For most of us looking to re-open America, we understand many of the restrictions, but, many restrictions are violations of our civil rights and went way, way too far
Illinois governor exceeded authority with stay-at-home order, judge rules
A judge in southern Illinois ruled Monday that Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order to stem the spread of the coronavirus exceeds his emergency authority and violates individual civil rights.
Clay County Circuit Judge Michael McHaney sided with Republican Rep. Darren Bailey, who sought a temporary restraining order against the Democratic governor’s far-reaching executive order. Pritzker has relied on an April 2 statewide disaster declaration as authority to close schools, shut down nonessential businesses and limit movement by individuals from their homes because of the potentially deadly COVID-19.
Pritzker then had a meltdown, and
Pritzker promised “swift†action to overturn the judge’s order, which applies only to Bailey but allows other individuals and groups to challenge the movement restrictions while the highly contagious illness circulates.
The new stay at home order starts May 1, and is even more stringent than the previous one. Why? As the curve bends down, why are people like Pritzker making it even tougher?
The ruling came the same day House Republicans attacked Pritzker on another front, renewing demands for details on state prison inmates released early because of COVID-19 fears. (snip)
But in response to an Associated Press public records request for the names of inmates released because of the pandemic, IDOC provided a link to an online document showing all inmates released since March 1. The list of roughly 3,900 inmates doesn’t include the reasons for their release.
Might be interesting information to know. Meanwhile
Newsom sued by California residents demanding end to stay-at-home rules
Two Sacramento County residents on Monday filed a federal lawsuit challenging Gov. Gavin Newsom’s sweeping stay-at-home order that is credited with helping slow the spread of coronavirus.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Ron Givens of the Sacramento Gun Club and Christine “Chris†Bish, a real estate agent and a Republican candidate for Congress running against Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento), alleges that the California Highway Patrol unconstitutionally denied their requests for permits to hold a protest outside the state Capitol.
Givens wants to protest the state’s failure to process background checks for people buying firearms, and Bish hopes to protest the stay-at-home order, according to the lawsuit.
“At a time when Californians are rightfully questioning the duration and extent of the stay-at-home orders, which are unevenly enforced and which have resulted in other constitutional challenges, Gov. Newsom has reacted to citizen protests not by addressing widespread concern, but simply by shutting down protest at the Capitol altogether, making no reasonable accommodations for this fundamental function in a free society,†said Harmeet K. Dhillon, one of the attorneys handling the case.
This should be interesting, considering what the Federal and California constitutions say.
That Reichsstatthalter Newsom and the state government are being sued in federal court is good, but let’s face facts: by the time it actually comes to trial, COVID-19 will (probably) have mostly run its course, the authoritarian actions (mostly) suspended, and the court will (probably) take the easy way out and declare the case moot.
I’d think a class action suit could finish this rather quickly.
No lawyer, but they do seem to work.
PS If the Administration gets behind that CA suit, it could be expedited.
We’ll see.