Sangamon County Circuit Court Judge Rachel Grischow has restored my faith in Illinois government, no matter how temporarily.
For the past two years, it has seemed abundantly clear that Gov. JB Pritzker was overstepping legal bounds by issuing executive orders and mandates without votes being cast by other elected officials. To me, the issue was not whether Pritzker said to wear a mask or not. It’s that he made that decision without following the proper legislative channels – even when he had time to do so as the pandemic continued.
But in the absence of a response from the courts, or from other legislators, my resolve weakened severely. Somewhere, someone reading this is probably yelling, “That’s by design you naive dope.” And yes, there is a “death by a thousand cuts” vibe to this whole pandemic and the way it has impacted our views of what once passed for logic.
So it is with genuine satisfaction that I have read and re-read these words written by Grischow last Friday in her temporary restraining order against Gov. Pritkzer’s dizzying array of executive orders.
“It is the duty of the Courts to preserve the rule of law and ensure that all branches of government act within the boundaries of the authority granted under the Constitution.”
Yes. That’s it precisely. This is not about “my right” to wear or not wear a mask. It’s about the right of a single politician to determine the rule of law for an entire state without showing any regard for statutes of governance. Thank goodness a brave judge finally agreed.
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That storm last week was the real deal. Or maybe we’re just getting soft in TWP headquarters. Either way, we apologize for running one day late with delivery of our last paper – the first time that has ever happened due to the weather. Having lost one delivery van years ago in a minow snowstorm, I was unwilling to see the same thing happen again to a newer, more expensive vehicle. Oh yeah, we were also worried about our driver Danny Blakey, who set out early last Wednesday but had to turn back when he couldn’t keep ice off the windshield. … I have come to many conclusions in life, some that even make sense. Here’s one: If you spend your Sundays reading and editing obituaries, you feel increasingly nervous as the day wears on if you did not attend a church service that same day. … Speaking of obits, I am often amazed at the skill with which people characterize and nickname loved ones. My biggest smile Sunday came reading about Dorwin “Salty” W. Hedden of Canton. What a nickname. But the picture of Salty was of a smiling man. His obit said, “More than anything, he loved his family and being a dad/grandpa.” That doesn’t sound Salty at all. Was this a classic misnomer, like calling a big guy “Tiny”? Or like Hong Kong Phoey’s striped cat named Spot? I’d love to know. Such are my Sundays.
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If it seems our public record includes more entries for Farmington than anywhere else, that’s because it generally does. No, that doesn’t mean we want to depict Farmington as a hotbed of crime, as a few sensitive readers have accused. It just means we get more reports out of Farmington. Why? I’m not sure. A partial explanation is that we are no longer allowed to peruse crime reports at the Peoria County Sheriff’s Department, something I hope a new sheriff will allow. … Parting shot: It came to me during a recent nap that one of my still-unfulfilled, lifelong goals is to have a pet crow. Illegal Yes. Worth pursuing? Time will tell.
Contact Jeff Lampe at (309) 231-6040 or jeff@wklypost.com
