Lake County Gazette

Sen. Craig Wilcox (R-McHenry) wants to know which lawmakers Gov. J.B. Pritzker is referring to when he claims it was "at the request of members of the General Assembly" that he decided to make 177 of them immediately eligible for Phase 1B vaccine shots.

"I want to know who lobbied him because I'm even hearing Democrats say they will not jump the line, and I certainly will not be doing so," Wilcox told the Lake County Gazette. "All of this is just totally ridiculous and flies in the face of how we're supposed to be putting the needs of our constituents first."

After initially taking the position state lawmakers should wait their turn, Pritzker has reversed direction, throwing his support behind a plan that places them in the same lines as seniors, teachers, police officers, firefighters, etc. paramedics and grocery store workers.

With Illinois having kicked off Phase 1B earlier this month, Wilcox said the governor's latest move is more of the same decision-making he has exhibited throughout his handling of the pandemic.

"It follows along the lines of him putting prisoners ahead of law-abiding citizens for getting the vaccination and goes back to the fact the governor's first executive order amended the state constitution and disbanded the Legislature," Wilcox said. "Both of which were disrespectful to residents and robbed them of their representation."

Wilcox said he expects most of his colleagues to take the same stance he has in rejecting what he sees as the governor's special treatment on the vaccination front.

"Some of them may get the vaccine, but, by and large, I see the majority of conscientious legislators not jumping the line," he said. "I really feel that would be a disservice to our constituents."