Illinois Bowling Alleys Sue Governor Over COVID-19 Restrictions

With Governor Pritzker's Phase-4 reopening plan in effect, bowling alleys are allowed to have no more than 50 people inside, a rule that has enraged many owners.

The Phase-4 reopening restrictions that we're all seeing and dealing with have made many feel that a one-size-fits-all template is making it extremely difficult, if not impossible for businesses to survive.

Add bowling alley owners to the list of of groups that have a serious bone to pick with the governor. So serious, in fact, that they've filed a lawsuit against Pritzker, claiming that he has overstepped his authority.

On the WROK Morning Show, we've discussed at length the difficulties faced by everyone from restaurants to sports teams (on the high school, collegiate, and professional levels) in trying to restart given the 50 people or 50 percent capacity rules.

We figured that bowling alleys wouldn't have the same set of problems, being that they're large spaces, and unless you're really doing it wrong, are non-contact.

The Illinois State Bowling Proprietors Association (ISBPA) claim in their lawsuit that not only did the governor overstep his own constitutional authority in issuing back-to-back emergency declarations, he's also doing it by limiting capacity at bowling alleys, too. The proprietors say they've reached the breaking point, and have been forced to take this to the courts.

My Stateline:

“Our members are suffering serious and irreparable harm in the form of insolvency or the permanent loss of their business and reputation as a result of these illegal orders,” ISBPA executive Director R. William Duff said. “While we tried to work cooperatively to find a solution, the state was unwilling to work toward a fair solution, so we were left with no choice but to seek a court order. We believe that we have both the facts and law on our side, and we look forward to presenting our case to the court.”

Granted, there are smaller bowling venues that don't have the space to safely handle any more than the Phase-4 order allows, but what about the bigger places?

The Rockford area is a pretty big bowling community, and so is Illinois as a whole. Do you agree with the where the ISBPA is coming from?