Illinois state Rep. Tom Morrison (R-Palatine)
Illinois state Rep. Tom Morrison (R-Palatine)
Veteran state Rep. Tom Morrison (R-Palatine) argues that Gov. J.B. Pritzker needs to fully comprehend the consequences of his actions.
“Nobody does or should blame him for the [COVID-19] virus or the terrible ways it can, has and will continue to injure or kill, but his broad executive decisions have much farther-reaching effects than he perhaps realizes," Morrison told the North Cook News. “The governor needs to remember that he’s the governor for all the people of Illinois.”
Morrison’s assessment comes in the wake of Pritzker's plan to extend his stay-at-home order at least through the end of May, thus rendering most of the state’s small businesses still closed or forced to operate in some reduced capacity.
“If the governor issues an extension of his stay-in-place order, it should account for regional differences in Illinois,” Morrison said. “It should allow for greater flexibility on business operations as long as safeguards are put into place. While the COVID virus could infect every citizen, the risks of transmission vary greatly based on population density and other various factors.”
Morrison added that it’s critical that Pritzker be judicious in his policy-making because the depths of his actions run deeper than what’s readily apparent.
“Besides the harm to individuals, families and businesses, our local and state governments rely on tax revenue to provide services,” Morrison said. “So, there are unintended consequences — heavy dominoes that will fall the longer this crisis goes on.
In the end, Morrison says it’s all a balancing act where the stakes are as high as they can be.
“We should continue to safeguard our vulnerable populations as best as possible and remain vigilant in preventing virus spread among the general population, but the totality of our circumstances must be considered,” Morrison said. “That is, the livelihoods of millions of Illinois residents become considerably worse off the longer a strict stay-in-place order remains in effect. That could have greater short- and long-term harm than the hazardous virus outbreak itself.”
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