Perspective: Are Illinois’ Stay-at-Home Orders Constitutional?

An expert on the Illinois Constitution says Gov. J.B. Pritzker is well within his authority to issue stay-at-home orders.

There are a growing number of legal challenges to the stay-at-home orders. A judge granted an exception to one Illinois lawmaker — Republican Rep. Darren Bailey of Xenia. Another Republican, Rep. John Cabello, filed a broader challenge, and a church is suing, too.

For a perspective on these cases and what an Illinois governor can and cannot do, we called Ann Lousin, a professor at the University of Illinois Chicago’s John Marshall School of Law. She was also once the parliamentarian of the Illinois House, and even more on point, she was on staff at Illinois’ Constitutional Convention in 1970.