State Senator Dave Syverson (R-Rockford) joined with his Senate Republican colleagues to send a letter urging the Governor to revise his Restore Illinois Plan and move Illinois forward.

“The current restrictions in place are forcing Illinois to lag behind our neighboring states and are not founded in scientific evidence. To give an example, currently it is considered safe to allow groups of ten or less gather inside or outside, but for some inexplicably reason it becomes unsafe once food or drinks are ordered. That defies commonsense,” said Sen. Syverson. “Illinois is ready to move into the next phase of recovery. However, due to an arbitrary timeline, Illinois businesses continue to suffer and are forced to remain in a holding pattern.”

In the letter, Senate Republicans ask that the Governor revise his reopening plan and adopt a 14-day timeline in place of the current 28-day timeline. Senator Syverson is urging the Governor to allow Illinois to move into Phase 4 on Friday, June 12.

“The data provided by the Illinois Department of Public Health shows that Illinois is ready to safely move forward in to the next phase and begin recovering,” said Sen. Syverson. “Our business owners have already suffered greatly due to the restrictions put in place because of the COVID-19 health crisis. Local businesses, employers and employees cannot afford to wait any longer. Illinois needs to be allowed to reopen now.”

The letter notes that other states in the Midwest are loosening their restrictions. Wisconsin has been open for weeks. Meanwhile, Michigan, who had some of the most rigid restrictions in place during the early stages of the public health crisis are now allowing in-person restaurants dining.