Lake County Gazette

Incoming Rep. Martin McLaughlin (R-Barrington Hills) worries the price for Gov. J.B. Pritzker's restrictions on small businesses keeps increasing.

"Too many people are being hurt by all [of] his decrees and restrictions," McLaughlin told the Lake County Gazette. "He has no clue what every day, hard-working families go through and a complete lack of understanding about what people that risk everything to feed their families have to go through."

McLaughlin pointed to the latest Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) job numbers as an example of the crippling impact he thinks Pritzker's actions have had on many.

The state's job market has declined in two of the last three months since September, according to statistics on the IDES website. December's job figures are not yet available.

Not surprisingly, the bulk of the job losses across Illinois have come in the leisure and hospitality industry.

The industry shed approximately 27,000 jobs in November as the governor's ban on indoor dining had a more significant effect, according to the seasonally adjusted figures.

"I'd like to see the governor's stats on transmission rates in bars and restaurants compared to all the big-box establishments he's allowed to continue operating," McLaughlin said. "Until you see where one is more risky than the other, what the governor is doing is picking winners and losers. He's already shown he's not interested in seeing small bars and restaurants survive the shutdown."

McLaughlin, who defeated Democrat Marci Suelzer in the 52nd District with 54% of the vote, can't see how the governor can justify making critical decisions without considering the thoughts of those who have the most to lose.

"There's no way the General Assembly shouldn't be meeting now and raising the concerns of their voters," he said. "We definitely need to find a better way of dealing with this short of shutting down the entire economy."