East Central Reporter

Illinois State Representative Blaine Wilhour, a Republican from Beecher City, criticized Governor J.B. Pritzker's commendation of an Effingham teacher, suggesting it overlooked the area's predominantly Republican base and its opposition to Democratic policies. Wilhour expressed his views in a social media post on February 4.

"Thanks for highlighting Effingham," said Wilhour. "It's in my territory, it's 80% Trump, and they ignore all of your disgusting DEI, CRT curriculum BS. They also ignored your dumb COVID measures. Imagine our success if our state rejected you and governed more like Effingham."

Wilhour's comments were in response to a February 3 post by Governor Pritzker, who said, "Illinois' eighth graders are ahead of the curve in math and reading scores according to The Nation's Report Card. And it was thanks to teachers like Mrs. Wilson in Effingham for all their work in preparing our students to succeed—so I gave her a quick call to thank her."

A screenshot of Wilhour's Feb. 4 social media post. | Blaine Wilhour

According to Wirepoints, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in Illinois schools have faced considerable resistance. Critics argue that these programs and Culturally Responsive Teaching and Leading Standards enforce ideological conformity at the expense of educational quality.

President Donald Trump has taken steps that could potentially cut funding for schools supporting DEI policies. A press release noted that on January 27, the U.S. Department of Education announced measures to dismantle DEI initiatives following Trump's Executive Order titled "Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing."

According to his official website, Representative Wilhour has served as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives for the 110th district since 2019. Besides his legislative role, he is involved in farming and business ownership, managing a construction company and working on his family's farm across Fayette, Effingham, and Shelby Counties. He lives in Beecher City with his wife Amber and their three sons.

Effingham is the county seat of Effingham County in South Central Illinois. As per the 2020 census data, its population stands at 12,252. The Effingham Chamber of Commerce highlights that the city boasts numerous businesses and a robust local economy with significant emphasis on agriculture and retail.