Lake County Gazette

State Rep. Martin McLaughlin (R-Barrington Hills) argues Gov. J.B. Pritzker still has much to learn when it comes to getting a handle on the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, and it starts with seeking other perspectives.

“At a time of crisis, I believe true leaders ask for more input from their Council, their commissioners and legislators and not less,” McLaughlin, who served as Barrington Hills' village president up until assuming his seat in Springfield last year, said at a recent news conference on the issue. “We stayed open throughout the COVID crisis without incident using common-sense safety measures. As a mayor, I had a unique perspective of witnessing firsthand exactly how the viruses and the mandates were affecting local businesses.”

McLaughlin argues Pritzker's new COVID-19 proof-of-vaccine requirements for businesses and park districts across state demonstrate his ignorance.

“I have been fervently advocating for common sense and local control since May of 2020,” he said. “As mayor in my town I was offered the same emergency, unilateral control opportunity from legal counsel, but I rejected it.”

Across Cook County, the proof-of-vaccine rule will apply to everyone age 5 and older and include such establishments as restaurants, bars, gyms and other venues like sports and entertainment arenas, NBC5 reported.

McLaughlin argues it only serves to increase suffering for many Illinois residents.

“The executive mandate from the county forced our citizens to stay within their homes, out of our schools, out of our places of worship and closed an assortment of businesses,” he said. However, big box stores were allowed to remain open with record profits while devastating our main-street businesses in our community. As we enter 2022, the mayor of Chicago, the Board President of Cook County and Gov. Pritzker continue unconstitutional use of these mandates on private citizens.”

It's time for a new strategy, McLaughlin said.

“We're entering soon our third year of the 15-day experiment to flatten the curve,” he said. “We need to learn to live with this virus and any future viruses in a better way to help protect the most vulnerable of our society. The data clearly shows who needs to be protected at this point. I am not anti-vaccine, I’m pro common sense. 

"... I find it reprehensible that you need less information to vote or enter the country it seems then to go to a local restaurant in Cook County,” McLaughlin said. “I’ve had enough of public officials acting as part time epidemiologists and telling us its either vaccine or ventilator. We’ve learned a lot in the past year-and-a-half. It's time to put the experience, data and therapeutics into practice and drawing from successes in surrounding states and stop living in a bubble.”