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The great hayride caper

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Illinois

In a matter of hours, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration changed it’s guidance on hayrides amid concerns over COVID-19, but haunted houses are still prohibited. A state representative says the decision is not based on science and data.

Thursday’s updated document had initially said: “Amusement rides such as train rides, hay rides, and inflatables must remain closed.”

The guidance document was updated late Friday with different language that said hayrides and haunted hayrides were permitted with capacity limits.

“Hayrides/haunted can operate at 50% capacity, with parties spaced at least six feet apart and wearing masks, with the best practice to limit hayrides to members of the same household,” Friday’s update said.

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity didn’t immediately respond to why the guidelines changed.

* From DCEO’s guidance issued in June…

Are pumpkin patches permitted?

Generally, yes. However, amusement rides such as train rides, hay rides, and inflatables must remain closed.

* What happened last week? Here’s Jordan Abudayyeh…

The FAQ is updated regularly. On 9/24 they updated it regarding haunted houses. On 9/25 they updated it with the hay rides.

* So, maybe wait to learn some facts from a legit news outlet before launching on somebody’s kid?…

State Rep. Charlie Meier, R-Okawville, is a hay farmer. He said hayrides are a big tradition. […]

“Maybe his daughter wants to go on hayrides and that’s what’s happened,” Meier said. “She’s been allowed to go out of state and go to her horse competitions, so maybe she wants to go on a hayride in Illinois and that’s why we’re going to have them, but at least some people are going to enjoy hayrides and for that I’m happy.”

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 2:41 pm

Comments

Let’s not let a deadly pandemic interfere with tradition. [The rest of this comment would not have cleared the banned words, thoughts and deeds filter.]

Comment by Norseman Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 2:46 pm
Oh for heaven’s sake. Hayrides are outdoors and generally don’t include a lot of face-to-face contact. Rep. Meier, put a sock in it.

Comment by Soccermom Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 2:48 pm
“big tradtion” as in cash in the pockets of the hay producers.

Comment by Annonin' Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 2:52 pm
===“ Maybe his daughter…”

Classless folks have decided that attacking the daughter of the Governor makes them look tough.

More folks showing who they are. Thanks.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 2:52 pm
Conspiracy theory poisons the brain.

Comment by Precinct Captain Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 2:53 pm
Why is DCEO giving public health advice? Are they trying to assist business or regulate business? I remain confused..

Comment by Jimmy Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 2:57 pm
I would like to see the “science” on hayrides. I imagine that guidance came out of multiple committee meetings, with multiple layers of approval. Teams of doctors, scientists and other luminaries debating the intricacies of hayrides. Obviously the pumpkin patch lobby has outsized influence in Illinois for them to be allowed to endanger the population…

Comment by essentially working Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 3:00 pm
Class act that Charlie Meier.

Republicans have grown so accustomed to losing that they can’t even recognize a win.

Comment by Leigh John-Ella Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 3:01 pm
Social distancing and hay rides are mutually exclusive. The whole point of a hayride is to be making out with your significant other. At least it was the last time I was on a hayride.

Comment by Huh? Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 3:01 pm
Yay, hay rides.

Comment by Hmmmmmmmmm Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 3:02 pm
Being snarky does not suit Charlie well.

Comment by Highland Il Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 3:05 pm
===Social distancing and hay rides are mutually exclusive. The whole point of a hayride is to be making out with your significant other.===

You don’t have to socially distance from your SO

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 3:10 pm
Meier, picking on little girls is a punk move.

Calling out the Governor’s young daughter does not help your constituents.

Your punk move makes me wonder who is your opponent in November. It sends me to Google to learn if he or she is any good and if so do they need help.

Her name is Kacie Weicherding.

Your opponent was born and raised in Hoyleton. Her mother, Peggy, is an infectious disease nurse. Her late father, Wally, was a union boilermaker with Local 363. (He died from cancer at 48 years old.)

Kacie went to work after high school and recently went back to college, where she is finishing a degree in Political Science with a certificate in Labor Studies.
As part of her service in AmeriCorps, Kacie taught underprivileged youth and worked in re-entry services with women leaving the criminal justice system. You can learn more here: https://votekacie.com/meet-kacie

She sounds like a good person who would represent her neighbors with compassion and strength. I just gave her money online. (Its been a while since I’ve been on a hayride, but I guessed how much a pair of tickets cost and gave that amount.)

Will she win ? Maybe. Maybe not.

But she’s not a punk, Meier, and that’s good enough for me.

Comment by Scott Cross for President Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 3:21 pm
ScottCross for President. I fell your anger but Charlie will win 64-36.

Comment by Blue Dog Dem Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 3:26 pm
Blue Dog Dem, you maybe right, SO IL has gone that way for a while.

But maybe if Meier is forced to work harder for it, listen more and do better, then he’ll quit beating up on little girls and the tone and tenor in SPR will begin to improve.

Comment by Scott Cross for President Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 3:36 pm
Kinda out of character for Charlie. He’s actually a very decent person.

Comment by Blue Dog Dem Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 3:37 pm
Blue Dog, yeah, that quote just screams very decent person.

Comment by Leigh John-Ella Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 3:42 pm
BDD I think I’ll cuss out an old lady who goes the wrong way down the grocery aisle. It’ll be “kinda out of character even though I’m actually a very decent person.”

Comment by don the legend Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 4:06 pm
“Kinda out of character for Charlie. He’s actually a very decent person.”

So many Republicans saying awful things that are “out of character” for them lately.

Funny that.

– MrJM

Comment by @misterjayem Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 4:25 pm
Regardless of whether Meier is a good guy or not, does it seem to anyone else that the govs office is getting a little too deep in the weeds with this stuff? We’re now at the point where agencies are having to make determinations on hayrides and haunted houses. It might be best at this point to set up a committee made up of doctors or whomever from IDPH to make these calls, JB can just point the press to them for an answer. Seems like a scattershot approach when DCEO is making some calls, IDPH for others.

Comment by Lester Holt’s Mustache Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 4:26 pm
==He’s actually a very decent person.==

Decent people don’t attack politician’s kids like that. If there’s one thing this pandemic has done is bring out the true character of people.

Comment by Demoralized Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 4:34 pm
===The whole point of a hayride is to be making out with your significant other.===

Ah yes, nothing sets the mood better than scratchy dried grass or straw and a dozen or more onlookers.

Comment by Candy Dogood Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 4:47 pm
“Ah yes, nothing sets the mood better than scratchy dried grass or straw and a dozen or more onlookers.”

What can I say. 45 years ago, in the high school group I ran with, kids paired up and the entire posse went on a hayride. A Saturday night rattling around a corn field in a hay rack, doing what high school kids do, making out with their SO.

Comment by Huh? Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 4:57 pm
===Kinda out of character for Charlie. He’s actually a very decent person. ===

I hate to double down on disagreeing with this sentiment, but the comments about our Governor’s daughter aren’t coming from a place of randomness. That’s a calculated statement that falls in line with all of his other statements about how terrible and awful any of the efforts that we have collectively made as a society to contain and control the spread of a deadly pandemic, and it is not reflective of a decent person.

We learn a lot about people during a crisis, and Rep Meier’s a chonky version of the mayor from Jaws. Even this attack on the Governor is rooted in his contempt for an effort to keep others safe.

Comment by Candy Dogood Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 5:16 pm
On the plus side, I’ve had this song (with the alternate lyric “Hayride”) stuck in my head all day: https://youtu.be/DfwsXn5n8HU

– MrJM

Comment by @misterjayem Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 6:36 pm