METROPOLIS – State Rep. Patrick Windhorst (R-Metropolis) says he believes Governor Pritzker’s decision to keep school mask mandates in place harms children, and makes little sense in light of the Governor’s announcement on Wednesday to end indoor and public gathering mask mandates on February 28th.
“What we heard today from the Governor was a plan to end mask mandates for everyone but school children, inmates, and residents of nursing homes. That is unacceptable. I do not agree with the Governor’s heavy-handed, top-down approach to managing COVID-19, and I certainly believe the time has arrived that he end his mask mandates for students in our schools. It is time, after more than 700 days of masks, that our students are able to go to school without them.
I strongly believe the Governor should withdraw his mask mandate for schools and drop his appeal of the recently issued temporary restraining order.”
In September 2021, Rep. Windhorst sponsored HR 416, which called on the Illinois State Board of Education to stop punishing school districts for exercising local control over COVID-19 healthcare related decision making.
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