Macon Reporter

Veteran Illinois state Rep. Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville) is imploring Gov. J.B. Pritzker to look at the whole picture as he seeks to chart the state’s economic reopening.

“We’re already getting reports that domestic abuse, mental health and suicide calls are all up,” Halbrook told the Macon Reporter. “The mental strain of some of the actions the governor has taken to combat this virus has almost been as bad as the illness itself.”

The five-phase plan recently laid out by the governor calls for a region-by-region reopening of the economy that weighs the fact some regions of the state will be in position to move to the next phase faster than others. Even as he shares that the state is already into Phase 2 of the plan, Pritzker adds he doesn’t anticipate the state moving into Phase 5, or a complete reopening of the economy, until there is a vaccine or highly effective treatment available.

“They’re just too many phases,” Halbrook added. “And the idea that he thinks we shouldn’t completely open up the economy until there is a vaccine really seems crazy for this area of the state. In most downstate counties, they’re have only been a few fatalities from all of this, so people feel like they’ve given the governor the opportunity to flatten the curve that he’s talked about and now they’re ready to get back to work. Some counties are already passing resolutions to that effect.”

Halbrook also believes much of what Pritzker is doing is beyond his constitutional powers.

“He’s working as a one-man army and all these plans he’s rolled out violate state statutes in that the other branches of government aren’t being involved at all,” he said. “We need to get back to Springfield so we can serve as the voice of the people in determining what direction this state decides to take.”