SPRINGFIELD - It has become clear over the last few days that Governor Pritzker no longer takes his own COVID-19 order seriously. The State of Illinois is currently in Phase 3 of Governor JB Pritzker’s Restore Illinois plan for reopening the state. All four regions are over two weeks away from moving to Phase 4. In Phase 3, it clearly mandates gatherings of not more than 10 people.

Protesters demonstrating in the wake of George Floyd’s death have every right to do so. They are free American citizens who have calculated the risk of gathering in large outdoor groups and have determined that it is worth it to protest injustice. We applaud them for exercising their rights.

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However, the protesters are not the individuals who are currently ruling Illinois by government fiat, forcing thousands of canceled events throughout the summer just to comply with the state’s rules. That would be JB Pritzker. Yet, JB Pritzker and his Lt. Governor are publicly promoting themselves openly violating their own order while the rest of us make tough decisions to cancel long planned events, activities, trips and festivals.

In contrast to Governor Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has not attended a rally or protest. Perhaps Lightfoot understands that when you ask millions of people to shutter their businesses, cancel their weddings, and miss the funerals of their loved ones, a leader should at least follow his or her own order.

“The Governor flaunting his disregard for his own rules is a slap in the face to every Illinoisan who has been diligently following them. If the Governor wants to show solidarity with protesters, his time is better spent on the phone with legislators trying to build a coalition for change. He could be calling for an immediate special session. Instead, he poses for a photo-op while undermining whatever credibility he had left on his coronavirus restrictions.” - ILGOP Spokesman Joe Hackler

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While the Governor is defying his own order and joining in large groups with hundreds of people, the following is an incomplete list of activities that are less likely to spread COVID-19 yet are still prohibited by the Governor’s Phase 3 and Phase 4 order:

  • Traditional wakes and funerals for loved ones who have passed away.
  • Youth summer sports leagues that entertain children and provide a development bridge during the summer before school starts up again.

  • Normal summer school programs that have to abide by the rule mandating no gatherings of more than 10 people.

  • Long planned weddings that should have been one of the greatest days of a couple’s life, surrounded by dozens or hundreds of friends and family.

  • Festivals and picnics that are the major annual events driving tourism revenue and community engagement in large and small communities throughout the state.


Here is the Governor and Lt. Governor violating their own rules with a backdrop of thousands of canceled events and activities in addition to the thousands of jobs lost because of those cancellations:

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