Mask Mandates
Illinos Governor J B Prizker issued a mask mandate Wednesday which says schools will be required to mask up as they return to class.
That mandate immediately drew negative remarks from nearly every Republican legislator including local legislators; Darren Bailey and Adam Neimerg.
Both issued statements basically calling the mandate unnesseccary.
Neimerg said this; “”This mandate is not guided by science or logic, rather the politicization of our youth. How do we explain to our children, who have lived free over the past several months that they will now be required to wear masks in schools? This is the last straw for many parents in Illinois including myself. Our children being used for the Governor’s political agenda is unacceptable”
Bailey, who has yet to finish his term as senator, but is now running for governor was also against the mandate. “The Governor has once again overstepped his authority by mandating masks on our children in school. Local school boards should be making the decisions made in their own districts.
“For 17 months now, the Governor has continued to unilaterally make decisions that impact the entire state. Calls from lawmakers and local officials for a collaborative approach have fallen on deaf ears, to the point that they are hearing about these ‘mandates’ and executives orders through media reports. This is just wrong.
“Masking is a personal choice and I call on parents to let their voices be heard on this despicable tyranny.”
However, a number of tri-state school administrators have already indicated they think, masking students might be the “thing to do.”
Du Quoin Community Unit School District No. 300 Superintendent Matthew Hickam said that if it takes masks for a return to “regular school,” he is open to the idea.
“I hope people remember where we were this time last year: We were wanting to get to a normal school schedule. That plan is in place now for in-person school all day and to have extra-curricular activities, too. If masks are one of the things we have to do for all of that, I think we can tolerate,” Hickam said.
WROY/WRUL news will be speaking with Carmi White County Unit 5 Superintendent Brad Lee next week and masking and Covid will be part of the discussion.
