Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker pushes back on criticism of state's reopening plan
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Sunday pushed back against criticism over his cautious plans to reopen, saying the state will not reopen unless the standards he set have been met.
"We are being very careful," the Democratic governor told CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union." "We've done a lot to make sure we're keeping these numbers moving in the right direction. And we will not reopen unless we meet all of the standards that I've set for doing so."
His comments come as states begin lifting restrictions and reopening their states. Pritzker issued a modified stay-at-home order that went into effect on May 1 and goes through the end of the month. On Tuesday, he also announced a five-phase reopening plan and said phase 3 of the plan -- when manufacturing, offices, retail, barbershops and salons can reopen, with restrictions -- won't begin until May 29 at the earliest.
He has been criticized over his stay-at-home order, with residents and state lawmakers filing lawsuits over the order. The Chicago Tribune Editorial Board on Wednesday wrote that Pritzker is "being more than just cautious, he's moved the goal posts" with his reopening plans and said they did not want the governor's "pursuit of the perfect outcome to unnecessarily delay the restarting of activities." Asked about the editorial, Pritzker told Tapper: "I think the Editorial Board of the Chicago Tribune didn't read the plan."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/illinois-gov-jb-pritzker-pushes-back-on-criticism-of-states-reopening-plan/ar-BB13RPN8?li=BBnb7Kz
