The great state of Illinois has faced many problems in storied our past, but none more dangerous than the infringement of our liberty and the denial of the American way for many Illinoisans under the pretense of public safety. I would know, as I was a plaintiff on the case brought to the Supreme Court by the Job Creators Network (JCN)—the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization fighting for Main Street business and the millions of America’s small business owners—that successfully challenged the Biden Administration’s employer vaccine mandate. However, this case was more than a defense against a seemingly ever-expanding federal and state governments, it represented the defense of millions of small business owners and the right of all Americans to make their own healthcare decisions.
Under the stewardship of Democrat politicians like Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Governor J.B. Pritzker, millions of our fellow Illinoisans have suffered under draconian COVID restrictions that have disrupted our way of life arguably more than the pandemic itself. Look no further than our state’s public schools, where millions of children—many no more than five years old—are being forced to wear masks that undeniably disrupt the ability for them to learn in the classroom.
Furthermore, in Chicago, many of our schools remained closed throughout the pandemic forcing parents to choose between providing for their families at work or at home. Under Democrat leadership, many of our children were forced out of the classroom and into the streets. We have seen our state’s political leadership choose teachers’ unions over parents and children while subsequently revoking many parents’ right to choose the best healthcare decisions for their children.
Yet, the battle for medical freedom was not limited to the classroom. In our workforce, millions of hardworking Illinoisans were forced to either accept unwanted medical treatments or face joblessness and have no way to provide for their families. Businesses were encouraged to vaccinate or terminate their employees in adherence to guidance from Springfield. As we have endured this pandemic for nearly two years now, it is time to return to normalcy. The mandates that flooded our nation were an assault on our freedoms and an attack on the working people of our great state.
We can no longer sit idle as our children suffer, as unemployment skyrockets, and our basic rights as Americans are encroached upon by those in government who believe they know best when it comes to decisions for our families.
I grew up understanding and appreciating the value of hard work and dedication from my father who worked multiple jobs and night shifts in a factory to support my blue-collar family of eight. I even began working at the age of 10 delivering newspapers, mowing lawns, and turning refundable pop bottles. This work ethic stayed with me throughout my early years and gave me the foundation to start the Rabine Group, alongside my father, into the booming business it is today.
However, the Rabine Group is more than just those at the executive level, as many of our employees have been with us for decades and are an integral part of the greater Rabine Group family. They are hard-working, competent, and efficient workers. As our nation went through the global pandemic, I saw how many struggled due to the unnecessary actions taken by those in Springfield and Washington, D.C. Now, as our nation emerges from this challenging time, undue burdens still threaten to devastate hardworking employees throughout Illinois.
Given our state’s current leadership—alongside the policies emanating from the White House—I can’t help but wonder if I could follow the same path to success today with so many hurdles and red tape coming down from Springfield and government bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.
It is that question that drives me to where I am today, running to be your next governor. God has blessed me with success in this life and it is that blessing that has encouraged me to do everything I can to help our Illinoisans realize their highest potential. The time to act is now and we see this not only within the great state of Illinois, but throughout the world. At the University of Chicago, college students writing for the student newspaper slammed the university’s adherence to arbitrary and authoritarian COVID restrictions in the name of medical freedom. Just north of us, in Canada, millions of blue-collar workers are protesting for their medical rights in their country.
In education, students across all levels of our nation’s education system should not be forced to sacrifice their medical freedom for the right of a proper education and our parents should not surrender the right to make the best decisions for their families to government bureaucrats. In our workforce, hardworking Illinoisans should not be forced to surrender their liberty for their future.
As your next Governor, I will fight for your right to make the best medical decisions for you and your family. We can make our state the powerhouse it once was through an embrace of liberty and return to values that provided the foundation of prosperity for our great nation.