State GOP Introduces Anti-Crime Measures
A group of Republican lawmakers say they are concerned about violent crime in Illinois and want to introduce a package of legislation to do something about it.
The legislation includes criminal justice changes that is aimed at keeping violent offenders in custody while providing law enforcement with additional resources. Among other bills introduced in the package, the “Fund the Police Act” would provide an infusion of resources to criminal justice and mental health programs through a $100 million state appropriation.
At a news conference Wednesday in Springfield, state Sen. Neil Anderson, R-Andalusia, a firefighter and medic, said the measures include criminal justice changes that would keep violent offenders off the streets, offenders he keeps dealing with repeatedly. The legislation also includes measures to reduce the trafficking of illegal guns, by imposing a 10-year minimum sentence for those who sell or give a firearm to a convicted felon.
Illinois state Rep. Justin Slaughter and state Sen. Robert Peters both spearheaded legislation called the SAFE-T Act, which ended the use of cash bail, put stricter limits on police use of force, and allows judges to override sentencing minimums in some criminal cases. State Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, said the package was introduced to the criminal law committee but none of the bills were assigned to a committee hearing. The group planned to file the legislation in hopes of getting passage before the end of the fall veto session.
