To the Editor:
I support the bipartisan and common sense plan passed by the Board of Health yesterday for a safe reopening of Madison County. This plan was vetted by a bipartisan drafting committee and passed the Madison County Board of Health in an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 26-2. It reflects the urgency that we in Madison County feel to move forward and live our lives as free and responsible citizens in a free country.
Though the Governor's powers in the current pandemic are broad, our Constitution is not suspended. When the Governor restricts religious gatherings and free travel and closes legitimate businesses, he raises fundamental Constitutional concerns. The Governor should be looking for the most narrowly tailored plan, respecting individual rights while still protecting public safety.
Here, the locally accountable and elected Madison County Board of Health listened to experts, weighed local concerns, and passed a responsible reopening plan tailor-made for Madison County, not Chicago. It should be allowed to proceed.
If the Governor nonetheless tries to enforce (by threatened court action or removal of licenses) more restrictive rules in Madison County, he should be prepared to face a flood of lawsuits by frustrated business owners, churches, and individuals who believe their rights are being violated without sufficient reason. They will have compelling and legitimate arguments. After all, even several downstate Democratic legislators have called for the Governor to modify his current plans because they do not fit the reality in southern Illinois.
A few months ago, these legal questions were not a major concern. Now, they are central to our future. We will be grappling with them for months and possibly years to come. Thankfully, we have legal tools to protect our rights while also being safe and responsible. If I am elected State’s Attorney, my office will always support the Constitution. In the months and years to come we will use every means at our disposal to help Madison County individuals, churches, and businesses to stand up for their rights against unconstitutional actions.
Tom Haine, Republican candidate for Madison County State's Attorney