METROPOLIS – State Rep. Patrick Windhorst (R-Metropolis) is sounding off following a controversial move by Illinois Governor JB Pritzker to reinstate mask mandates in Illinois’ public schools. Windhorst, who is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, says the local elected school boards should be deciding what’s best for their students.
“I fully understand the frustration that parents and students must be feeling,” Windhorst said. “This is now going to be the third school year impacted by Governor Pritzker’s mandates in response to COVID19. The decision of whether to require masks in schools should be made by the local school board, as the governor himself said just last month. A top-down government response is the opposite of what is needed at this time. School boards must be allowed to make these decisions at the local level.”
Governor Pritzker announced new statewide mask mandates for school students aged pre-k through 12th grade on Wednesday. The move comes after months of government officials informing the public that vaccinated people would no longer be required to wear masks.
Windhorst also expressed frustration at Governor Pritzker’s continuing use of executive orders to override the authority of the General Assembly and local government.
“Our state cannot continue to manage the government’s response to this pandemic as if the calendar is perpetually stuck at March 2020. Elected representatives and local governments must be allowed to exercise their appropriate role in our system of representative government,” Windhorst said.
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