SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (NEXSTAR) — House Republican Darren Bailey (R-Louisville) challenged Governor Pritzker’s third consecutive executive order to halt non-essential business operation in the Clay County Circuit Court on Thursday, accusing the governor of exceeding his executive authority during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Bailey joined Capitol Connection to explain his legal challenge this week. The Illinois Emergency Management Act allows the governor to declare a disaster proclamation for up to 30 days. While nothing in the law prohibits the executive branch from declaring consecutive disasters, Bailey’s suit seeks for a judge to interpret the intent of the law and its 30-day limit.

Senate Republican Steve McClure (R-Springfield), a former prosecutor who handled child abuse cases, objected to Governor Pritzker’s recent moves to allow convicted murderers out of prison at a time when public health officials warn prisons are ripe for Coronavirus outbreaks. Two of the released inmates were convicted for killing children who were under the care of the Department of Children and Family Services.

Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Jerry Costello said the Illinois State Fair is still on the calendar for August 2020, despite the current concerns of large gatherings amid the global Coronavirus pandemic.

In 2019, Pritzker plucked Costello from the legislature and appointed him to a position in the Department of Natural Resources. The appointment came right before a key vote in the House that cleared the way for the progressive income tax to appear on the November 2020 ballot. At the time, Costello had signaled he would vote against the measure. After his recent promotion to head the Department of Agriculture in the Pritzker administration, Costello expressed his hope that voters would ultimately approve the progressive income tax measure this fall.

You can watch the full episode and extended interviews from this week here. Capitol Connection airs every Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m.