale why the rules don’t apply to him is that his family farm had animals that needed to be fed. Try selling that argument to farmers who have had to slaughter their herds because of disruption in the supply chain.&#8221;
McHaney then zeroed in on Illinois&#8217; lockdown, calling it despotic.
&#8220;When laws do not apply to those who make them, people are not being governed, they are being ruled. Make no mistake, these executive orders are not laws. They are royal decrees. Illinois citizens are not being governed, they are being ruled. The last time I checked Illinois citizens are also Americans and Americans don’t get ruled.&#8221;
McHaney&#8217;s previous ruling, exempting a state lawmaker from the lockdown rules, still stands, but other rulings, challenging Pritzker&#8217;s authority to limit and, in some cases, ban religious services, are still under appeal. The United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit upheld the state&#8217;s lockdown rules as they apply to churches, ruling that the state&#8217;s stay-at-home order &#8220;does not discriminate against religious activities.”
That ruling is now being appealed to the Supreme Court and a request for an emergency stay of Pritzker&#8217;s order is under consideration by Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
The United States Department of Justice also issued a scathing notice to Pritzker on Wednesday, threatening to intervene in the state lawmaker&#8217;s case against the Illinois lockdown order, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/department-justice-files-statement-interest-challenging-legality-illinois-governors-sweeping">according to the Sun-Times</a>, warning Pritzker that his “orders exceed the authority granted to the governor by the Illinois legislature.”
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

JB Pritzker

READ IT: Illinois Judge Blasts State’s Lockdown Regulations: ‘Americans Don’t Get Ruled’

Coronavirus

Illinois

J.B. Pritzker

lockdown

The Department of Justice has issued a statement in support of a lawsuit filed by an Illinois lawmaker against Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order.
ABC 7 <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/politics/doj-supports-downstate-lawmakers-lawsuit-stay-at-home-order/6205111/">reported</a> that state Rep. Darren Bailey (R) alleged in his lawsuit that “Pritzker&#8217;s actions were unlawful because the stay-at-home order extended beyond the 30-day time period imposed by the legislature.” The DOJ agreed in its statement of interest, saying “the Governor exceeded his authority when issuing the executive order.&#8221;
More from ABC 7:
<blockquote>Bailey&#8217;s lawsuit was filed in state court but Pritzker, through the Illinois Attorney General, sought to have Bailey&#8217;s case moved to the federal court. The Justice Department argues against that, saying, &#8220;the Governor cannot show that any federal issue is necessarily raised in the complaint.&#8221;
&#8220;When the Department of Justice speaks, it is generally at least listened to, and I expect that the judge will read this very carefully and consider the arguments,&#8221; said ABC7 Legal Analyst Gil Soffer.
The governor&#8217;s spokesperson responded, saying, &#8220;It&#8217;s unfortunate the Department of Justice is opposing state efforts to protect the people of Illinois from a virus that has already caused the deaths of 4,750 people here.&#8221;</blockquote>
The outlet reported that the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Southern District of Illinois also released a statement supporting Bailey’s lawsuit.
&#8220;However well-intentioned they may be, the executive orders appear to reach far beyond the scope of the 30-day emergency authority granted to the Governor under Illinois law,&#8221; said U.S. attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. &#8220;Even during times of crisis, executive actions undertaken in the name of public safety must be lawful. And while the people of Illinois must be physically protected from the effects of this public health crisis, including by complying with CDC guidelines their constitutionally guaranteed rights and liberties must be safeguarded as well.&#8221;
The DOJ urged Illinois state court to rule on Bailey’s lawsuit “which, because of the sweeping nature of the Orders, may affect millions of lives and raise significant constitutional concerns in other litigation.&#8221;
Bailey filed the lawsuit in late April, saying in a statement: “Enough is enough. I filed this lawsuit on behalf of myself and my constituents who are ready to go back to work and resume a normal life.&#8221;
Bailey argued that “The governor&#8217;s one-size-fits-all thing was a little frustrating to me, and unbeknownst and then to find out some of these facts, I realize yeah, it&#8217;s indeed unconstitutional because he is not following Illinois law.&#8221; He came to that conclusion after learning Pritzker doesn’t have the authority to extend the lockdown order set by the legislature. Pritzker, however, thinks differently.
&#8220;It&#8217;s insulting,&#8221; he said, <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/health/judge-rules-in-favor-of-lawmaker-who-sued-over-illinois-stay-at-home-order/6132103/">according to ABC 7</a>. &#8220;It&#8217;s dangerous, and people&#8217;s safety and health has now been put at risk.&#8221;
&#8220;Our governor needs to focus on restoring this state and getting this state back up and running and making it better,&#8221; Bailey said later.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Governor Pritzker

DOJ Supports Lawsuit Against Illinois Stay-At-Home Order

Thousands of churches across the nation — Catholic, Lutheran, nondenominational, and more — are saying no to governors still curtailing Americans&#8217; First Amendment rights under the guise of &#8220;safety.&#8221;
In Minnesota, over 700 Catholic and Lutheran churches acquired assistance from a law firm, <a href="https://www.becketlaw.org">Becket Law</a>, to stand their ground against the infringement of their religious freedom, informing Democratic Governor Tim Walz that they will be re-opening their churches on May 26 with or without his consent.
Similarly, a movement headed by megachurch pastor Brian Gibson dubbed &#8220;<a href="https://peaceablygather.com">Peaceably Gather</a>&#8221; has reportedly gained steam with thousands of churches across the country signing on to reopen their houses of worship despite lockdown orders.
&#8220;Minnesota Catholics and Lutherans tell [Governor Tim Walz] they are reopening churches on May 26 — after the Governor announced malls, salons, tattoo parlors, &amp; casinos can open, but churches can’t,&#8221; Becket Law announced Wednesday. &#8220;The leadership of over 700 Catholic and Lutheran churches, represented by [BECKET Law] &amp; [Sidley Law], told [Governor Tim Walz] and [Attorney General] Keith Ellison that the First Amendment doesn’t let the government put churches at the back of the line during reopening.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The leadership of over 700 Catholic and Lutheran churches, represented by <a href="https://twitter.com/BECKETlaw?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BECKETlaw</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/SidleyLaw?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SidleyLaw</a>, told <a href="https://twitter.com/GovTimWalz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovTimWalz</a> and AG <a href="https://twitter.com/keithellison?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@keithellison</a> that the First Amendment doesn’t let the government put churches at the back of the line during reopening. <a href="https://t.co/KfQJ9IbS0n">https://t.co/KfQJ9IbS0n</a> (2/8)
&mdash; BECKET (@BECKETlaw) <a href="https://twitter.com/BECKETlaw/status/1263243345905713154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;The Minnesota Catholic Conference and The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod in Minnesota sent Governor Tim Walz <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/becketnewsite/LCMS-cover-letter.pdf">separate</a> <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/becketnewsite/Letter-to-Governor-Tim-Walz-May-20-2020-R.pdf">letters</a> today announcing that they would be resuming worship services on May 26 despite Governor Walz’s current COVID-19 executive order which allows retailers to operate at 50 percent capacity but caps church worship services at ten people,&#8221; a <a href="https://www.becketlaw.org/media/minnesota-churches-tell-governor-walz-resuming-person-worship-services/">press release</a> from the law firm stated.
&#8220;Governor Walz’s latest re-opening order allows the Mall of America to open its doors to those seeking retail therapy but disallows churches from providing spiritual healing to their congregations,&#8221; the law firm argued. &#8220;At the same time, The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty sent Governor Tim Walz and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/becketnewsite/Becket-Letter-to-Governor-Walz.pdf">a legal letter</a> explaining why continuing to keep churches closed violates the First Amendment. Also representing the Catholic and Lutheran Churches is global law firm Sidley Austin LLP.&#8221;
<div class="page" title="Page 1">
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
In a <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/becketnewsite/Letter-to-Governor-Tim-Walz-May-20-2020-R.pdf">letter</a> to Governor Walz dated May 20, the Catholic Bishops of Minnesota said they will resume public masses on May 26.
</div>
<div class="column">
<div class="page" title="Page 1">
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
&#8220;Earlier this afternoon, the Catholic Bishops of Minnesota announced that they would resume public masses beginning May 26,&#8221; reads the letter, signed by Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Bemard A. Hebda. &#8220;The attached letter from the Bishops to their faithful, explaining the decision, was posted on all six of the diocesan websites.&#8221;
&#8220;We do not take this step lightly,&#8221; the letter continues, adding that it&#8217;s of &#8220;concern&#8221; &#8220;that we still are without a clear roadmap, metrics, or definite timeline from your administration about a phased re-opening.&#8221;
&#8220;Executive Order 20-56 &#8230; seems to have taken a step backward, imposing an explicit prohibition on faith-based gatherings where none had existed,&#8221; Hebda writes. &#8220;Your willingness, at the same time, to allow a &#8216;click forward&#8217; for other sectors and activities on your dial-many of which cannot be classified as essential as the life of faith, prompts us to consider it necessary to move forward. We certainly remain ready to work with your administration as events unfold and circumstances change.&#8221;
</div>
<div class="column">
The letter notes that Catholics &#8220;voluntarily suspended our public worship without anyone&#8217;s direction or your executive order. Now, in light of the relevant information available, and based on the public activities that your administration is now allowing, we have concluded that many of our parishes are ready to safely resume Mass, albeit in a limited way, next week.&#8221;
&#8220;We feel compelled by pastoral need to provide our people with an opportunity to come together on pentecost, before the Easter season concludes,&#8221; the letter adds, &#8220;we hope that the care with which we have prepared for a return to in-person worship will publicly manifest that we continue to share your goal of protecting lives and safeguarding the well-being of the community during this challenging time.&#8221;
This Sunday, Pastor Gibson is headed to a church in the blue state of Illinois to preach to the faithful. According to the pastor, the church he&#8217;ll preach at has a mostly immigrant congregation that fled religious targeting.
On PeaceablyGather.com, the movement offers pro-bono services and advice from First Liberty Institute, a non-profit law firm with a focus on religious freedom. &#8220;Their services will be provided to you free of charge,&#8221; the site says.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>. 
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>

Holy Bible

Thousands Of Churches Stand Up To Democratic Governors’ Lockdown Orders: We Are Opening. Period.

First Amendment

Minnesota

Religion

On Wednesday evening, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency threatened officers who do not enforce Governor J.B. Pritzker’s lockdown orders.
&#8220;Things are moving at a dizzying pace in Springfield,&#8221; reported WCIA anchor Mark Maxwell. &#8220;Now, a new threat from [Governor Pritzker] administration to local law enforcement: IEMA (Illinois Emergency Management Agency) memo tells local law enforcement their federal funds are at risk if they refuse to enforce his executive order.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Things are moving at a dizzying pace in Springfield. Now, a new threat from <a href="https://twitter.com/GovPritzker?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovPritzker</a> administration to local law enforcement: IEMA memo tells local law enforcement their federal funds are at risk if they refuse to enforce his executive order. <a href="https://t.co/Yc4FOK9KWx">pic.twitter.com/Yc4FOK9KWx</a>
&mdash; Mark Maxwell (@MarkMaxwellTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkMaxwellTV/status/1263232159118168073?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
As noted by <a href="https://www.illinoispolicy.org/pritzker-forced-to-withdraw-criminal-penalties-for-small-business-owners-who-defy-his-order/">Illinois Policy</a>, the IEMA <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkMaxwellTV/status/1263232159118168073">memo</a> sent to local law enforcement officials stated that “failure to execute or enforce the [executive order] could be considered noncompliance with the [Public Assistance Program Grant] Agreement condition to comply with all applicable state laws, regulations and policies thus placing the applicant’s funding in jeopardy.”
As noted by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/state-police-in-democratic-state-we-will-not-arrest-jail-any-individual-for-violating-lockdown-orders">The Daily Wire</a>, Illinois State Police (ISP) said in a statement posted Tuesday to social media that they will not arrest or jail any individual in violation of Pritzker’s lockdown order or emergency orders issued Friday, which were rescinded by the Democrat late Wednesday after immense backlash.
Pritzker&#8217;s rammed-through “emergency orders” expressly targeted businesses, leveling misdemeanor charges at owners who would defy his edicts with fines up to $2,500 and possible time behind bars.
ISP said Tuesday they will not be arresting or jailing anyone for such “crimes,” though they said they would be issuing some citations in accordance with “state and constitutional law.”
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Illinois State Police (ISP) continues to focus on community caretaking, educating citizens and businesses and urging voluntary compliance,” the statement from ISP said. “As part of that effort, the ISP will act incrementally to urge compliance of the executive order.”
“Consistent with this community spirit and with state law, policy guidance and discretion,” the statement continued, “the Illinois State Police will not issue any criminal misdemeanors to individuals for violations of temporary emergency rules or executive orders.”
“The Illinois State Police will only apply those emergency rules to entities such as corporations, LLPs or other business entities consistent with state and constitutional law. No individual will be arrested or taken to jail for a violation of the Executive Orders or emergency rules,” said the statement.
“We encourage all citizens to continue to do their part to maintain public health as we move forward in the days ahead with Reopening Illinois,” added the ISP.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;Illinois State Police will not issue any criminal misdemeanors to individuals for violations of temporary emergency rules or executive orders.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/JQan5BPZBa">pic.twitter.com/JQan5BPZBa</a>
&mdash; Amanda (@AmandaPresto) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmandaPresto/status/1263113371064373250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
However, as reported by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illinois-democrat-governor-backs-down-rescinds-order-making-reopening-a-class-a-misdemeanor">The Daily Wire</a>, Pritzker has reversed course.
“Those tools are harsher measures than anybody, including me, is interested in pursuing,” the governor said at a press conference.
“A business that chooses not to follow the rules can recover from a fine,” Pritzker added. “It is much more expensive to be stripped of a license or forced to close.”
As noted by The Daily Wire&#8217;s Emily Zanotti, &#8220;It is also likely more expensive for Illinois to enforce such an order, not because of initial cost, but because of potential, subsequent litigation. Officials in other states, including Michigan, are now facing a barrage of lawsuits stemming from administration decisions to revoke business licenses and are defending against claims that such measures are &#8216;a taking&#8217; and a violation of individuals’ Constitutional rights.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/state-police-in-democratic-state-we-will-not-arrest-jail-any-individual-for-violating-lockdown-order">State Police In Democratic State: We Will Not Arrest, Jail Any Individual For Violating Lockdown Orders</a>
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate For Governor J.B. Pritzker Holds Primary Night Event In Chicago

Democrat Governor’s Admin Threatens Officers After State Police Say They Won’t Arrest Lockdown Violators

COVID-19

Illinois Democrat Governor J.B. Prizker rescinded an order making failure to comply with his coronavirus-related lockdown regulations a &#8220;class A misdemeanor&#8221; punishable by up to a $2500 fine or up to a year in jail late Wednesday after a public outcry.
Last week, Pritzker issued the order codifying the failure to comply with his lockdown restrictions as a violation of Illinois Department of Health regulations, as The Daily Wire and <a href="https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/coronavirus/pritzker-order-reportedly-authorizes-new-punishment-for-businesses-violating-restrictions/2273474/">local outlets reported</a>.
Pritzker defended his order as recently as Monday in his daily coronavirus press conference noting that, “This rule can only impact a business and not individuals and is a response to only a select type of violation. This can’t be used to regulate individual conduct like not wearing a face covering.”
And although his general counsel and other Illinois officials claimed no business owner would be hit with the full measure of punishment prescribed for a &#8220;class A misdemeanor&#8221; or find themselves under arrest for defying Pritzker&#8217;s orders, Illinois legislators and members of the state&#8217;s law enforcement community expressed deep concerns about the change.
State Republicans complained both that the order was too vague &#8212; leaving the boundaries of enforcement in the hands of the governor and other executive authorities &#8212; and that it superceded the job of the legislature, which is charged with making changes to Illinois state law, including Department of Health regulations.
“These rules are a legal overreach and beyond the scope of the governor’s authority,” House Republican Leader Jim Durkin said in a statement to media last week. “It will be a dark day in Illinois when we charge small businesses with a jailable crime for salvaging their livelihoods.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/state-police-in-democratic-state-we-will-not-arrest-jail-any-individual-for-violating-lockdown-orders">The Daily Wire reported Wednesday</a> that Illinois State Police said they would not enforce the governor&#8217;s order.
Late Wednesday, Pritzker seemingly admitted that he&#8217;d gotten the message.
&#8220;Those tools are harsher measures than anybody, including me, is interested in pursuing,&#8221; the governor said in his daily press conference.
&#8220;Pritzker says he wants to work with lawmakers and write more definitive legislation while they are in session.  He says he&#8217;d rather see a business owner be fined with a citation than go to prison,&#8221; <a href="https://www.wqad.com/article/news/governor-jb-pritzker-reverses-misdemeanor-rule-targeting-business-owners-but-local-attorneys-say-they-still-have-to-obey-the-law/526-b0517251-4128-49c2-822d-5e0e89d9a8cf">local outlets reported</a>.
&#8220;A business that chooses not to follow the rules can recover from a fine,&#8221; Pritzker added. &#8220;It is much more expensive to be stripped of a license or forced to close.&#8221;
It is also likely more expensive for Illinois to enforce such an order, not because of initial cost, but because of potential, subsequent litigation. Officials in other states, including Michigan, are now facing a barrage of lawsuits stemming from administration decisions to revoke business licenses and are defending against claims that such measures are &#8220;a taking&#8221; and a violation of individuals&#8217; Constitutional rights.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Illinois Democrat Governor Backs Down, Rescinds Order Making Reopening A ‘Class A Misdemeanor’

Illinois State Police (ISP) said in a statement posted Tuesday to social media that they will not arrest or jail any individual in violation of Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker&#8217;s lockdown or emergency orders.
Pritzker rammed through &#8220;emergency orders&#8221; on Friday targeting businesses, which level misdemeanor charges at owners who defy his edicts. Not only will they face fines up to $2,500, but owners would possibly face time behind bars.
Apparently, ISP will not be arresting or jailing anyone for such &#8220;crimes,&#8221; though they said they would be issuing some citations in accordance with &#8220;state and constitutional law.&#8221;
&#8220;During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Illinois State Police (ISP) continues to focus on community caretaking, educating citizens and businesses and urging voluntary compliance,&#8221; a statement from ISP started. &#8220;As part of that effort, the ISP will act incrementally to urge compliance of the executive order.&#8221;
&#8220;Consistent with this community spirit and with state law, policy guidance and discretion,&#8221; the statement continued, &#8220;the Illinois State Police will not issue any criminal misdemeanors to individuals for violations of temporary emergency rules or executive orders.&#8221;
<div class="text_exposed_show">
&#8220;The Illinois State Police will only apply those emergency rules to entities such as corporations, LLPs or other business entities consistent with state and constitutional law,&#8221; the statement added. &#8220;No individual will be arrested or taken to jail for a violation of the Executive Orders or emergency rules.&#8221;
&#8220;We encourage all citizens to continue to do their part to maintain public health as we move forward in the days ahead with Reopening Illinois,&#8221; conclude ISP.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;Illinois State Police will not issue any criminal misdemeanors to individuals for violations of temporary emergency rules or executive orders.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/JQan5BPZBa">pic.twitter.com/JQan5BPZBa</a>
&mdash; Amanda (@AmandaPresto) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmandaPresto/status/1263113371064373250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
As noted by <a href="https://wsiltv.com/2020/05/20/illinois-state-police-no-one-will-be-arrested-but-urges-businesses-to-comply/">WSILTV</a>, emergency rules issued by Pritzker on Friday &#8220;codify opening a business in violation of his order as a violation of Illinois Department of Public Health regulations.&#8221;
&#8220;The rules allow businesses to be charged with a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by a fine ranging anywhere from $75 to $2,500. Less than a year of jail time is also a possibility,&#8221; the report noted.
On Wednesday, a bipartisan oversight committee of legislators will have the opportunity to reject the emergency orders. &#8220;If the committee doesn&#8217;t take action to reject the rules, they would remain in effect for 150 days,&#8221; according to WSILTV.
Illinois Republicans quickly slammed Pritzker over the emergency orders, deeming it a blatant &#8220;legal overreach.&#8221;
“These rules are a legal overreach and beyond the scope of the governor’s authority,” House Republican Leader Jim Durkin said in a statement, according to <a href="https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/coronavirus/pritzker-order-reportedly-authorizes-new-punishment-for-businesses-violating-restrictions/2273474/">NBC Chicago</a>.
“It will be a dark day in Illinois when we charge small businesses with a jailable crime for salvaging their livelihoods,&#8221; Durkin emphasized.
The governor&#8217;s office claimed the emergency rules are &#8220;an additional enforcement tool for businesses that refuse to comply with the most critical aspects of the stay-at-home order,&#8221; a spokesperson for Pritzker <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illinois-governor-jb-pritzker-threatens-jail-time-if-business-owners-defy-coronavirus-lockdown-orders">said</a>.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illinois-governor-jb-pritzker-threatens-jail-time-if-business-owners-defy-coronavirus-lockdown-orders">Illinois Governor JB Pritzker Threatens Jail Time If Business Owners Defy Coronavirus Lockdown Orders</a>
</div>
<div>
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.  
</div>

State Police In Democratic State: We Will Not Arrest, Jail Any Individual For Violating Lockdown Orders

Economy

Illinois Democrat Governor J.B. Prizker has said he plans to extend the state&#8217;s coronavirus-related lockdown order well into June, but, fearing that Illinois residents will begin flouting his edicts, he&#8217;s now threatened any business owner who defies his stay-at-home order with jail time.
In other states, Democrat governors have revoked licenses, threatened closure, and even arrested those who open businesses in defiance of state lockdown provisions, but Pritzker appears to want to head off conflicts by simply laying out his response in advance.
The governor&#8217;s office &#8220;filed an emergency rule that would penalize owners of restaurants, bars, gyms, barbershops and other businesses for reopening before coronavirus restrictions are lifted,&#8221; <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/498263-illinois-business-owners-could-face-fine-jail-time-for-reopening-in">The Hill reports</a>.
The emergency rule makes reopening early a &#8220;class A misdemeanor,&#8221; which, in Illinois, carries with it a fine of up to $2,500 and up to a year in jail.
The governor&#8217;s office claims that the emergency rule is merely a tool for law enforcement &#8212; an “additional enforcement tool for businesses that refuse to comply with the most critical aspects of the stay-at-home order,&#8221; per a Pritzker spokesperson.
“Law enforcement has relied heavily on educating business owners about the order and always first discusses the regulations with business owners to urge compliance,” she added. “Only businesses that pose a serious risk to public health and refuse to comply with health regulations would be issued a citation.&#8221;
Other members of Pritzker&#8217;s administration claimed that running afoul of the rule change was akin to &#8220;getting a traffic ticket.&#8221;
&#8220;Nobody&#8217;s getting arrested or handcuffed,&#8221; the governor&#8217;s general counsel told media, per The Hill. &#8220;But they are getting a citation where they would have to go to court.&#8221;
The change was, however, enough to concern Illinois residents, who are already living under some of the nation&#8217;s strictest coronavirus lockdowns. The governor claims the state has yet to &#8220;flatten the curve&#8221; and that Illinois will not reach a &#8220;peak&#8221; of coronavirus cases for at least several more weeks, prompting the continued restrictions. Critics, however, point out that outside of Chicago&#8217;s south and west sides, coronavirus cases in Illinois are in steep decline. Some counties in Illinois saw fewer than a dozen cases.
States near Illinois, like Wisconsin, Indiana, and Iowa, have begun the slow process of reopening.
Legislators in Illinois are also concerned with the governor&#8217;s rule change, noting that it is the legislature&#8217;s job &#8212; not the governor&#8217;s &#8212; to make updates to the law and set punishments. One Republican legislator seemed to indicate that he and others will challenge the governor&#8217;s decision.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The new emergency rule <a href="https://twitter.com/GovPritzker?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovPritzker</a> that makes it a crime to violate his executive orders is an affront to the separation of powers. Legislatures make laws. Governors enforce them. Period. <a href="https://t.co/SfX7SXFoo4">https://t.co/SfX7SXFoo4</a>
&mdash; Dan McConchie (@DanMcConchie) <a href="https://twitter.com/DanMcConchie/status/1262061375179948032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Legislatures make laws,&#8221; he noted on Twitter. &#8220;Governors enforce them. Period.&#8221;
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.  
Ed note: The article mistakenly referred to the rule change as making reopening a &#8220;class A felony.&#8221; It is actually a &#8220;class A misdemeanor,&#8221; as evidenced by the attendant punishment (less than a year in jail, which is correct). We regret the error and have updated the article to reflect the change.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker Threatens Jail Time If Business Owners Defy Coronavirus Lockdown Orders

Several Illinois churches have filed a Federal lawsuit challenging Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker&#8217;s &#8220;Five Point&#8221; coronavirus plan, which could see gatherings of more than 50 people for religious services banned until 2021 unless a vaccine or reliable treatment for the virus becomes available.
Pritzker announced the &#8220;Five Point&#8221; plan last Wednesday, banning gatherings of 50 people or more until &#8220;Phase 5&#8243; &#8212; a phase that only takes effect when “a vaccine or highly effective treatment widely available or the elimination of any new cases.&#8221; Gatherings of fewer than 50 people would be allowed in &#8220;Phase 4&#8221; of the plan, though when that may take effect is not clear.
&#8220;Specific public health metrics&#8221; will guide movement between phases, <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/5/8/21251905/churches-challenge-pritzker-restore-illinois-plan-federal-court-religion-worship-services">per the Chicago Sun-Times</a>, and &#8220;essential businesses&#8221; are listed as exempt from gathering restrictions.
The plan is a slight improvement over Illinois&#8217; current situation. &#8220;Previously, religious services of any kind in the state—including drive-in and in-person services—were curtailed during the pandemic, and even other forms of sacramental practice such as drive-in confessions were not allowed,&#8221; <a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/illinois-churches-may-not-fully-reopen-for-a-year-as-white-house-shelves-cdc-plan-83898">Catholic News Service reported</a> last week.
But critics of the plan were quick to point out that while Pritzker&#8217;s roadmap allows for individuals to crowd in retailers, restaurants, and even marijuana dispensaries (many of which have never closed, because they are listed as &#8220;essential&#8221; businesses in Illinois&#8217; coronavirus plans) but creates a de facto ban on the free exercise of religion, particularly when religious services require large gatherings or the sharing of food or drink, or feature practices not considered &#8220;orthodox&#8221; under Pritzker&#8217;s plan.
Critics also suggested Pritzker was looking for a &#8220;miracle cure&#8221; that may never come.
“While there is always a possibility that some miracle cure may emerge, that is entirely uncertain and should not be the basis for setting policy, especially policy in relation to our communities of faith,” Peter Breen of the Thomas More Society told CNS last week. &#8220;[Pritzker] has at least brought churches out of the abyss of ‘non-essential,’ but he has not fully elevated them to the heights of being an ‘essential’ business or operation.&#8221;
The Thomas More Society is suing the state on behalf of The Beloved Church in Lena, Illinois. Their case, which predates the new order, is being appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
Two other churches, Elim Romanian Pentecostal Church in Chicago, Illinois and Logos Baptist Ministries, located in the Chicago suburbs, are seeking an injunction against Pritzker&#8217;s new order, saying that they&#8217;ve taken substantial steps to protect worshippers and believe the governor&#8217;s orders go too far.
“To be clear, plaintiffs merely seek a (temporary restraining order) preventing plaintiffs, their pastors, and their congregants from being subject to criminal sanctions for hosting in-person worship services on Sunday during which plaintiffs will implement social distancing and hygiene protections on an equal basis with other non-religious gatherings,” the complaint, filed last week, says.
Pritzker&#8217;s office says it&#8217;s taken steps to ensure that the free exercise of religion is protected.
&#8220;The governor’s executive order protects the free exercise of religion,” the governor&#8217;s press secretary said in an email to the Sun-Times. “In the last week, a federal court has considered these exact claims and arguments and ruled that the executive order does not violate the constitution.”
But the churches say the problem with the governor&#8217;s edict is that it defines what the state believes to be &#8220;orthodox&#8221; worship &#8212; and their services fall outside that definition, rendering their services illegal under the law until there&#8217;s a cure for COVID-19.
“If plaintiffs, their pastors, or their members do not subscribe to what Governor Pritzker has prescribed as orthodox in a worship service, they risk becoming criminals in the state,” the complaint says.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

closed church

Illinois Churches Sue After Governor Says Religious Services May Not Resume For Up To A YEAR Under Coronavirus Plan

freedom of religion

Illinois Democrat Governor, J.B. Pritzker, lost his cool in a press conference Thursday afternoon after a reporter from a local news outlet dared to ask why he allowed his family to travel to Florida to wait out the coronavirus pandemic at their $12 million dollar &#8220;horse estate&#8221; while most &#8220;non-essential&#8221; travel for Illinois residents is barred.
The multi-billionaire governor, whose family owns the Hyatt hotel chain, has extended Illinois &#8220;shelter in place&#8221; order until at least May 28, leaving most Illinois unable to work or even leave their homes for &#8220;non-essential&#8221; tasks. Pritzker has made it clear that he feels the lockdown is a matter of life and death and that travel, including travel out of state, is a major risk factor for spreading the virus, even if that travel isn&#8217;t specifically barred by the order.
But on Thursday, a reporter for Illinois Patch &#8212; a conglomerate of local news outlets covering cities statewide &#8212; got an earful when he dared to ask why the governor allowed his wife and children to leave the state during the first few weeks of the pandemic to &#8220;shelter in place&#8221; in Florida &#8212; a state which began lifting its own stay-at-home orders on Friday.
“Where is the first lady? Is she accompanied by a state security detail? Has she engaged in nonessential travel? What is your response to people who say the stay-at-home order and nonessential travel bans aren’t being abided by your family?” the reporter queried.
In response, Pritzker lashed out, calling the question &#8220;reprehensible.&#8221;
“Well, first of all, I want to say that in, in politics, it used to be that we kept our families out of it. My official duties have nothing to do with my family,&#8221; he said. &#8220;So, I’m just not going to answer that question. It&#8217;s inappropriate, and I find it reprehensible, honestly that, that that reporter wrote a story about it.”
The story, published Monday, focused on the missing First Lady.
&#8220;Specifically, the first lady has been spending time at their $12-million equestrian estate in Wellington, just down the horse trail from Bruce Springsteen, Bill Gates and Billy Joel, the family purchased shortly after J.B. was elected governor last year,&#8221; the reporter wrote, pointing out that First Ladies and close family of other governors have &#8220;stepped up&#8221; to lead necessary commissions, helping their respective state residents with food and medical care and, in the case of Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland, even providing essential negotiating services with foreign governments.
The reporter points out that there&#8217;s technically nothing wrong with Mrs. Pritzker&#8217;s decision to quarantine elsewhere, but the family does seem to be operating on a different set of standards than required for Illinois more modest residents, especially given how important Pritzker feels the shelter-in-place order is.
During his announcement last week, extending the lockdown, Pritzker was clear: “The projections are clear: If we lifted the stay-at-home order tomorrow, we would see our deaths per day shoot into the thousands by the end of May, and that would last well into the summer. Our hospitals would be full, and very sick people would have nowhere to go.&#8221;
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Illinois’ Democrat Governor Melts Down After Reporter Asks Why Family Is Spending Lockdown In Florida

Chicago

An Illinois judge has granted a temporary stay against governor J.B. Pritzker&#8217;s extention of the state&#8217;s coronavirus related stay-at-home order, marking the first time a state court has weighed in on the constitutionality of stay-at-home orders at large.
The stay, though, is severely limited, and Prtizker&#8217;s government is declaring all out war on the judge&#8217;s decision, immediately petitioning for their own stay, this time of the court&#8217;s ruling, and for an emergency hearing in an appeals court.
Illinois State Rep. Darren Bailey, a Republican, filed the lawsuit last week, alleging that while Pritzker has limited power to enact a stay-at-home order to protect Illinois citizens, the emergency that precipiated that order has since passed. Bailey, who represents a district in rural downstate Illinois, says his constituency hasn&#8217;t suffered a single case of COVID-19 and residents want to return to work.
They shouldn&#8217;t be prevented from making money because Illinois&#8217; urban centers, like Chicago, are still struggling to contain the virus, Bailey says.
The lawsuit was filed &#8220;on behalf of [Bailey] and his constituents,&#8221; <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/28/politics/darren-bailey-stay-at-home-order-exemption/index.html">CNN reports</a>, &#8220;but the <a href="https://www.chicagolawbulletin.com/articles/2020/04/27/hearing-in-clay-county-circuit-court-over-rep-bai/458668521-bailey-v-pritzker-tro.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">decision</a> by Judge Michael McHaney affects only the lawmaker, citing that Bailey &#8216;has a clearly ascertainable right in need of immediate protection, namely his liberty interest to be free from Pritzker&#8217;s executive order of quarantine in his own home.'&#8221;
Bailey, the judge said, &#8220;has shown he will suffer irreparable harm if the Temporary Restraining order is not issued,&#8221; and the order prohibits Pritzker from &#8220;in any way enforcing the March 20 Executive Order against Darren Bailey forcing him to isolate and quarantine in his home.&#8221;
Although the order is limited, Pritzker and others fear that Illinois residents in situations similar to Bailey&#8217;s &#8212; particularly residents who live in rural downstate communities where coronavirus infections are rare &#8212; will join the lawsuit and receive their own individual orders, staying and, ultimately, eroding Pritzker&#8217;s power.
To drive his point home, Pritzker assailed Bailey in a series of news conferences, blaming Bailey for putting Illinois residents in danger of contracting COVID-19 and, therefore, costing residents&#8217; lives. Pritzker also suggested that Bailey and his legal team had &#8220;laughed&#8221; when opposing attorneys brought up the possibility of increased COVID-19 deaths, though no other outlet or witness has substantiated that claim.
Pritzker also assailed the judge.
&#8220;By agreeing with the plaintiff in this initial ruling, the court set a dangerous precedent,&#8221; Pritzker said. &#8220;Slowing the spread of this virus is critical to saving lives by ensuring our healthcare system has the resources to treat patients who get sick. We will not stop this virus if, because of this ruling, any resident can petition to be exempted from aspects of the orders that rely on collective action to keep us all safe.&#8221;
“We are in possibly the most difficult parts of this journey,” Pritzker added. “I know how badly we all want our normal lives back. Believe me, if I could make that happen right now, I would, but this is the part when we have to dig in.”
Illinois has 48,102 coronavirus infections at last count, and 2,125 deaths. Of those cases, though, around 75% &#8212; 31,957 come from Cook County, home to Chicago. With 1,347 deaths Cook County also represents over half of all COVID-19 deaths in Illinois.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Illinois Judge Halts Governor’s Stay-At-Home Order…Sort Of

President Donald Trump called out Illinois lawmakers for mismanagement on Monday morning, tweeting the state as an “example” of a government that has demonstrated poor control over its own finances. 
“Why should the people and taxpayers of America be bailing out poorly run states (like Illinois, as example) and cities, in all cases Democrat run and managed, when most of the other states are not looking for bailout help? I am open to discussing anything, but just asking,” tweeted Trump. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Why should the people and taxpayers of America be bailing out poorly run states (like Illinois, as example) and cities, in all cases Democrat run and managed, when most of the other states are not looking for bailout help? I am open to discussing anything, but just asking?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1254782650679615492?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2020</a></blockquote>
The president’s accusation that Illinois has been mismanaged comes two weeks after Democrats in the state senate wrote a letter to Congress asking for a $30 billion bailout, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illinois-pleads-for-multi-billion-dollar-pension-bailout-in-federal-coronavirus-request">citing</a> the “unprecedented situation,” with an additional $10 billion thrown in for the state’s grossly underfunded pension system. 
Andrew Biggs, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, recently noted in <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-bailout-for-illinois-not-without-strict-conditions-11587765373">The Wall Street Journal</a> that Illinois has long been “at the forefront of pension mismanagement.”
<blockquote>From 2001 to 2019, Illinois made only 80% of the actuarially determined contributions to its main state plan. Worse, Illinois assumed a roughly 8% annual investment return on those contributions, but received an average of only 5.2%. Over that same period, the average benefit paid to a retired full-career state employee rose from $41,700 to $49,700. Further, pensioners received a guaranteed 3% annual cost-of-living adjustment, even though the Consumer Price Index rose only 2.2% annually over that period.</blockquote>
Leading Illinois Democrats have denied the president’s accusation of mismanagement, with Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot saying that her city pays more in taxes than it receives and was actually &#8220;very well run.&#8221;
“What I know is taxpayers in this city in the state pay a lot to the federal government, and all we&#8217;re asking for is our fair share,” said Lightfoot, reports <a href="https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/coronavirus/pritzker-lightfoot-blast-trump-over-comments-criticizing-illinois-as-poorly-run-state/2262588/">NBC News Chicago.</a> “And that is what should be involved in the calculus.”
Governor J.B. Pritzker weighed in on the president’s remarks — while deflecting away from the accusation of mismanagement in the same manner as Mayor Lightfoot— except the governor also decided to blast Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY). 
“Considering [McConnell] comes from a state that gets more federal money than it gives in federal taxes, he’s a recipient state from the federal government, and the rest of us should benefit considering the coronavirus and its effects,” said the governor. 
According to <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2020/4/18/21226547/illinois-coronavirus-federal-aid-41-billion">The Chicago Sun-Times</a>, Priztker has claimed that he didn’t know about the contents of the letter requesting pension money until after it was sent to Congress. <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-illinois-pensions/illinois-unfunded-pension-liability-rises-to-137-3-billion-idUSKBN1Y82ZP">Reuters reported</a> in December that the state’s unfunded pension liabilities had reached $137 billion. 
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">subscriber</a>.

Hillary Clinton Joins IL Gubernatorial Candidate JB Pritzker At Campaign Event

Trump Blasts Illinois Dems For Mismanaging Money. They’re Denying It.

Donald Trump

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) had harsh words for a handful of states that are looking to use coronavirus relief funds from the CARES Act and from a potential fourth coronavirus relief package to pay outstanding debt they incurred before the disease struck: they should handle their own financial matters even if that means they have to declare bankruptcy.
The pointed comment was aimed at states like Illinois, whose Democratic legislators, in a letter circulated last week and later <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/ct-coronavirus-don-harmon-40-billion-federal-request-20200418-pgseb5swvfcxvk3qtq7yuchcqi-story.html">obtained by The New York Times</a>, raised the possibility of begging the federal government for a bailout in the next coronavirus relief package, forcing national taxpayers to foot the bill for a $41.6 billion bailout package, $10 billion of which would go directly to Illinois&#8217; public sector employee unions &#8212; debt incurred decades before coronavirus appeared on the scene.
Illinois is in dire financial straits, and Illinois&#8217; Democratic governor, JB Pritzker, had planned to ask voters to approve a change to the state&#8217;s constitution in November that would have allowed for a dramatic hike in the income tax. That&#8217;s unlikely to pass now that hundreds of thousands of Illinois residents are unemployed, thanks to an ongoing coronavirus-related pandemic, which the state now believes could extend into June.
Newspapers in Illinois, from both the left and right, were &#8220;appalled&#8221; at the prospect of taking federal bailout money to handle Illinois&#8217; pension crisis,  <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ebauer/2020/04/20/illinois-pension-bailout-request-reaction-roundupand-why-its-a-nonstarter/#10405ede6c2a">Forbes reports</a>, but Democrats seem determined to request the funds, regardless.
McConnell said, <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/mcconnell-says-he-favors-allowing-states-to-declare-bankruptcy/ar-BB1336bq">in an interview with Hugh Hewitt on Wednesday</a>, that he won&#8217;t allow Illinois &#8212; or California or Connecticut &#8212; to make their financial issues the country&#8217;s problem, particularly while the national economy remains in lockdown.
“You raised yourself the important issue of what states have done, many of them have done to themselves with their pension programs,” McConnell said. “There’s not going to be any desire on the Republican side to bail out state pensions by borrowing money from future generations.”
States that need money to cope with coronavirus-related expenses will receive help, McConnell said, agreeing with President Donald Trump, who raised the possibility of handouts to states after meeting with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. The total for such a bailout, the National Governors Association estimates, could run into the hundreds of billions of dollars just for states, perhaps as high as $500 billion. For cities, it could be an additional $250 billion.
But, McConnell warned, there will be limits to Congress&#8217; generosity.
“I said yesterday we’re going to push the pause button here, because I think this whole business of additional assistance for state and local governments needs to be thoroughly evaluated,” McConnell said.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has been drafting the fourth coronavirus relief package and McConnell expects it to total somewhere around $1.1 trillion, and give generous assistance to state and local governments.
McConnell also said Thursday that he will press &#8220;pause&#8221; on any relief package until at least May so that Congress can evaluate the nation&#8217;s economic health and whether further spending bills will help in the recovery or whether they will mire the United States in further financial difficulty.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">subscriber</a>.

Mitch MCConnell

Mitch McConnell Slams States Looking To Use Coronavirus Relief As A Bailout: They Should Go Bankrupt

Mitch McConnell

In a social media post Sunday, former South Carolina governor and U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley blasted the Illinois Senate Democrats for an &#8220;infuriating&#8221; attempt to use the coronavirus crisis in order to secure a partial &#8220;bailout&#8221; for the state&#8217;s collapsing pension system.
On Saturday, the Chicago Sun-Times reported on Democratic Illinois state lawmakers seeking &#8220;<a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2020/4/18/21226547/illinois-coronavirus-federal-aid-41-billion">more than $41B in federal coronavirus aid — including $10B pension bailout</a>.&#8221;
&#8220;Illinois Senate Democrats are asking the federal government for more than $41 billion in federal aid — about a quarter of it for a pension fund bailout — to keep the state financially afloat as the coronavirus pandemic continues to slash revenues across the board,&#8221; the paper reported. &#8220;A letter from Illinois Senate President Don Harmon, addressed to U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, went out Tuesday to Illinois’ entire congressional delegation — a day before Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced the economic shutdown would result in <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2020/4/15/21222834/pritzker-state-budget-coronavirus-covid19-deficit-shortfall-billion">an estimated $2.7 billion revenue shortfall</a> in the state’s current budget.&#8221;
&#8220;I realize I’ve asked for a lot, but this is an unprecedented situation, and we face the reality that there likely will be additional, unanticipated costs that could result in future requests for assistance,” Harmon wrote in the letter representing state senate Democrats.
Among the items the Democrats are requesting is the second phase of federal coronavirus relief as well as an additional $10 billion to fund the state&#8217;s pension system. Harmon is also requesting &#8220;$9.6 billion for local governments, $6 billion for Illinois’ overloaded unemployment insurance system and $1 billion in public health support for &#8216;historically underserved communities,'&#8221; the Chicago Sun-Times notes.
&#8220;This is infuriating,&#8221; Haley wrote in a tweet Sunday that included a link to the paper&#8217;s report (h/t <a href="https://twitchy.com/jacobb-38/2020/04/19/this-is-infuriating-nikki-haley-slams-illinois-for-seeking-a-pension-fund-bailout-amid-coronavirus-relief/">Twitchy</a>). &#8220;We can’t bailout Illinois’s notoriously corrupt and mismanaged pension system. We can’t have Congress going to the trough for things like like. States should not get windfalls. It All has to be paid back.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This is infuriating. We can’t bailout Illinois’s notoriously corrupt and mismanaged pension system. We can’t have Congress going to the trough for things like like. States should not get windfalls. It All has to be paid back. <a href="https://t.co/hZedgfrID4">https://t.co/hZedgfrID4</a>
&mdash; Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) <a href="https://twitter.com/NikkiHaley/status/1251940648028196866?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Haley isn&#8217;t the only one who is calling foul on the Illinois Democrats&#8217; attempt to use the COVID-19 crisis as a way of getting the federal government to pay for the state&#8217;s massive mismanagement of the pension system. The Illinois Republican Party also hammered their counterparts in the state.
&#8220;&#8216;Never let a crisis go to waste&#8217; as they say,&#8221; the Illinois Republican Party tweeted Saturday. &#8220;[Illinois Democrats] brazenly using a global pandemic as an excuse to ask the [federal government] to bail them out of the fiscal disaster they manufactured over the last two decades. [Senate President Don Harmon] should be ashamed.&#8221;
In a follow-up post, the Illinois Republicans added: &#8220;Wondering why Democrats are secretly asking for more than a $40 billion bailout — an amount roughly the same as our annual budget? Democrat &#8216;Chicago-style&#8217; rule has bankrupted IL and now they need [money] to erase their massive failures.&#8221;
The Illinois Republicans also called out Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker for using the crisis to push his tax agenda. &#8220;The Dems mismanaged Illinois for decades — so now [Gov. Pritzker] levers a crisis to shill for tax hikes while his legislative ally goes to Congress and [President Trump] to ask for the greatest state bailout ever.&#8221;
While Harmon said his letter was shared with the Illinois governor, Pritzker attempted to distance himself from it during a press briefing Saturday, saying he was &#8220;not aware of the content of the letter&#8221; prior to it being sent to Congress, but also pushing for &#8220;unencumbered dollars&#8221; from the federal government, the Chicago Sun-Times notes.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;Never let a crisis go to waste&quot; as they say. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/twill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#twill</a>
IL Dems brazenly using a global pandemic as an excuse to ask the Fed govmt to bail them out of the fiscal disaster they manufactured over the last two decades. <a href="https://twitter.com/DonHarmonIL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DonHarmonIL</a> should be ashamed. <a href="https://t.co/wuCKckkjDK">https://t.co/wuCKckkjDK</a>
&mdash; IL Republican Party (@ILGOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ILGOP/status/1251539053989617675?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Wondering why Democrats are secretly asking for more than a $40 billion bailout &#8212; an amount roughly the same as our annual budget? Democrat &quot;Chicago-style&quot; rule has bankrupted IL and now they need $$ to erase their massive failures. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/twill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#twill</a> <a href="https://t.co/7bilArcMCw">https://t.co/7bilArcMCw</a>
&mdash; IL Republican Party (@ILGOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ILGOP/status/1251598854442627072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The Dems mismanaged Illinois for decades &#8212; so now <a href="https://twitter.com/GovPritzker?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovPritzker</a> levers a crisis to shill for tax hikes while his legislative ally goes to Congress and <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RealDonaldTrump</a> to ask for the greatest state bailout ever. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/twill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#twill</a> <a href="https://t.co/zSA8oUhSyJ">https://t.co/zSA8oUhSyJ</a>
&mdash; IL Republican Party (@ILGOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ILGOP/status/1251637642703314944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Nikki Haley

‘Infuriating’: Nikki Haley Unloads On Illinois Dems For Trying To Use Crisis To Fund Its ‘Corrupt’ Pension System

Illinois State Senator Don Harmon (D), who serves as president of the senate, has requested a $40 billion bailout from Congress, citing the economic burden of the coronavirus pandemic on the state’s ability to raise revenue. 
According to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/business/dealbook/illinois-pension-coronavirus.html">The New York Times</a>, Harmon sent the letter to Congress this week, acknowledging that he realizes he’s “asked for a lot, but this is an unprecedented situation.” 
Furthermore, Harmon told the state’s Congressional delegation in a letter earlier this week that Illinois expects to lose approximately $14.1 billion in revenue as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, reported <a href="https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/illinois-democrats-seek-more-than-40-billion-in-federal-bailout-for-pensions-budget-deficits-more/article_5413ea42-80f4-11ea-93c6-ef1157a705ab.html">The Center Square</a>. 
“This loss would deplete approximately one-third of Illinois’ general funds in one fiscal year, significantly impacting state services and long-term obligations,” said the letter, which provided a preliminary assessment of how much funding the state would need. 
According to the assessment, the state’s largest request was a generic $15 billion grant to address the unbalanced budget, followed by a $10 billion request for the state’s notoriously expensive public pension system. 
The assessment also includes $6 billion for unemployment insurance trusts, $9.6 billion for individual municipalities and an additional $1 billion for areas disproportionately affected by the coronavirus, reports the news agency. 
The Times noted that the National Governors Association, a group made of the country’s governors, estimated that states, in total, would need $500 billion of “unrestricted fiscal support.” 
While Illinois’ expected budget shortfall is in line with the association’s projection — once adjusted for population — the addition of other factors into the federal bailout plea blows the request significantly out of proportion. 
The Times noted that state’s pension problems “far predate the coronavirus,” noting that the unfunded liabilities are one reason credit rating firms place the state “one notch above junk territory.”
According to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-illinois-pensions/illinois-unfunded-pension-liability-rises-to-137-3-billion-idUSKBN1Y82ZP">Reuters,</a> Illinois unfunded pension liabilities reached $137 billion in December of 2019, and experts expect it to continue to grow at an unsustainable rate as long “contributions lag actuarial requirements” and the state’s constitutional protection of pension benefits remains intact. 
In 2015, the state supreme court struck down a law that sought to reign in the public pension systems — which had accrued over $100 billion in unfunded liabilities as of 2013 — in light of a section of the Illinois constitution that prohibits the state’s pension or retirement benefits from being “diminished or impaired.”
In the opinion, however, the court placed the problem at the steps of the state assembly, arguing that it did not properly anticipate that the pension system would become unmanageable, and was aware of the constitutional provision barring pensions from being cut. 
“The General Assembly had available to it all the information it needed to estimate the long-term costs of those provisions, including the costs of annual annuity increases, and the provisions have operated as designed.13 The General Assembly understood that the provisions would be subject to the pension protection clause,” said the court. 
“The funding problems which developed were entirely foreseeable. The General Assembly may find itself in crisis, but it is a crisis which other public pension systems managed to avoid and, as reflected in the SEC order, it is a crisis for which the General Assembly itself is largely responsible,” said the court. 
According to the think tank <a href="https://www.illinoispolicy.org/the-1-illinois-pension-millionaires/">Illinois Policy</a>, approximately 129,000 public employees in the state will retire with more than $1 million from the pension system.

Springfield, Illinois Cityscapes And City Views

Illinois Pleads For Multi-Billion Dollar Pension Bailout In Federal Coronavirus Request

Pensions

During a Thursday press briefing pertaining to COVID-19, Illinois’ Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker delivered a stinging rebuke to those in the state who are flouting the social distancing guidelines set out by lawmakers and health services workers.
Pritzker began by imploring citizens to “stay inside” if they can.
<blockquote>Folks, we live in a free country, and we all want to maintain our freedoms even in the context of our stay-at-home order, but I am begging you, please, if you don&#8217;t have to be out, stay inside. If you go outside, please find a place to go that is not crowded. For the sake of everyone&#8217;s health, follow the social distancing guidelines that we talk about here every single day. Stay six feet apart and don&#8217;t gather in groups of ten or more.</blockquote>
Following that general plea, the governor tore into those who are ignoring the guidelines, telling them that they are “spitting in the face” of doctors, nurses, and first responders who are risking their own health and safety to mitigate this crisis.
<blockquote>Right now, hosting a party, crowding down by the lake, playing a pickup basketball game in a public park – if you&#8217;re doing these things, you are spitting in the face of the doctors and nurses and first responders who are risking everything so that you can survive. We are quite literally in the middle of a battle to save your life. Every day.</blockquote>
The governor also spoke about analyzing the data related to COVID-19, and how the administration is trying to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) for workers on the front lines.
Pritzker then offered yet another rebuke, stating that those who contract COVID-19 as a result of interaction with individuals who are disregarding protocols will have to suffer alone with the virus, as hospitals cannot “accommodate visitors.”
<blockquote>To be very clear, this virus does not care that you’re bored and that you want to hang out with your friends. It doesn&#8217;t care that you don&#8217;t believe that it&#8217;s dangerous. The virus [couldn&#8217;t] care less if you think that I&#8217;m overreacting. It has infected infants; it has killed people in their 20s and 30s and 40s; it has forced doctors around the world to make terrible decisions about who will live and who will die.
If you get a loved one sick because you didn&#8217;t stay inside, they will have to travel alone to the hospital without you by their side to comfort them and look after them because hospitals and health care centers can&#8217;t afford to accommodate visitors right now.</blockquote>
“I don&#8217;t tell you all this just to scare you, I tell you this to save your life,” Pritzker said. “We all have to own our actions right now. All of us. Ultimately, you’ll be judged by what you do in this moment.”
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5c9I9fpz6iE?start=5" width="720" height="385" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
COVID-19, which originated in China’s Hubei province, has infected nearly 662,000 people worldwide, and led to more than 30,700 deaths, <a href="https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6">according to data</a> from Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) Global Cases map. 139,426 people have recovered.
In the state of Illinois, there have been 3,491 confirmed cases in COVID-19, and 47 deaths, according to the <a href="https://www.dph.illinois.gov/covid19">Illinois Department of Public Health</a>. In the United States, over 122,600 people have been struck with the virus, and 2,147 have died.

Illinois Gov Delivers BRUTAL Rebuke To COVID-19 Rule-Breakers: ‘Spitting In The Face’ Of Doctors, Nurses, First Responders

Shutdown fever has gripped America amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, as the states of California, New York, and now Illinois have all issued a stay-at-home order in an effort to &#8220;flatten the curve&#8221; to prevent a healthcare system collapse. 
On Friday, just hours after New York’s Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued his stay-at-home order for the state, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) mandated that all non-essential businesses close while people maintain social distancing.  According to <a href="https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/pritzker-issues-stay-at-home-order-to-illinois-residents">Fox 32</a> in Chicago, the order is set to take effect on Saturday at 5 P.M. and will continue through April 7. As has been the case nationwide, people will still be permitted to buy groceries, exercise outdoors, and get food delivered.
“If there are actions that I can take that will save lives in the midst of this pandemic, no matter how difficult, then I have an obligation,” Pritzker said, adding that the move will prevent “potentially tens of thousands” of deaths.
“For the vast majority of you already taking precautions, your lives will not change very much,” he said.
The state of Illinois had already ordered the shutdown of schools statewide through the end of March.
Hours before Pritzker issued the mandate, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered all state residents to stay home while closing down all non-essential businesses. The announcement comes as coronavirus cases in New York surged from 2,950 to 7,102 overnight.
“When I talk about the most drastic action we can take, this is the most drastic action we can take,” Cuomo said at a press conference in Albany, as reported by <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/20/new-york-gov-cuomo-orders-100percent-of-non-essential-businesses-to-work-from-home.html">CNBC</a>. “This is not life as usual. Accept it. Realize it and deal with it.”
“I believe these policies will save lives,” he later said.
Cuomo’s order came just one day after California’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered that all state residents stay home, mandating that non-essential businesses close up shop for the time being.
“We’re not victims of circumstance, we can make decisions to meet moments, and this is a moment we need to make tough decisions,” Newsom said. “This is a moment where we need some straight talk and we need to tell people the truth.”
“We need to the bend the curve in the state of California, and in order to do that we need to recognize the reality,” Newsom continued. “The fact is, the experience we are having on the ground throughout the state of California, the experience that is manifesting all across the United States, and for that matter, around the rest of the world, requires us to adjust our thinking and to adjust our activities.”
Following Newsom’s order, Mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti, issued an even more restrictive measure.
“The Los Angeles County order requires all indoor malls, shopping centers, playgrounds and nonessential retail businesses to close and prohibits gatherings of more than 10 people in enclosed spaces,” The Los Angeles Times <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-03-19/as-coronavirus-spreads-california-puts-national-guard-on-alert-asks-u-s-navy-for-help">reported</a>. “The city of Los Angeles order is much more restrictive. It requires all nonessential businesses to close, with companies able to operate only through work-at-home arrangements. The order also bans all public gatherings of any size outside homes.”
In London, U.K. Prime Minister <a href="https://london.eater.com/2020/3/20/21188457/coronavirus-uk-latest-restaurants-pubs-bars-closed-takeaway-only">Boris Johnson ordered</a> that all cafes, pubs, and gyms close to better halt the spread of the pandemic.

Closed19

Illinois Issues Stay-At-Home Order Following California And New York

On Monday, the executive director of the Illinois Democratic Party admitted that the number of volunteers for Tuesday’s primary election <a href="https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/487822-illinois-democratic-party-executive-volunteers-drop-out-during-coronavirus">has plunged</a> because of the coronavirus. Mary Morrissey told Hill.TV, “That is the biggest crisis in terms of the election right now is we need election judges. It’s critical that we have election judges tomorrow.” She stated, “In terms of efforts to protect volunteers and protect workers, the election authorities have made sure that the workers have gloves, that there’s hand sanitizer.”
Morrissey said “one of the biggest challenges for the election authorities” was that nursing homes typically used for polling places were unavailable, although the fact that schools had closed permitted more use of them as polling places.
On Monday, just after Illinois State Board of Elections announced that unlike Ohio, Illinois would hold the primary as scheduled, Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who has endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden, asserted, “We have to have our elections continue, in my opinion. This is the right thing to do. Our democracy needs to go on. If we cancel these elections, when would you have an election? I feel good about the decision to have the election go on tomorrow. We do believe it’s safe. We’ve certainly consulted experts, and we think that the election will go on just fine,” as <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2020/3/16/21182302/pritzker-election-illinois-coronavirus">The Chicago Sun-Times</a> reported.
Matt Dietrich, spokesman for the Illinois electoral board, said the reason the primary would remain was that much early voting had been completed 504,000 early votes had been cast and 294,000 mail ballot were sent to voters. He stated, “At this point, there is no date in the foreseeable future when we can expect greater safety with any certainty,” adding, “in-person voting is a comparable transaction to picking up a takeout restaurant order or shopping at a grocery store.”
Prizker said, ““There really have not been large crowds in many places at any given moment,” surmising that time spent at polling places “isn’t very much.”
The <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/ct-illinois-presidential-primary-20200313-kbzljlpa6jcarmq2xtptstj2gm-story.html">Chicago Tribune</a> noted:
<blockquote>There are 155 pledged delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee in July coming out of Illinois — 101 of them to be selected by primary voters from throughout the state’s 18 congressional districts, and 54 decided by the statewide results. Big wins by Biden in Illinois, as well as Florida, Ohio and Arizona, which also vote Tuesday, could all but make Sanders mathematically ineligible to overtake the former vice president in the race for the 1,991 convention delegates needed to win nomination.</blockquote>
The Tribune added that it was “imperative for Sanders to make a stronger showing in the Chicago suburbs than four years ago, encouraging support not only from women voters but also generating a larger turnout among his younger supporters who in earlier states have not shown up in the record numbers he promised.”
John Jackson, a visiting professor at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, <a href="https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/one-thing-coronavirus-hasn-t-canceled-illinois-primary-election#stream/0">opined</a>, “The pattern for us on Tuesday night will look a great deal like Michigan last Tuesday night. That similarity with another big urban, manufacturing and agricultural state leads me to believe that the outcome will be very similar in Illinois.” He said he thought Biden could win every single county in Illinois, adding, “The momentum has made a huge difference, there’s no question. [Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders] just got clobbered in Michigan.”

Voters Cast Their Ballots for Presidnetial Elections

Illinois Primary That Could Help Seal Deal For Biden Losing Tons Of Volunteers

Democratic Party

On Sunday, the governors of both Ohio and Illinois issued orders to close all restaurants and bars for dine-in customers. This comes in response to the growing coronavirus pandemic.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said the following in a series of tweets:
<blockquote>We will be issuing an order closing all bars and restaurants in <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/hashtag/Ohio?src=hashtag_click">#Ohio</a> beginning at 9:00 tonight. Establishments can stay open for carry-out and delivery. What we can&#8217;t have is people congregating and seated.
I&#8217;m aware that this will impact many, many good workers. I can&#8217;t tell you how sorry I am, but we will work to mitigate the suffering. It is our goal for everyone to get through this.
Every day we delay, more people will die. If we do not act and get some distance between people, our healthcare system in #Ohio will not hold up. The loss won&#8217;t only be those impacted by #COVID19, but the danger is also to everyone else who needs hospital care for other issues.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Establishments can stay open for carry-out and delivery. What we can&#8217;t have is people congregating and seated. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19OhioReady?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19OhioReady</a> <a href="https://t.co/3EaBWeeMdr">pic.twitter.com/3EaBWeeMdr</a>
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovMikeDeWine/status/1239276197718171648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said the following in a series of tweets:
<blockquote>There are no easy decisions to make as we address this unprecedented crisis – we must do what science and experts say will keep people safe. With that said, I am ordering all IL bars and restaurants to close to the public as of close of business Monday, Mar. 16 through Mar. 30.
We are working with restaurant owners and food delivery services across the state to ensure restaurants can safely keep their kitchens open to continue food delivery to people in their homes. Additionally, we are allowing drive-through and curbside pickup for restaurants to serve the public over this period.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
We are working with restaurant owners and food delivery services across the state to ensure restaurants can safely keep their kitchens open to continue food delivery to people in their homes.
— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovPritzker/status/1239295392338018304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
On Friday, President Trump declared a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-trump-unleashes-full-power-of-u-s-government-to-fight-coronavirus">national emergency</a> in response to the coronavirus. The order will free up $50 billion to help in the fight against the pandemic.
The president stated:
<blockquote>To unleash the full power of the federal government &#8230; I am officially declaring a national emergency. Two very big words. The action I am taking will open up access to up to $50 billion of very important and a large amount of money for states and territories or localities in our shared fight against this disease.</blockquote>
The coronavirus has also begun to impact the Democratic <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/following-louisiana-georgia-postpones-democratic-primary-amid-coronavirus-concerns">primary process</a>, with Georgia and Louisiana postponing their primaries, which were originally scheduled for March 24 and April 4, respetively. As of publication, no plans have been announced to postpone the next batch of Democratic primaries in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, and Ohio, which are set to take place this Tuesday.
The coronavirus, which originated in China’s Hubei province, has infected more than 158,000 people worldwide, leaving over 6,000 dead, reports <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/coronavirus-map-confirmed-cases-2020-n1120686">NBC News</a>, which cites its own reports, as well as the “World Health Organization, state government leaders, and health officials.”
There have been 3,510 confirmed cases in the United States, and 67 deaths.

Empty restaurant

Governors Of Ohio And Illinois Issue Orders To Close Restaurants And Bars In Attempt To Curb Coronavirus Spread

Mike DeWine

Ohio

The coronavirus — which has killed more than 80 people in China so far and has resulted in more than 50 million Chinese citizens now effectively quarantined in the country — has reached the United States, with four states thus far confirming cases, including two new cases on Sunday in California and Arizona.
&#8220;The U.S. has five confirmed cases of the new virus from China, all among people who traveled to the city at the center of the outbreak, health officials said Sunday,&#8221; the <a href="https://apnews.com/c482d489c4e3cca2f5b549386f666e3a">Associated Press</a> reports. &#8220;Two new cases were reported Sunday — one in Los Angeles County in California and the other in Maricopa County, Arizona.&#8221;
The newly confirmed case in Arizona, AP notes, involves someone connected to Arizona State University, located in Tempe, &#8220;who did not live in school housing and had a history of travel to Wuhan, China,&#8221; according to state health officials. The patient, officials said, is not severely ill and is currently at home but isolated in order to prevent further spreading of the virus.
&#8220;The department said it would not release potentially identifying information on the person, including the gender and age, and declined to say whether the person was a student or faculty member,&#8221; AP reports.
The newly confirmed case in Los Angeles — the second in California — involves a patient who reported feeling ill upon arrival at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday, at which point the patient was taken immediately to the hospital. Officials are likewise withholding identifying information about the individual, though they have revealed that the patient traveled from Wuhan.
In a press conference Sunday, L.A. County Department of Public Health&#8217;s Dr. Sharon Balter addressed the new case. “Everything worked as it should,” said Balter, as reported by AP. “The patient presented for care, the patient was immediately transported to a hospital, the patient has remained in the hospital.”
The two new cases makes a total of five confirmed cases thus far in the U.S.: one in Orange County, California, another in Washington state (reportedly a male in his 30s), and another in Chicago (reportedly a woman in her 60s).
On Sunday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html">statement</a> confirming the five cases, all involving individuals who had traveled to the States from Wuhan:
<blockquote>The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is closely monitoring an outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a novel (new) coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Chinese authorities identified the new coronavirus, which has resulted in more than a thousand confirmed cases in China, including cases outside Wuhan City. Additional cases have been identified in a growing number of other international locations, including the United States, where 5 cases in travelers from Wuhan have been confirmed in four states (AZ, CA, IL, WA) as of January 26, 2020. There are ongoing investigations to learn more.</blockquote>
As reported by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/26/world/asia/coronavirus-wuhan-china-hubei.html">The New York Times</a> Sunday, the communist Chinese government has expanded its quarantine to include around 56 million people.
“A top Chinese health official warned on Sunday that the spread of the dangerous new coronavirus, already extraordinarily rapid, is accelerating further, deepening global fears about an illness that has sickened more than 2,700 people worldwide and killed at least 80 people in China,” the Times reported. “The grim diagnosis came amid concerns that China’s efforts to contain the spread of the disease, despite a lockdown of unprecedented scope affecting 56 million people, may not only have come too late but could even make the situation worse, including by exacerbating shortages of medical supplies.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/china-quarantines-56-million-cities-cancel-work-for-weeks-deaths-infections-skyrocket">China Quarantines 56 Million, Cities Cancel Work For Weeks. Deaths, Infections Skyrocket.</a>

Coronavirus Hits U.S.: More Cases Reported In Multiple States

Arizona

California

China

Los Angeles

With the Illinois primary less than two months away, a spokesman for the Illinois State Board of Elections has admitted that some non-citizens of the United States may have illegally voted in the 2018 election because of the new automatic voter registration process implemented in the state.
Spokesman Matt Dietrich told <a href="https://www.wcia.com/illinois-capitol-news/state-board-of-elections-admits-non-u-s-citizens-may-have-voted-illegally-in-2018/">WCIA</a> on Monday that 574 non-U.S. citizens were inadvertently registered to vote in Illinois, adding, “We do know that some of them voted in 2018.” He surmised that some may have been legal citizens who incorrectly filled out the state form to vote, although it appears much if not all of the problem was that Illinois permits non-citizens to obtain driver’s licenses.
Democrat Secretary of State Jesse White’s office acknowledged the mistake in a letter to the State Board of Elections on December 18. Spokesman Henry Haupt of White’s office stated, “For whatever reason that technological programming error did not properly remove the individuals. The individuals who are applying for driver’s license were inadvertently pooled into the automatic voter registration.” He added, “This was an isolated case that impacted less than one-tenth of one percent of the people registered through automatic voter registration. As soon as the program error was discovered, it was fixed, and the individuals were notified, including the State Board of Elections and the local election authorities.”
The Macon County Sheriff’s race was decided by one vote. The <a href="https://www.news-gazette.com/news/runner-up-in-one-vote-macon-county-sheriff-s-race/article_22d76307-be83-5bde-9634-a96470551691.html">News-Gazette</a> reported in December 2018:
<blockquote>A Decatur man who was told he lost his bid to become Macon County sheriff by one vote is asking a judge to review the election results in hopes he&#8217;ll be declared the winner. Republican Jim Root filed suit Wednesday in Macon County Circuit Court against Democrat Tony &#8220;Chubby&#8221; Brown, the current sheriff, seeking to overturn Brown&#8217;s victory …The request for judicial relief comes on the heels of a discovery recount that Root&#8217;s local attorney, Jerrold Stocks, believes actually puts Root five votes ahead of Brown instead of one vote behind.</blockquote>
WCIA noted, “Illinois law allows immigrants who are not citizens to get a driver’s license or state identification. Both state and federal law prohibits non-citizens from participating in American elections …  Non-citizens who vote in American elections can face swift consequences, including immediate deportation.”
State Representative Tim Butler (R-Springfield) explained, “Non-citizens can have driver’s licenses in the state of Illinois. A driver’s license is a key tool in registering someone to vote. Oftentimes it’s your driver’s license that is one of the two documents that we use to verify that you’re a registered citizen … If that person voted, that’s a huge problem when it comes to the federal government. That’s a deportable offense for this person. And if that’s the case, that’s something that’s on the Secretary of State’s office for allowing that offense to happen.”
Because of Martin Luther King Day on Monday, no state employees were available to ascertain exactly how many non-citizens actually voted; a more detailed answer is expected to be given on Tuesday.
Five Illinois House Republicans have requested White and the State Board of Elections to testify before investigative hearings; Butler explained, “We have to have complete confidence that our offices are doing the right thing. And that goes for the Secretary of State. He may or may not have known about this. I have no idea. But he needs to be held responsible for it. It’s his operation that allowed this to happen.”
The Illinois primary election is held March 17, with early voting starting on February 6.
&nbsp;

Menu

Illinois

READ IT: Illinois Judge Blasts State’s Lockdown Regulations: ‘Americans Don’t Get Ruled’

DOJ Supports Lawsuit Against Illinois Stay-At-Home Order

Thousands Of Churches Stand Up To Democratic Governors’ Lockdown Orders: We Are Opening. Period.

Democrat Governor’s Admin Threatens Officers After State Police Say They Won’t Arrest Lockdown Violators

Illinois Democrat Governor Backs Down, Rescinds Order Making Reopening A ‘Class A Misdemeanor’

State Police In Democratic State: We Will Not Arrest, Jail Any Individual For Violating Lockdown Orders

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker Threatens Jail Time If Business Owners Defy Coronavirus Lockdown Orders

Illinois Churches Sue After Governor Says Religious Services May Not Resume For Up To A YEAR Under Coronavirus Plan

Illinois’ Democrat Governor Melts Down After Reporter Asks Why Family Is Spending Lockdown In Florida

Illinois Judge Halts Governor’s Stay-At-Home Order…Sort Of

Trump Blasts Illinois Dems For Mismanaging Money. They’re Denying It.

Mitch McConnell Slams States Looking To Use Coronavirus Relief As A Bailout: They Should Go Bankrupt

‘Infuriating’: Nikki Haley Unloads On Illinois Dems For Trying To Use Crisis To Fund Its ‘Corrupt’ Pension System

Illinois Pleads For Multi-Billion Dollar Pension Bailout In Federal Coronavirus Request

Illinois Gov Delivers BRUTAL Rebuke To COVID-19 Rule-Breakers: ‘Spitting In The Face’ Of Doctors, Nurses, First Responders

Illinois Issues Stay-At-Home Order Following California And New York

Illinois Primary That Could Help Seal Deal For Biden Losing Tons Of Volunteers

Governors Of Ohio And Illinois Issue Orders To Close Restaurants And Bars In Attempt To Curb Coronavirus Spread

Coronavirus Hits U.S.: More Cases Reported In Multiple States

Illinois Dems Admit Mistake Allowed Non-Citizens To Vote In 2018

Menu

Illinois

READ IT: Illinois Judge Blasts State’s Lockdown Regulations: ‘Americans Don’t Get Ruled’

DOJ Supports Lawsuit Against Illinois Stay-At-Home Order

Thousands Of Churches Stand Up To Democratic Governors’ Lockdown Orders: We Are Opening. Period.

Democrat Governor’s Admin Threatens Officers After State Police Say They Won’t Arrest Lockdown Violators

Illinois Democrat Governor Backs Down, Rescinds Order Making Reopening A ‘Class A Misdemeanor’

State Police In Democratic State: We Will Not Arrest, Jail Any Individual For Violating Lockdown Orders

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker Threatens Jail Time If Business Owners Defy Coronavirus Lockdown Orders

Illinois Churches Sue After Governor Says Religious Services May Not Resume For Up To A YEAR Under Coronavirus Plan

Illinois’ Democrat Governor Melts Down After Reporter Asks Why Family Is Spending Lockdown In Florida

Illinois Judge Halts Governor’s Stay-At-Home Order…Sort Of

Trump Blasts Illinois Dems For Mismanaging Money. They’re Denying It.

Mitch McConnell Slams States Looking To Use Coronavirus Relief As A Bailout: They Should Go Bankrupt

‘Infuriating’: Nikki Haley Unloads On Illinois Dems For Trying To Use Crisis To Fund Its ‘Corrupt’ Pension System

Illinois Pleads For Multi-Billion Dollar Pension Bailout In Federal Coronavirus Request

Illinois Gov Delivers BRUTAL Rebuke To COVID-19 Rule-Breakers: ‘Spitting In The Face’ Of Doctors, Nurses, First Responders

Illinois Issues Stay-At-Home Order Following California And New York

Illinois Primary That Could Help Seal Deal For Biden Losing Tons Of Volunteers

Governors Of Ohio And Illinois Issue Orders To Close Restaurants And Bars In Attempt To Curb Coronavirus Spread

Coronavirus Hits U.S.: More Cases Reported In Multiple States

Illinois Dems Admit Mistake Allowed Non-Citizens To Vote In 2018

Don't miss a beat of our coverage.