Macon Reporter

Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s banning of a popular radio reporter from his daily news briefings is a form of bullying to get his way, according to a member of the Illinois House of Representatives.

“It only shows that the governor is unsure of himself and doesn't want anyone to expose what he's doing in an unfavorable light,” said Rep. Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur) of House District 101.

As previously reported in Prairie State Wire, AM 560 co-host Amy Jacobson was labeled a non-“impartial journalist” after she reported that Pritzker’s family members had left for Florida and Wisconsin rather than stay in Illinois during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Jacobson was reportedly informed via e-mail that her access to Pritzker’s daily online media conferences was revoked May 19 by his press secretary Jordan Abudayyeh who allegedly accused Jacobson of attending a political rally organized by critics of Pritzker’s COVID-19 orders.

“There are so many people in Illinois that have traveled to Missouri, Indiana, Wisconsin and Iowa because they see the hypocrisy of what he does,” Caulkins told the Macon Reporter. “His executive orders aren’t logical and obviously his family believes that too.”

Jacobson broke the story May 15 that Pritzker’s wife and children were living at the family’s horse farm in Florida, which was acquired by an entity associated with the governor for $12 million during the same week he was elected in 2018, according to media reports.

"Now I’m hearing that Gov. Pritzker has a 1,000-acre horse farm in Kenosha, Wis.,” Jacobson tweeted May 14. That‘s where the family is tending to the animals tonight. You know, essential workers while the rest of us have been deemed ‘non-essential.’”

Dine-in restaurants, bars, nightclubs, entertainment venues, gyms, public events, gatherings and convention centers have been closed since March under an order that expired May 31 at which time the state prepared to move into Phase 3 of reopening the economy.

“People are going back to work this week and the governor has not increased the child care capacity,” Caulkins said. “We're seeing a huge conflict in people being called back to work. If you don't report back to work, you lose your unemployment. What do you do with your kids? This is all on the governor.” 

Last week Pritzker announced that 5,500 child care centers will be permitted to open as part of Phase 3 of the state’s plan but with restrictions and at limited capacity, according to media reports.

“They closed all of the daycare centers and then allowed emergency daycare centers to apply for a license,” Caulkins said. “Now that we're opening up restaurants and other businesses that the governor had said were non-essential, which I have never seen a definition of, people are desperate because they don’t have the daycare available that allows them to go back to work.”