To the Editor:
On Friday, the chairman of the Madison County Democrat party issued a press release criticizing the opinion issued by newly elected States Attorney, Tom Haine, concerning those operating and patronizing local business.
In his release, Chairman Randy Harris stated, “Thomas Haine has shown that he intends to use his official office for pure political purposes to advance his own public career. It took Mr. Haine less than a month to play politics with his official duties, as Mr. Haine knows, that the State mandates and the Edwardsville orders are not criminal issues, they are civil in nature. Mr. Haine is playing politics with the lives of people in Madison County, rather than fulfilling his duty and obligation to protect the public."
Chairman Harris apparently has not recovered from the rebuke of the Democratic ideals and philosophies the voters in Madison County recently voiced. He has decided to continue campaign rhetoric by politicizing a clarification letter published by newly elected Madison County States Attorney Thomas Haine on interpretations of the law sought by concerned citizens and business leaders in Madison County.
Mr. Harris continues to push punitive lockdown policies on the business community in Madison County. It is good he recognizes that Governor J.B. Pritzker's executive orders have no criminal effect, as State's Attorney Thomas Haine has helpfully clarified.
Mr. Harris should take note that his own Democratic Governor is constantly threatening criminal repercussions for those who violate his dictates, making Mr. Haine's clarifying statement even more necessary. I appreciate that we have a State's Attorney, Mr. Haine, who is willing to stand up and say what the law is, no matter the perceived political repercussions leveled at him from local partisan leaders who don’t understand the law.
Ray Wesley, Madison County Republican Party Chairman