State Representative Charlie Meier (R-Okawville) released the following statement after Governor Pritzker announced enhanced restrictions for Metro East businesses:
“I keep hearing from constituents that do not trust the decisions and reports coming from the Governor’s administration. We have reports of deaths being recorded as a result of COVID, which is not accurate. Small businesses are told to close their doors while big box stores remain open. The Governor should make grants available for all of the small businesses, bars, and restaurants he has closed. We just want to be treated fairly and told the truth. Our region has plenty of hospital beds available to care for those who need treatment. The enhanced restrictions on our region are too restrictive.
I think the Governor should exclude the total number of positive COVID cases reported in state facilities and prisons when factoring his enhanced restrictions towards the region. For example, inmates with COVID are not leaving prison. They are not spreading the disease amongst the region. As my colleagues and I keep saying again and again. Governor Pritzker must stop making these decisions to shut down our communities without legislative authority, he needs to call us back for a special session. The hammer goes up and the hammer goes down, once again Governor Pritzker’s hammer pounded southern Illinois businesses.”