Metro East Sun

State Sen. Jason Plummer (R-Shelbyville) isn’t surprised to see Gov. J.B. Pritzker once again abusing his power when it comes to the COVID-19 crisis.

“There are a tremendous number of sheriffs, police chiefs and states’ attorneys that say the government is misinterpreting some of its power and they intend to follow the law and not the governor in trying to best serve the people of this state,” Plummer told the Metro East Sun. “For a lot of business owners, nobody wants to be a bad guy in rejecting the governor. But for so many, this is simply a matter of survival.”

With the governor having already reenacted COVID-19 restrictions in at least 24 counties across the state and threatening to do so in others as outbreaks of the disease tick up, a rising number of small business owners are already in record in asserting they plan to defy any and all shutdown orders.

“This is about survival,” Plummer added. “The governor needs to understand not everyone is a billionaire business owner, and many people are living paycheck to paycheck. For those families, this is crushing. In the future, we will look back at these lockdowns and we will view these policies as some of the worst ever.”

With a Facebook page dedicated to businesses planning to defy his order already created and launched, the governor is now threatening to send the Illinois State Police to the regions where restaurants and bars are deemed to be in violation.

Meanwhile, Plummer wishes he could simply see things from the vantage point of those that stand to be most impacted by his actions.

“I think lot of people in Illinois have had enough,” he said. “Gov. Pritzker needs to understand this isn’t a matter of people just wanting to rebel; this is all about survival and people having to find a way to make a living.”