By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois retailers are beyond unhappy with the decision to allow local authorities to penalize business owners whose customers won’t mask up.

Rob Karr, president of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, says the Pritzker administration is insulting his constituents.

“They chose to demonize retailers and create a false narrative that we are somehow anti-face covering, which is knowingly false on their part,” Karr said after Tuesday’s hearing of a legislative rules panel.

But the co-chair of the Joint Commission on Administration Rules says the penalty comes after two warnings; that the fine – or jail time – would be for the bad actors.

“That’s all well and good, if you believe it’s the state that’s enforcing this. But it’s the locals who are enforcing this, and they are not bound by the assurances provided by the state,” said Karr.

What’s next? Karr says the group is reviewing its options.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]