Lake County Gazette

Reoublican State House candidate Chris Bos is hoping lawmakers in Springfield are ready to teach Gov. J.B. Pritzker an undeniable lesson when they reconvene in the General Assembly.

“I’m hopeful that the legislature is ready to fully define for the governor what 30 days mean,” Bos told the Lake County Gazette. ""That’s the law; that he can impose a state of emergency like his stay-at-home order for 30 days. That’s a good thing, because in this case I don’t think the governor has a pulse or handle on what these communities are across the state want to see and are in need of.”

Bos, now running against incumbent Rep. Mary Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville) in the 51st District, said the governor lobbing threats only makes things worse. Specifically, Pritzker has said he may strip counties of federal funding and prosecute small business owners who defy his statewide order by reopening before the timeline he outlined.

“Yes, we want to keep sage, but at the same time our economy is crumbling,” Bos said. “We’ve got to strike a balance. We don’t want to see the number of preventable deaths skyrocket because of things like poverty and depression.”

Bos said all the law enforcement officials he’s heard from don’t want to have anything to do with Pritzker’s threat to criminally prosecute those who don’t comply with his order to remain shuttered.

“Police officers don’t want to be part of a nanny state,” he said. “They understand people are only trying to maintain their livelihoods.”

Bos argues Pritzker has done it all without offering any justification for continuing to do so.

“This was never about isolating people, just mitigating until we could figure out a path forward,” he said. “We’ve still got to be able to live in the world and to grow our economy.”