After issuing a FOIA request to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) for information relating to the vaccination status of employees working under the direction of IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike, State Rep. Adam Niemerg says the department’s refusal of his request is outrageous and reaches a new level of hypocrisy.
“On September 20th, I made a Freedom of Information Act request to the Illinois Department of Public Health asking for answers to two very simple questions. First, how many employees of the Illinois Department of Public Health are vaccinated for Covid-19? Second, how many people work at IDPH, a simple headcount,” Niemerg said. “IDPH flatly denied my requests for this basic information.”
Niemerg says IDPH and Dr. Ezike, along with Governor Pritzker are responsible for issuing numerous Executive Orders and unconstitutional mandates that violate the rights and freedoms of Illinoisans of all ages.
“I am outraged on behalf of the people of Illinois at this hypocritical rejection of my simple request. This is the agency that is mandating our children to wear masks in school, hurting businesses via an indoor mask mandate, and mandating vaccines for State employees,” Niemerg said. “Illinoisans are trying hard just to keep up with the dizzying number of edicts and mandates handed down by the Governor and enforced by IDPH. IDPH puts harsh restrictions and requirements on the public, our schools, and businesses but refuses to say how many of its employees have taken the COVID-19 vaccine.”
Niemerg says he believes Governor Pritzker and IDPH are in clear violation of Illinois’ Healthcare Right of Conscience Act.
“The Governor and IDPH are violating Illinois’ HCRCA law, which states that it shall be unlawful for any public official, guardian, agency, institution or entity to deny any form of aid, assistance or benefits or to condition the reception in any way of any form of aid, assistance or benefits, or in any other manner to coerce, disqualify or discriminate against any person, otherwise entitled to such aid, assistance or benefits, because that person refuses to obtain, receive, accept, perform, assist, counsel, suggest, recommend, refer or participate in any way in any form of health care services contrary to his or her conscience.”