Mask mandates come down in schools, most public places

– Capitol News Illinois Facial coverings are now optional in most public places in Illinois, including schools, after Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Friday that he would update guidance to comply with new U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. Those developments came as the Illinois Supreme Court declined to hear the state’s appeal of a temporary restraining order issued Feb. 4 by a Sangamon County judge, calling the issue “moot.”

In its ruling late Friday, the Illinois Supreme Court, in a 5-2 vote, echoed a 4th District Court of Appeals decision a week earlier which said th...