House Republicans slam Pritzker's reopening plan

Republican members of the Illinois House of Representatives criticized Gov. J.B. Pritzker's multiphase plan to reopen Illinois by region, saying it does not act quickly enough to respond to the economic hardship and does not let regional leaders make decisions for themselves.

"We all know that the stay-at-home order was the right thing to do to stop the spread of the virus," said Deputy House Minority Leader Dan Brady, of Normal. "(But) instead of offering any semblance of local authority to the people who are on the ground in the community, it continues to be a decree by one person."

In the "Restore Illinois" plan that Pritzker unveiled Tuesday, state health officials will look at certain data metrics including hospital capacity and testing availability in four regions of the state in order to move each respective region through phases of reopening.

The regions are southern Illinois, northeast Illinois, central Illinois and north-central Illinois.

The entire state is currently in Phase 2, which allows nonessential stores to open for delivery and curbside pickup.

Phase 3 includes fully reopening nonessential stores, barbershops, offices and more, with capacity limits. Pritzker said no region will move to Phase 3 before May 29.

"The science can't precisely tell us which region should be grouped with another region or how small or how large those regions should be," argued Deputy Minority Leader Tom Demmer, of Dixon. "The science can't definitively tell us when it's safe to move from one step to another step."

"When we have that level of complexity, we need to have input from a wide variety of stakeholders to try to make the best decisions possible," Demmer added. "We also have to consider the very realimpact this is having on economies, on livelihoods and on people's lives all across the state of Illinois."

Phase 4 includes allowing up to 50 people in stores and restaurants, but Pritzker said Tuesday the earliest that could happen is the end of June.

Republican state Rep. Terri Bryant takes exception to being told she can't go to church until Phase 4.

"Your powers cannot supersede my right as an American citizen to gather peacefully with fellow believers to freely worship and exercise my religion," she wrote in a statement to Pritzker.

"Your 5-phase plan does not allow for gatherings of more than 50 people until "Phase 5." That is completely unacceptable. If my church calls for a regular in-person worship service prior to the state reaching Phase 5, I can guarantee that I will be one of the first parishioners through the doors."

Republicans argue that closed businesses cannot until Phase 5.

"This will force bankruptcy and the permanent closure of large and small restaurants throughout the state of Illinois," said House Minority Leader Jim Durkin, of Western Springs. "This plan does not work."

Republicans acknowledged that Pritzker's latest extension of the stay-at-home order included multiple revisions that Republicans had suggested, including opening state parks and garden centers and allowing elective surgeries to resume.

Despite frustrations, Durkin stressed that "The executive order right now is the law of Illinois. And I would not encourage anybody to break the law" by reopening their business.

Pritzker on Wednesday acknowledged the difficulty that some have had applying for unemployment. He added that he will have a "complete presentation" on the state of unemployment later this week "so people can see what's being done."