As the Democratic majority continues to prioritize criminal justice reforms at the expense of public safety, House Republican Floor Leader Patrick Windhorst (Metropolis), Assistant Minority Leader John Cabello (Machesney Park), and State Representative Dennis Tipsword (Metamora) spoke about the reality Illinois families face across the state.
Reps. Windhorst, Cabello, and Tipsword all have law enforcement backgrounds and have been integral in creating the legislative package that will restore public safety.
“As an active law enforcement officer, I see the challenges we face in protecting our communities daily. Bad legislation in the form of the SAFE T Act and the TRUST Act have made our local communities less safe. Why are we continuing to enact legislation that always sides with criminals rather than the people who are trying to protect us? There is no bigger priority in my job than public safety and holding people who commit crimes accountable. Simply put, the SAFE T Act and TRUST Act tie the hands of law enforcement and hinder our ability to do our jobs,” said Rep. Tipsword, who serves as Chief Deputy in the Woodford County Sheriff’s Office.
“Time and time again, we see Democrats claim they support law enforcement, while their policies tell a different story,” said Rep. Cabello. “Instead of giving police the tools they need to fight crime, they push laws that make their jobs harder and put criminals first.”
After citing multiple ideas making law enforcement’s job more dangerous and burdensome, Cabello continued to say: “This is what happens when Illinois politicians who have no law enforcement experience care more about protecting criminals than supporting police. If Democrats truly supported law enforcement like they claim, they’d work with us to crack down on crime, enhance penalties, and hold criminals accountable - not make excuses for it,” concluded Cabello.
House Republican Floor Leader Patrick Windhorst began his professional career as a prosecutor and served as State’s Attorney for 14 years in Massac County. “Since taking office as State Representative, I have seen legislators from the other side of the aisle make a constant push to pass legislation that has seriously degraded our police officers’ ability to do their jobs effectively, elevated rights for criminals, and eroded the rights of victims,” Windhorst stated from the Capitol Blue Room on Wednesday morning.
“House Republicans fought the SAFE-T Act, warning our fellow citizens that the law would harm our law enforcement officers and harm our court system while increasing risks to public safety. In response to the Democrats' progressive lurch to the left on public safety issues, the House Republican working group is announcing a legislative agenda aimed at fixing the very real crime problem we have in Illinois.”
While public safety issues continue to rise, House Republicans have put thoughtful, viable solutions forward that aim to keep families safe, back law enforcement, and ensure criminals are held accountable.
Included in the legislative package rolled out on Wednesday:
“House Republicans fought the SAFE-T Act, warning our fellow citizens that the law would harm our law enforcement officers and harm our court system while increasing risks to public safety. In response to the Democrats' progressive lurch to the left on public safety issues, the House Republican working group is announcing a legislative agenda aimed at fixing the very real crime problem we have in Illinois.”
While public safety issues continue to rise, House Republicans have put thoughtful, viable solutions forward that aim to keep families safe, back law enforcement, and ensure criminals are held accountable.
Included in the legislative package rolled out on Wednesday:
- HB 1028 - Cabello - SAFE-T Act repeal
- HB 2804 - McCombie - Fentanyl - adds penalties to those who traffic and market fentanyl to children
- HB 1478 - Windhorst - Creates the offense of fentanyl child endangerment
- HB 77 - Haas - Schedules xylazine as a Schedule III controlled substance
- HB 3206 - Sheehan - Enhances penalties for fleeing and eluding
- HB 3406 - Sheehan - Allows forfeiture for any vehicle used for fleeing and eluding
- HB 1743 - Tipsword - requiring DHS to move a person who has been committed for mental health treatment out of the county jail within 20 days.
- Changes to Pre-Trial Fairness Act (SAFE-T Act - cash bail provisions)