LOMBARD – The Illinois Food Retailers Association sent out an "action alert" to their members Friday morning after Illinois Governor JB Pritzker proposed using independent businesses to enforce his COVID mask mandate.
They called on members to contact members of the Illinois General Assembly that serve on the legislature's rule-making committee.
"A few moments ago, Governor Pritzker formally proposed a rule to fine businesses if consumers are not wearing masks. We strongly encourage you to contact the members of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules and urge them to REJECT the proposed rule and any rule that punishes businesses for the action of consumers over whom we have no control," the IFRA notice said.
IFRA then pointed to a similar attempt the governor tried earlier this year that failed to force businesses to enforce his mandate.
"When this was first tried a few months ago, your contacts worked. It will work again but you need to act now and get your friends, family, and other business owners to act now," the IFRA said. "You can find the contact information for the members of JCAR here."
The IFRA encouraged their members to emphasize the following talking points when appealing to JCAR:
- It is not fundamentally right for the state to fine businesses for the actions of others.
- Businesses have no control over individuals. No ability to restrain. Efforts to do so expose businesses to legal liability.
- While we support individuals wearing masks, if the Governor believes individuals are not complying, enforcement should be focused on individuals.
- This proposal lacks any common-sense.
- Please vote to reject the rules until they focus on the individuals who are not complying.
