State Rep. Darren Bailey | Contributed photo
State Rep. Darren Bailey | Contributed photo
With the COVID-19 pandemic causing record-breaking unemployment in Illinois, a state lawmaker has filed suit against Gov. J.B. Pritzker seeking to overturn the governor’s recent monthlong extension of the state’s stay-at-home order.
State Rep. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) filed suit in Clay County Circuit Court, asking for an injunction to prevent further enforcement of the state’s stay-at-home directive.
“My lawsuit asks the court to find that Gov. Pritzker overextended his power by issuing additional ‘stay at home’ orders after his original disaster proclamation, which expired on April 9, 2020,” Bailey said in a news release. “Enough is enough! I filed this lawsuit on behalf of myself and my constituents who are ready to go back to work and resume a normal life.”
Bailey has been critical of the governor’s fiscal policies, telling the Navigator Journal, “Businesses are moving out of the state. Our work comp is two and a half times that of any other state; now, we’ve raised the minimum wage. For many entry-level jobs, people are coming from across state lines and securing jobs. The vast majority of that money doesn’t get spent in Illinois.”
The strong, pre-COVID economy is due to President Donald Trump, Bailey said, and Illinois could have better weathered the coronavirus downturn if not for its backlog of financial issues.
“When you take a look at Illinois’ finances — which I’ve been railing against since Day One, Illinois’ finances are a disaster and they’re getting worse because of the decisions the Governor chooses to enact,” Bailey said.
While Republican lawmakers had urged Pritzker to “stock up” on the pre-virus momentum of the national economy, the governor has favored introduction of a progressive tax that would affect people earning $250,000 or more.
The tax question is set to go before voters as a ballot question in November.
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