Rock Island Today

Gov. J.B. Pritzker has issued a new vaccine mandate, but a number of new legal challenges against it are pending. 

The Pritzker Administration filed a new rule on Jan. 7,  but it will depend on the U.S. Supreme Court whether it goes into force.

"Bad News" Rep. Tony McCombie (R-Sterling) said in a post to her Facebook account on Jan. 10. "The Pritzker administration quietly filed the new rule change hours after the U.S. Supreme Court questioned the federal government’s legal authority to enforce a mandate over private employers that don’t receive federal funding. If the nation’s high court eventually upholds  the federal vaccine and testing mandate, Illinois employers would have until January 24th to develop a workplace policy, and until February 24th to start enforcing the rules."

Meanwhile, the Pritzker Administration is hopeful that any planning necessary after a new court decision can be handled competently. 

“If the court reversed the federal mandate, then our rule will also be rescinded,” Pritzker Administration spokesperson Jordan Abudayyeh said. “We just have to match the feds with whatever happens and filing the rule gives people time to plan if it’s upheld.”

According to WCIA, if the nation’s high court eventually supports the federal vaccine and testing mandate, Illinois employers would have until Jan. 24 to start a new workplace policy that was in compliance, and until Feb. 24 to start adhering to the new law. The new change in policy will only apply to businesses with 100 or more employees. The mandate was blocked on Nov. 6, but this was subsequently lifted in December.

A panel of three judges from the 6th Circuit found the injuries claimed by the petitioners to be "entirely speculative" and the costs incurred by delaying the start date of the new law to be comparatively higher. These new regulations were put into force by the Illinois Department of Labor, according to a report from WCIA. Any new rulings are not expected to impact remote workers.