Prairie State Wire

A passport mandate requiring proof of vaccination is in place in Chicago, and at least one state lawmaker is concerned it will be ineffective, much like a similar program in New York City. 

State Sen. Darren Bailey, R-Louisville, said he remains skeptical when asked if the passport program instituted by Mayor Lori Lightfoot requiring businesses to check for proof of vaccination will help slow the spread of COVID-19. According to a CBS Chicago report, Lightfoot’s mandate would require businesses, including bars, gyms, eateries and theaters to request proof of vaccination. Anyone over 16 would be required to show identification. He said the program seems to be another move that will adversely impact small businesses. 

According to Spectrum News 1, New York enacted a similar program in August. 

“Whatever Mayor Lightfoot and Gov. Pritzker have on their minds to destroy our economy this is how you do it,” Bailey said. “You lock down businesses and handcuff them to no end. There’s no science, no proof to justify any of this. They say they want to help small businesses while completely stifling them. You don’t need a reckless mayor or governor interjecting.”

Vaccine mandates also are being criticized elsewhere, with the Deseret News, citing CDC data, reporting that vaccinated people can pass the omicron variant. Bailey also remains skeptical about whether COVID-19 is even spread in restaurants, saying there is no proof this is happening.

“It's never been put forth and I don’t believe it exists,” he said. “Government should be in the business of educating and informing, then people have to decide how they want to move about and live their lives.”

Amid reports of an increase in COVID-19 cases in New York despite its vaccine passport system, Bailey said following that model in Chicago makes no sense, and he said he will continue to support businesses and let them operate the way they see fit. He also said he supports any business that decides not to enforce the mandate, while questioning Lightfoot’s authority to enact the mandate in the first place. 

“No one person should have the power to do this,” he said. “Any one person that usurps their power like this needs to be dealt with when it comes to election time.”

Ultimately, Bailey said he believes the mandate is already having an impact on the state’s population, with people choosing the leave the state rather than deal with the mandates. He also said he is worried about the impact on small businesses, which he said “are being totally handcuffed.”

Chicago and New York are not the only city facing restrictions and the resulting debate. According to the Star-Tribune, Minneapolis-St. Paul is enacting similar restrictions, with a host of other cities across the country including, Los Angeles, Boston and Philadelphia. 

Whether Chicago’s passport system will work, or be challenged in court, remains to be seen, and local and state officials will be keeping tabs on New York City’s program to avoid the same pitfalls.