Southern Illinois News

Rep. Patrick Windhorst (R-Harrisburg) says that a measures to make adjustments to the SAFE-T Act don't go far enough.

"This is deja vu. A criminal justice bill at 4 a.m. with no law enforcement involvement and no public input," Windhorst said from the House floor on April 9. "If you look at this bill it's not going to do what it claims it will do. First, a supposed fix to the Class B and C misdemeanor problem is no fix at all. There's basically no change in the law."

Senate Bill 2364, which was follow-up legislation to last year's SAFE-T Act, passed along party lines with a 64-45 vote in the House on April 9. 

"There is no change, absolutely no change, to the detainable offenses in the original SAFE-T Act," Windhorst said, according to 25 News. "Serious violent felons will be released 48 hours after arrest."

Senate Bill 2364 was sponsored by Sen. Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) in the Senate and Rep. Justin Slaughter (D-Chicago) in the House. 

"To honor the true intent and objectives of the SAFE-T Act, we put forward these refinements to respect the great people of Illinois and to respect our brave men and women that are implementing these reforms," Slaughter said, according to The Center Square. 

Senate Bill 2364 makes changes to the state's Criminal Justice Information Act.

 "The new SAFE-T Act has made Illinois a less safe place to live for just about everyone," Rep. Avery Bourne (R-Litchfield) said, according to The Daily Journal. "Something needs to be done to address violent crime in Illinois, but it is clear rushing legislation through the General Assembly was not the right solution."

Meanwhile, according to the reports by 25 News, Slaughter has said that Democrats are fed up with what he calls politicizing of the SAFE-T Act. "We can smell it. It's a bad stench of racism coming from that side of the aisle," Slaughter said, referring to  Republican lawmakers.

The Center Square reported that Slaughter said that Republicans don't care about violence or public safety as long as it is in Black communities. "In the Black community, it's been a state of emergency for a really long time now," Slaughter said. "But as long as crime and violence are contained in the hood, it was OK, as long as Black folks terrorize other people of color, it was fine. But now, Chiraq is in your communities. And now, it's a state of emergency."