SE Illinois News

State Rep. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) is on a mission to keep the politics out of the government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis now crippling the state.

“Up until this point, I think we’ve handled things appropriately here in Illinois,” Bailey told the SE Illinois News. “I’m confident that everything we’ve done are things that really needed to be done.”

Still, Bailey stresses things have been far from perfect.

Rep. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) | Bailey's website

“I recently sent a message to Gov. Pritzker asking him to stop bashing our president every chance he gets,” he added. “The truth of the matter is we don’t know why we’re short on ventilators and masks for hospitals. I think it would add to the governor’s integrity if he showed the ability to rise above all that.”

Bailey argues Pritzker’s time would be much better spent trying to keep residents as calm and informed as he can. 

“He needs to keep his message to just prepping the people of Illinois because there could be another level to this shutdown if we don’t take things as seriously as we need to,” he said.

Bailey said he plans to keep a close watch over things, speaking out as he sees fit about issues like government overreach and abuses of power.

In Champaign, a city ordinance has been enacted that gives the mayor and city council the power to do everything from limit gun sales to ration utilities and seize private property. The newly approved legislation also gives leaders the power to impose emergency curfews, bar residents from public buildings and shutter businesses over the next 28 days.

“People in my part of state are always concerned about government overreach and it’s something that’s always on our radar,” he said. “At the end of the day, whatever’s done now are things that we’ll have to deal with the repercussion of and work our way back from. I’ve never trusted government and it’s one of the reasons I got involved in politics.”