Rep. Mark Batinick Suggests Gov. JB Pritzker Require Wearing Masks In Public; Governor Is Considering It

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Cities and towns across the country face a tough call: require masks in stores or not? The village of Skokie says it's now the law. Starting today, you must wear a cloth face covering over your mouth and nose when shopping at any business open to the public during the COVID-19 outbreak.

CBS 2 Morning Insider Tim McNicholas discovered one lawmaker who says the governor should require masks on a wider scale.

It was a simple trip to Mariano's in Lakeview, when shopper Jane Conron noticed more than the produce.

"I saw people without gloves or masks," she said.

CBS 2 decided to check it out, and found some, but not all employees wore masks.

At a Walgreens down the street, most workers were wearing masks, but again not everyone. Same deal at the Jewel in Roscoe Village.

Cloth masks are not required in public in Chicago, but the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Gov. JB Pritzker have recommended wearing them.

Illinois State Rep. Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield) recently wrote a letter to Pritzker, saying face coverings should be a requirement for customers and workers.

"In my opinion, we're not doing a good enough job of protecting our citizens now, and if we mandate it for all stores, I just think people will be more comfortable," he said.

Batinick said it should at least be a rule across the Chicago area.

The city of Los Angeles and now the villages of Skokie and Glenview all mandate masks in stores for customers and workers. That doesn't mean you need an N95 mask; the CDC says a simple cloth covering is fine, because the N95s are still needed for first responders and medical workers.

Pritzker said he'll consider a mask mandate for Illinois, but didn't commit to it.

"Anything that we can do going forward that will protect people, and at the same time make it more likely that we can have slightly different conditions for stay at home, better conditions, is a good move," he said.

The governor of Rhode Island signed an executive order this week saying stores must require and provide face covers for employees.

A Jewel-Osco spokesperson says the company has given masks and gloves to employees, and they are encouraged them to wear them. In Glenview and Skokie, Jewel says they've posted signs informing customers they must wear masks.

We also reached out to Mariano's and Walgreens, and have not heard back.