Southern Illinois News

State Rep. Patrick Windhorst (R-Metropolis) laments there’s a reason why Democrats moved the way they did to enact the criminal justice reform SAFE-T Act.

“In January of 2021, Illinois House and Senate Democrats dropped a sweeping amendment on legislators in the middle of the night during a lame-duck session of the General Assembly over the objections of Republicans and police advocates like the Illinois Sheriff's Association and the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police and tens of thousands of Illinoisans who filed witness slips against the reckless and poorly drafted criminal justice reform package,” Windhorst said at a Feb. 9 news conference. “I was one of only two Republican legislators who Democrats allowed to ask questions of the SAFE-T Act sponsor before they shut off debate on the bill.”

Since then, Republicans argue the that the measure that eliminates cash bail by 2023, changes use-of-force guidelines and triggers a new police certification while expanding detainee rights has caused the crime rate in the state to soar.

Windhorst is now pushing House Bill 4499, a bill that seeks to fully repeal SAFE-T, as the answer.

“People of our state deserve safety and the knowledge that criminals will be held accountable for their actions,” he said. “Perhaps now with the grand jury unable to indict someone for murder whose actions led to a shooting death and citing the SAFE-T Act as a reasoning, maybe our friends on the other side of the aisle will heed our call. For the safety of all Illinoisans, the so-called SAFE-T Act must be repealed.”

According to the State Journal-Register, after the press conference, the Black Legislative Caucus released a statement that said the SAFE-T Act made the justice system fairer for minorities. 

The caucus also said complaints from Republicans were premature.

“Many provisions of the SAFE-T Act have not even gone into effect yet," the Caucus said, "proving the Republican gambit is all for show.”