Metro East Sun

Republicans lawmakers are calling for a repeal of the the SAFE-T Act, a criminal justice and police reform law passed last year. Among many measures, the Democratic-backed legislation includes provisions for addressing police misconduct and ending the cash bail system.

At a recent press conference, state Sen. Steve McClure (R-Jacksonville) spoke in favor of repealing the legislation and explained some of the provisions in a Republican-proposed criminal justice reform package.

"Enabling our law enforcement to do their jobs is just the first step in curbing the violent crime in our streets," McClure said. "Our package also seeks to hold violent criminals accountable for their actions. We proposed ten-to-life sentences for violent gun offenses, ten years for the first conviction and life for subsequent convictions. We are also advocating for a mandatory minimum of ten years for people providing guns to convicted felons."

Republicans say the SAFE-T Act is behind the rise in crime in Illinois. 

According to McClure, in Cook County, the number of released defendants charged with committing new crimes increased by 45% and the number of suspects on pretrial release charged with committing new violent crimes increased by an estimated 33% following the signing of the SAFE-T Act.

"With carjackings tripling since 2019, our package ends the catch-and-release of juvenile offenders, who oftentimes are recruited by gangs who promised them little to no punishment if they get caught," McClure said. "Finally, we are calling for the repeal of the cash bail provisions found in the Democrats' anti-police package that they passed a year ago. Poorly thought-out changes to bail were terrible for Cook County. They will be bad when they are spread to the entire state."

"No wonder Chicago, a storied American city, is now internationally known for its crime and violence," McClure said. "This is not a pattern we want to spread throughout the entire state. We need to empower judges with the tools they need to keep dangerous criminals behind bars and these are reasonable proposals that specifically target major issues and needs within our communities and they deserve a hearing."

House Republicans are urging for voters to make their voices heard and sign a petition in support of the repeal.

Illinois’ legislative Black Caucus, the chief sponsors of the bill, have spoked in favor of the bill. They argued that Republican complaints are unfounded since many provisions of the SAFE-T Act have not even gone into effect yet. They go on to say that the SAFE-T Act will help improve public safety when fully implemented.