Illinois Department of Public Health
State Government: Agencies/Departments/Divisions | Public Health
Recent News About Illinois Department of Public Health
-
New lawsuits assert IL COVID disaster not widespread enough to justify further emergency declarations from Pritzker
Attorney Tom DeVore, who has led many legal challenges against Gov. JB Pritzker's use of emergency powers in response to COVID-19, has filed several more asserting the COVID pandemic doesn't qualify as a "public health emergency" under state law. -
Lawsuit: IHSA doesn't have authority to continuously change 'Return to Play' plan at Pritzker's whim
Southern Illinois lawyer Tom DeVore has sued the IHSA, saying they illegally changed the rules, at the demand of the Pritzker administration, governing how student athletes can return to the playing surfaces this fall for high school sports. -
IL A/G: Pritzker needs clean 'final' ruling from S. IL judge to appeal decision against his COVID emergency powers
Gov. JB Pritzker has asked a Clay County judge to essentially clean up a loose end to let him appeal a ruling that otherwise struck down Pritzker's emergency powers to combat COVID-19. -
Southern IL judge rules Pritzker overstepped bounds in imposing COVID orders
The ruling hands a win to State Rep. Darrent Bailey, R-Xenia, in his challenge asserting state law does not give Gov. JB Pritzker the power to continue issuing emergency executive orders without authorization from Illinois lawmakers. -
Appeals panel: Pritzker's COVID church service restrictions don't violate religious freedom rights
The U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Gov. JB Pritzker is free to shut down religious services, if he believes it will slow the spread of COVID-19 and he also closes theaters and stadiums. -
Appeals judges question Pritzker's ability to impose, lift COVID restrictions on churches at will, even if backed by 'data'
During oral arguments, three federal appeals judges in Chicago appeared to push the Illinois Attorney General to explain why Gov. JB Pritzker can use a sudden policy change to thwart legal challenges to his power to restrict religious gatherings. -
NW IL church: Pritzker's new IDPH 'guidance' ends their challenge of guv's COVID power to bar services, for now
Pritzker shouldn't be allowed later to say in court he won, when his own decision to pull back worship service restrictions persuaded the courts that their constitutional challenge was moot, attorneys for a church in northwest Illinois said. -
SCOTUS: Pritzker's about-face on restricting worship services allows him to sidestep hearing on COVID church rules
The U.S. Supreme Court has denied two Chicago area churches' reequest for an order declaring Pritzker to have violated the First Amendment in closing churches and limiting the size of in-person worship services amid the COVID-19 pandemic. -
Pritzker says new COVID church 'guidelines' should thwart SCOTUS showdown; Churches say court should still rule
Attorneys for two Chicago area churches say they will press the U.S. Supreme Court to still declare Gov. JB Pritzker's limits on church worship services unconstitutionally 'trampled' religious freedoms. -
Illinois high court brushes away lead paint suit, says Medicaid paid for kids' lead screenings so parents can't sue
Allowing the parents to sue in this case would open the door to a host of lawsuits brought by people who never lost anything, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled. -
Clay County judge grants restraining order, again, vs Pritzker's stay home order
Clay County Judge Michael McHaney has weighed in again on Gov. JB Pritzker's use of executive power during the COVID-19 crisis, granting another temporary restraining order against Pritzker, this time to a southern Illinois tanning salon owner. -
New lawsuit vs Pritzker in Clay County seeks statewide order blocking guv's COVID orders
An Iraq War veteran and business owner has filed a lawsuit challenging Gov. JB Pritzker's use of emergency powers in the same court in which state Rep. Darren Bailey also sued the governor. -
Pritzker's Health Dept. retracts controversial emergency rule to criminalize business owners who reopen early
Public furor enveloped lawmakers over the new rule, which could have resulted in fines and jail time for business owners who opened 'nonessential' businesses earlier than Pritzker believed proper under his COVID rules. -
'Need a better way forward': Furor erupts over Pritzker emergency rule criminalizing business reopenings
Opposition demands state lawmakers block Gov. JB Pritzker's attempt to amend public health rules to deem business owners who reopen sooner than the governor would like with a Class A misdemeanor, subject to fines and potential jail time. -
Bailey renews suit vs Pritzker, says Attorney General has ignored prior opinion on limits of guv's COVID powers
State Rep. Darren Bailey says a recently unearthed 2001 opinion from former Attorney General Jim Ryan "lays bare" the governor's emergency powers "overreach." -
2001 memo: Illinois governors can't simply extend emergency powers beyond 30 days without legislators' OK
A 2001 memo indicates the longstanding position of the Illinois Attorney General's Office contradicts its recent court filings arguing Gov. JB Pritzker can rule by executive order for as long as COVID-19 is declared an emergency in Illinois. -
Lawsuits: Pritzker has no power to order businesses closed without due process, even during pandemic
Gov. JB Pritzker is facing challenges from two business owners, who assert he has no power to order businesses in Illinois to close as part of his actions against COVID-19. -
'Full steam ahead': Bailey says continuing legal action vs Pritzker COVID stay home order, emergency powers
Southern Illinois state lawmaker Darren Bailey has pledged to continue his legal pursuit of a court order ending Gov. JB Pritzker’s stay at home order, which Bailey and others have argued is illegal and unconstitutional. -
Judge slaps TRO on Pritzker's stay home extension; Gov. vows swift appeal to get ruling 'overturned'
The lawsuit accused Pritzker of executive overreach, as the law only allows 30 day emergency powers, unless legislature approves longer -
Pritzker extends stay at home order til May 30, but how long will the law allow him to do so?
A lawsuit from a downstate Republican state representative demands the courts block Pritzker, until and unless the General Assembly takes action to grant him more emergency powers.