Time is running out for the Illinois General Assembly to act to reduce the spike in violent crime that has enveloped the state. That’s the message Republican members of the Illinois Senate brought to public and media attention Wednesday during a Capitol news conference on day two of the Fall Veto Session.
Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie, and Senators Don DeWitte, Terry Bryant, Neil Anderson, Chapin Rose, and Steve McClure outlined a package of legislation prioritizing public safety, empowering law enforcement and the criminal justice system to get a grip on statewide violence and help keep dangerous criminals behind bars.
The Senators were joined by Amber Oberheim, wife of fallen Champaign police officer Chris Oberheim. Her husband was fatally shot by a repeat violent offender in Champaign earlier this year. Mrs. Oberheim came to Springfield hoping to testify on behalf of the proposals, but so far, Democrat leaders have refused to even allow the legislation to be heard in committee.
Sen. Chapin Rose from the Press Conference:
The legislative package includes the following bills:
Fund the Police Act
· SB 2918: Creates Fund the Police Grant Fund with $100,000,000 with appropriations to the ILETSB to make grants to local governments and universities to hire police officers, purchasing equipment designed to prevent gang violence, motor vehicle theft, carjacking, or sale of contraband, and training for law enforcement in preventing gang violence, motor vehicle theft, carjacking, or the sale of contraband. This includes mental health, hiring and retention incentives, and overtime.
Eliminate Good Time for Weapons Offenses and Attacks on Law Enforcement Officers
· SB 2916: Requires a defendant who commits Aggravated Battery to a Police Officer to serve at least 85 percent of their sentence.
· SB 2917: Requires a defendant who brings a weapon or contraband into a penal institution serve at least percent of their sentence.
Ending Deadly Delay
· SB 2927: Requires Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority to track gun crimes by convicted felons. Amended to include real time reporting by county of gun offenses charged and outcome of the case.
· SB 2926: Gun Crime Charging and Sentencing Accountability and Transparency Act. Requires State’s Attorneys to provide written justification when a weapons offense is plea bargained down to a lesser offense or non-weapons offense. Similarly, in imposing a sentence, the judge shall set forth in a written sentencing order his/her reasons for imposing the sentence or accepting the plea agreement.
· SB 2924: Allows a school or school district to employ qualified retired law enforcement officers to carry out the duties of a school resource officer.
Getting Serious on Gun Crime:
· SB 2928: ‘10 and life’ for violent firearms offenses. First-time conviction of the following offenses receives a mandatory 10-year sentence, second offense receives life sentence.
o Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm.
o Use of a stolen or illegally acquired firearm in the commission of an offense.
o Unlawful use or possession of weapons by felons.
o Armed Habitual Criminal.
o Aggravated Vehicular Hijacking, or Aggravated Carjacking.
· SB 2925: Mandatory minimum penalty for Gun trafficking/Straw purchases. Imposes a 10-year minimum on those who sell or give a firearm to a convicted felon.
Juvenile Court Reforms
· SB 2929: Juvenile commitment to the Department of Juvenile Justice for use or discharge of a firearm in a school that results in bodily injury or death to any person.
· SB 2923: Restore offenses of aggravated vehicular hijacking and armed robbery committed by juveniles with a firearm to the automatic transfer provisions of adult court.
· SB 2922: Prevent “catch and release” of juvenile carjackers by requiring a shelter care hearing to determine if it is safe to release the juvenile or continue holding until the adjudicatory hearing.
Bail Reform
· SB 2920: Deny bail for previously convicted gun offenders or a felon charged with a gun offense.
· SB 2921: Adds violation of bail bond, escape, and aggravated fleeing and attempting to elude to the more serious “Category A” bond provisions.
· SB 2919: Allows counties to opt out of Bail Reform Act provisions if county board adopts a resolution to do so.
Mental Health Reform
· SB 1649: Amends the Community Mental Health Act. Provides that upon receipt of all the annual moneys collected from the tax levied under the Act, each governmental unit that levies that tax shall immediately deposit 20 percent of those moneys into a special fund directly controlled by the county sheriff to be used for mental health services within the county jail.
