By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – The Pritzker administration Tuesday got its way, allowing local authorities to ticket and even jail owners of businesses whose customers will not wear a face mask.

The Joint Committee on Administrative Rules Tuesday afternoon passed the governor’s proposal on a partisan vote.

“Our current measures are not sufficiently continuing to bend the curve. We are seeing an uptick in numbers that is very worrisome,” said Ann Spillane, the governor’s chief legal counsel. “We believe this situation presents an emergency.”

Republicans did not agree, adding JCAR – an obscure rule-making panel – is not supposed to address policy.

“Passing this administrative rule is not going to make people more likely to wear a mask,” said State Sen. Paul Schimpf (R-Waterloo), who said it’s important enough for the governor to call a special session.

Another Republican said the legislature was in session in late May, when the proposal could have been written up as a bill and thoroughly debated.

The cash penalty – after two warnings – is $2,500. The jail term for a Class A misdemeanor is up to a year. JCAR’s co-chair, State Sen. Bill Cunningham (D-Chicago), said the idea is to target rogue businesses and keep people out of jail. That was not enough to assuage Republicans and business interests.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]