Rep. David Friess | repfriess.com
Rep. David Friess | repfriess.com
State Rep. David Friess (R-Red Bud) recently voiced his support of a decision by the Illinois Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) to end mask mandates.
"Yesterday’s ruling was an unprecedented win for families and children in Illinois," Friess said in a statement. "The Illinois Department of Public Health tried to keep our children masked despite the lack of evidence that masks do anything to prevent the spread of COVID. House Republican members asked the hard questions of IDPH and demanded they produce evidence to support its position, and they had no answers. Here’s the thing, IDPH will never have any answers."
The bipartisan JCAR panel voted 9-0-2 to suspend the mask rules, citing a restraining order recently issued by Sangamon County Judge Raylene Grischow.
“We have an active court case on this matter, the outcome of which should provide clarity for what next steps are needed," Sen. Bill Cunningham (D-Chicago) said in a statement, according to State Journal-Register. "Acting now would be premature given the pending ruling and also given the fact that the previous rule amounted to guidance without any real enforcement."
Republicans have previously criticized how the IDPH handled the proposed rule.
"The Governor has long overstepped his bounds and has ruled as a dictator," Friess said. "He abandoned science for politics. This emergency rule filed by IDPH was a desperate attempt to hold on to the control the Governor gained over your lives. It’s beginning to unravel. This ruling, and last week’s court ruling, are victories for the citizens of Illinois. Desperation is setting in for Governor Pritzker. We must keep up the fight."
Friess has announced he would run for re-election in Dec. 2021 to represent the new 115th District. His campaign website says he's running on a platform of Christian values, fighting high taxes and defending the Second Amendment
According to ABC 7 News, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Illinois Department of Health and the DuPage County Health Department still recommend masks for students and staff.
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