North Egypt News

Franklin County conservative activist Karen Tucker is urging more small business owners faced with the prospect of more shutdown measures to take a stand against Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

“They’ve cooperated and are doing everything they can to safely stay free of COVID-19 and the governor just keeps adding on,” Tucker told the North Egypt News. “I wish they all would stand up and do what needs to be done to save our small business industry.”

Citing rising infection rates, Pritzker recently moved to reenact COVID shutdown measures in at least 24 counties with the threat of more to come, prompting small business owners across the state still reeling from the impact of the first shutdown to raise their voices in protest.

“Small businesses are dying and there’s no way any of them can go on like this for long,” Tucker added. “You look at what’s happening and it’s just really infuriating that the governor doesn’t seem to care much.”

With the stakes being as high as they are, Tucker said she’s not surprised to see more small business owners now taking matters in their own hands by putting up more resistance this time around, including launching a Facebook page where  those planning to defy the governor’s orders can openly convene.

“Everything the governor is doing is unscientific,” Tucker added. “Nothing we’ve seen suggests that shutting down restaurants for indoor dining will make any appreciable difference. He’s killing the industry for no real reason. No one really knows what he’s doing and I don’t think he does either.”

Tucker fears things could get worse before they get better now that all the federal money propping up businesses has run dry.

“Everything is a struggle as it is and the governor is only making it tougher on everybody,” she said.