OR BREAK MOMENT FOR THE STATE
OF ILLINOIS" ((JENNIFER)) THE
GOVERNOR HAS RELEASED NEW
EMERGENCY RULES FOR THE STATE.
IT LETS LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FINE
BUSINESSES THAT DON'T ENFORCE
MASKS. GOOD EVENING I'M
JENNIFER ROSCOE THOSE RULES
START NEXT WEEK... BUSINESS
OWNERS COULD FACE NEARLY 3-
THOUSAND DOLLAR FINES IF THEY
DON'T FOLLOW THEM. WE HAVE
TEAM COVERAGE TONIGHT W-C-I-A
THREE'S COURTNEY BUNTING IS
LIVE IN DOWNTOWN CHAMPAIGN
COLE HENKE IS LIVE IN
SPRINGFIELD... FIRST TO
COURTNEY -- THIS IS THE FIRST
TIME WE'VE HEARD ABOUT SOME
HARSH CONSEQUENCES.
((COURTNEY)) IT IS. BUT IT WILL
STILL COME ALONG WITH A
PROCESS. A BUSINESS WON'T JUST
BE FINED OUT OF NOWHERE.
THEY'LL BE IN CONTACT WITH
PUBLIC HEALTH LONG BEFORE
THAT. AND IF THEY STILL REFUSE
TO FOLLOW GUIDELINES...
THEY'LL FACE REAL PENALTIES.
"I CAN'T TELL YOU THE
COUNTLESS NUMBERS OF PEOPLE
THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE ONLY
PLACES THEY FEEL THAT THEY CAN
DINE OUTDOORS AND FEEL SAFE."
SOME BUSINESSES OWNERS... HAVE
GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND TO KEEP
CUSTOMERS SAFE DURING COVID-19
RESTRICTIONS. BUT ... OTHERS
HAVE DONE THE OPPOSITE. THAT'S
WHY NEW EMERGENCY RULES FROM
GOVERNOR PRITZKER... ARE
PUTTING MORE POWER IN THE
HANDS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT...
TO PUNISH THE ONES WHO DON'T
COMPLY. "IT'S UNFORTUNATE, BUT
I THINK THAT IT'S A
NECESSITY." BUNNY'S TAVERN
OWNER BEN MANNS SAYS HE
SUPPORTS THE IDEA. THE RULES
OFFER A THREE-STEP PROCESS FOR
DEALING WITH THOSE WHO DON'T
COMPLY. THE FIRST IS A WARNING
FROM PUBLIC HEALTH.... IF THAT
DOESN'T WORK... PUBLIC HEALTH
WILL COME IN AND ORDER SOME
CUSTOMERS TO LEAVE. THAT'S TO
REDUCE RISK AND FOLLOW PUBLIC
HEALTH GUIDANCE. AS A LAST
RESORT... OWNERS COULD FACE
FINES... OF UP TO 2,500
DOLLARS. "IT DOES GIVE US A
LITTLE BIT MORE JURISDICTION
TO GO IN AND HOPEFULLY MAKE
SOME CHANGE AND GET SOME
COMPLIANCE FROM BUSINESSES
OUTSIDE OF THE ONES THAT WE
NORMALLY ISSUE PERMITS TO."
THAT'S NO CONCERN FOR
CHECKERED MOON OWNER SHARON
CROW. "WE'VE DONE EVERYTHING
FOR INSTALLING THREE AIR
SANITIZERS THAT ARE MEDICAL
GRADE." "WE ALSO TAKE CLOTHING
IF PEOPE TRY IT ON AND ISOLATE
IT FOR 24 HOURS AND SANITIZE
IT." BUT SHE'S HAPPY SOMETHING
IS IN PLACE TO KEEP OTHERS IN
LINE. "IF WE ALL DO IT
TOGETHER, WE'RE GONNA GET
THROUGH IT QUICKER. KEEPING
THE NUMBERS DOWN IS JUST KEY."
((COURTNEY)) C-U PUBLIC HEALTH
LEADERS SAY THEY PLAN TO ROLL
OUT THE NEW SYSTEM NEXT WEEK
OR THE FOLLOWING ONE. THEY'RE
STILL WORKING ON FINALIZING
THEM WITH CITY AND COUNTY
LEADERS. THANKS COURTNEY
((JENNIFER)) THE GOVERNOR LAID
OUT THE NEW EMERGENCY RULES
THIS MORNING, HE SAYS IT WAS
TO PROTECT COMMUNITIES FROM
THE PANDEMIC... WE CONTINUE
OUR TEAM COVERAGE WCIA THREE'S
COLE HENKE IS LIVE IN
SPRINGFIELD. COLE, THESE NEW
RULES LOOK A LOT LIKE ONES
THAT ARE ALREADY IN PLACE
THERE IN THE CAPITAL CITY.
((COLE)) THAT'S RIGHT, THE
GOVERNOR SAID THAT THESE NEW
RULES ARE MEANT TO ACT LIKE A
BASELINE FOR THE REST OF THE
STATE, SO THEY NOW HOW TO DEAL
WITH BUSINESSES THAT REFUSE TO
REQUIRE MASKS. THE THREE
STRIKE POLICY ONLY RESULTS IN
A FINE AFTER TWO PRIOR
WARNINGS. SANGAMON COUNTY,
SPRINGFIELD AND CARBONDALE
HAVE ALREADY PUT SIMILAR PLANS
IN PLACE. THE FINE DOES COUNT
AS A MISDEMEANOR, BUT WILL
ONLY BE ISSUED TO BUSINESSES,
AND NOT INDIVIDUALS.
GOV. J.B. PRITZKER/(D)
ILLINOIS: "I DO NOT WANT FOR
POLICE TO ARREST PEOPLE OR TO
PENALIZE PEOPLE. ON THE OTHER
HAND, I HAVE ASKED LOCAL
AUTHORITIES INCLUDING POLICE
AND LOCAL HEALTH AUTHORITIES
TO AS FREQUENTLY AS THEY CAN
REMIND PEOPLE TO FOLLOW THIS
MASK MANDATE." THE DECISION TO
GO AFTER BUSINESSES AND NOT
INDIVIDUALS DID NOT MAKE
EVERYONE HAPPY. THE ILLINOIS
RETAILER'S ASSOCIATION CALLED
THE NEW GUIDELINES QUOTE, A
SLAP IN THE FACE" TO ILLINOIS
BUSINESS OWNERS WHO COULD FALL
VICTIM TO THE ACTIONS OF
CUSTOMERS.
((COLE)) HOUSE MINORITY LEADER
JIM DURKIN ALSO SPOKE OUT
AGAINST THE NEW RULES, SAYING
THE LEGISLATURE SHOULD RETURN
TO SPRINGIELD TO MAKE THE
RULES, INSTEAD OF THE
GOVERNOR. THANKS COLE
((JENNIFER)) CHAMPAIGN COUNTY