mask mandate
A St. Charles County Circuit Court judge dismissed Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s lawsuit Thursday against the local school district’s now-rescinded mask mandate, leaving few cases from Schmitt’s legal blitz remaining. The City of St. Charles School District was one of 47 districts Schmitt sued earlier this year over mask mandates, and it was one of only three…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Supreme Court is being asked to review the state’s mask mandate and other COVID-19 mitigation orders for K-12 schools on an expedited schedule. Attorney General Kwame Raoul filed a petition for appeal Tuesday, along with a motion for an emergency stay of a Sangamon County judge’s order to block enforcement of…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House voted to remove nine Republican members from the House floor Thursday afternoon for their refusal to comply with face covering requirements, delaying the start of the legislative session for the third straight day. In a 66-39 vote, Democrats voted to remove Reps. Joe Sosnowski, R-Rockford, Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, Blaine Wilhour,…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD — Confusion and pushback regarding the enforcement of masks mandates spilled over onto the House Floor Wednesday afternoon during the chamber’s regular legislative session after Republicans refused to comply with face covering requirements. Amid the pandemic, lawmakers approved House rules requiring face coverings to be worn in the chamber unless eating, drinking or speaking…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD — Gov. JB Pritzker will make an official announcement on the state’s plan for lifting its indoor mask mandate at 2 p.m. in Chicago, but in a morning news conference in Champaign Wednesday, he noted that he plans to lift the indoor mandate for some settings by Feb. 28. That won’t be the lift…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD — Illinoisans should stay tuned for an announcement on the state’s indoor mask mandate, Gov. JB Pritzker said at an unrelated news conference Tuesday, although he declined to say specifically what changes might be coming. “I think I’ve said over the last few press conferences that I really believe that we ought to be…
Read Full Article Illinois Governor JB Pritzker responded to the lawsuit filed by attorney Thomas DeVore against 145 schools, Pritzker and the Illinois State Board of Education behalf of hundreds of parents of students over COVID-19 orders affecting school children. “Well, you know, he’s a grifter who is taking money from parents who are being taken advantage of,”…
Read Full Article Gov. J.B Pritzker said Illinois will need to show a steady decline in state COVID-19 transmissions before he considers lifting the statewide indoor mask mandate he revived in August. When asked what metrics were needed for Pritzker to rescind his executive order, the governor pointed to high hospitalization rates and new case numbers relative to metrics when Illinois “fully…
Read Full Article A judge in Effingham County has issued a temporary restraining order against the Illinois State Board of Education and reinstated the recognition status of two public schools that aren’t following the governor’s COVID-19 mask mandate. The case was brought by attorney Thomas DeVore on behalf of Red Hill, Woden-Herrick and Beecher City school districts. While…
Read Full Article Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Monday he’s looking for clear signs that coronavirus transmission is on the decline in Illinois before he’ll consider lifting the indoor mask mandate he reinstated in late August amid a surge driven by the virus’ highly contagious delta variant. “We’re watching to make sure that we’re on a good downward trajectory,” Pritzker said…
Read Full Article Three children in Effingham County can’t be forced to wear masks without an official quarantine order from the county health department, a judge ruled Wednesday. Later in the day, a different judge enjoined an entire school district from requiring masks without a court order. The attorney who brought the cases anticipates more such cases across…
Read Full Article Ask state education board to adopt formal rules on enforcement actions By PETER HANCOCKCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Expressing concern that the Illinois State Board of Education might have overstepped its bounds by threatening to withhold funding from school districts that do not enforce its mask mandate, a legislative panel on Tuesday urged the agency…
Read Full Article A new bill would give the Illinois State Board of Education the authority to issue, withhold and revoke state recognition of schools who fail to comply with COVID-19 health regulations. Notably, the bill has not yet been introduced to a committee, meaning beyond being drafted and introduced, there has been no legislative activity on the measure. The…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – State. Sen. Jil Tracy (R-Quincy) said Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is “going it alone” with his pandemic decision-making as he announces more mask and vaccine mandates in light of rising COVID numbers in the state. Tracy wrote on her Facebook page the changes to Illinois’ COVID-19 mitigation plan are just the latest in…
Read Full Article A member of Illinois’ Joint Committee on Administrative Rules says the Illinois State Board of Education needs to explain its authority to punish schools for following the governor’s mask mandate. About 51 of the more than 850 school districts in Illinois are on probation for not following Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s mask mandate. Probation is the…
Read Full Article State warns of decreasing intensive care bed capacity amid latest surge SPRINGFIELD – The statewide mask mandate indoors is back, and educators and health care professionals will be required to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, Gov. JB Pritzker announced Thursday amid an ongoing surge in the pandemic that first arrived in Illinois in March 2020. Beginning…
Read Full Article CHICAGO – Illinois Governor JB Pritzker received a question Tuesday at a news conference asking if he was going to follow through with strict enforcement measures against local school districts that voted to remain mask-optional. Reporter: “So far, 51 school districts out of 859 are defying your mask mandate and allowing parental choice. Are you…
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