Bailey, DeVore Hold Bizarre Anti-Vax News Conference on Election Eve
Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) at a news conference with parents opposed to the COVID-19 vaccine Monday. (Screenshot: Blueroom Sream)
He gained notoriety fighting COVID-19 regulations, and it looks like GOP gubernatorial nominee Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia), is riding the same horse all the way to the end.
In a disjointed, sometimes bizarre and contentious news conference or rally (or both) Monday morning in suburban Oak Brook, Bailey and GOP Attorney General nominee Tom DeVore railed against Governor JB Pritzker’s administration over e-mails they believe show the Governor is intending to mandate the COVID-19 vaccine for all school children.
JB Pritzker uses our kids to make political points,” Bailey said in front of a crowd of parents opposed to COVID vaccines. “He locks schoolchildren out of their classrooms, and he tries to twist their tender minds with ideology in his quest to be the most left-wing governor in America. Now his minions are looking to impose vaccine mandates on our children.”
Pritzker’s campaign referred us to a statement from his official spokesperson, Jordan Abudayyeh:
As the Governor has clearly said, there are no plans to update the vaccine requirements for school age children. But it should come as no surprise that Darren Bailey and Tom DeVore are once again playing political games with public health. The CDC recommended school age children get the COVID vaccine and the email chain they are referencing is IDPH making sure they had a full understanding of the process for adding a vaccine to the existing requirements in order to answer questions about it. In other words, it’s an email discussion where DPH staff are doing their jobs.
There are already 12 mandated vaccines to enter school in Illinois.