Tracy: Schools who buck mask mandate “risk losing both federal and state funding”

State Senator Jil Tracy (R-Quincy) said she believes Governor JB Pritzker’s executive order and administrative rules give them “the upper hand” in being able to mandate masks in Illinois schools.

Tracy gave an update on Facebook over the weekend and said she was appealing to the governor to “help them recognize the importance of allowing elected school boards to make policy that affects students in their district.”

She said efforts for Senator Republicans to block Pritzker’s executive orders have “stalled and our pleas have fallen on deaf ears.”

“We have consulted with Senate legal staff and, unfortunately, the current executive order and administrative rules appear to give the Governor’s and various state agencies the legal upper hand (at least at this time),” she wrote.  “The House Republican legal staff has taken a similar stance.  As an attorney I also agree.  Schools risk losing both federal and state funding and incurring potential lawsuits.”

Tracy said she does not support the mask mandate “or the manner in which it was enacted”.

“I personally believe the Governor and State Board of Education would be foolish and reprehensible to enforcing the mandate in this manner, but his blatant abuse of power continues to amaze me,” she wrote.  “I find it appalling the Governor added an extra whammy of including private schools in this mandate as another way to abuse his power.”

Tracy asked her constituents to sign a petition urging a return to local control and to call the Governor’s constituent line and voice their opinion and concern at 217-782-0244 or governorsoffice@illinois.gov.