By Blake Haas
BLOOMINGTON – As COVID-19 mitigations set forth by Gov. Pritzker continue to clamp down on bars and restaurants, it’s turning into “survival of the fittest,” according to one State Representative.
Speaking with WJBC’s Scott Miller, State Rep. Dan Brady (R-Bloomington) said with COVID-19 cases on the rise, businesses have to be safe but have to do what they can to stay afloat.
“I think the right thing to do is what the restaurant or the bar has to do for survival. This is becoming survival of the fittest when it comes to businesses. I just most recently, prior to the election, met with a number of business owners and restaurant owners and went back and forth of what the new mitigation restrictions were going to mean. Obviously, we wish they would be reduced here as soon as possible. The numbers have to help us some more.
“But, the businesses have to do what the businesses have to do to survive. That’s exactly what I said at that point in time, and there are those that are making those decisions. And you can only ask so much.”
In early November, several videos circulated on social media that featured large crowds in public places in Bloomington. As a result, Bloomington Mayor Tari Renner called a hearing for a dozen establishments to come before the Liquor Commission for possible license revocation. Renner, who serves as the Liquor Commissioner, issued Daddios, a downtown Bloomington bar, a fine, while the other establishments were not issued fines.
“I think again; it gets to the health and safety side of things. You know what, practice the safety measures that have been just repetitively shared with all of us and if you don’t do it for yourself, do it for somebody else,” said Brady, who recently won re-election to represent the 105th District. “And the other thing is though don’t rub it in people, and the publics’ face. If you are going to be there, you are going to try and survive and be open, do it in the most safe way you can possibly can, not extreme, don’t overload your places, and do what you can to survive.”
Brady has served in the legislature since 2001.
Blake Haas can be reached at [email protected].
