JCAR Rejects Extension of Mask Mandate

The Illinois Joint Committee on Administrative Rules Tuesday voted 9-0-2 against extending Governor J.B. Pritzker's emergency rules to enforce state mask, vaccine and testing mandates.

The Illinois Department of Public Health attempted to reissue an emergency rule to counteract at February 4th Sangamon County court order temporarily halting the enforcement of the statewide school mask mandate, COVID-19 quarantine policies, and school staff vaccination and testing rules.

The new JCAR ruling prevents Pritzker and the IDPH from reissuing a statewide school mask mandate for K-12 public and private schools.

In the Midwest, Illinois is the last state to revoke emergency pandemic masking requirements. Illinois was also the only state in the region with a statewide school mask mandate still in effect. 

Local State Senator Darren Bailey said, "Today's decision by JCAR solidifies what I have been saying for the last two years, that the Pritzker Administration severely overstepped their authority by placing mask mandates on schools."