Republicans Want Repeal of Police Reform Law, Democrats Call Effort "All for Show"

Republicans are calling for a repeal of the Democrat-enacted police reform bill from 2021, known as the “SAFE-T” Act.

Republicans know this bill will never get a hearing and will never make it to the floor. But they want the press pop and they think crime is their winning issue in 2022.

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Republicans are calling for their Democratic counterparts in the Illinois House to join them in efforts to repeal criminal justice reforms, known as the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today Act, commonly known as the SAFE-T Act.

Democratic proponents of the SAFE-T Act, who called the effort by super minority Republicans “all for show,” pointed out that many of the substantive changes created by the bill had not yet taken effect.

That includes a measure that would eliminate cash bail in favor of a pre-trial detention method that prioritizes aspects such as the level of danger a suspect poses rather than their ability to post bail. The exact parameters for pre-trial detention will be determined by the courts. That measure takes effect in January 2023.

The original SAFE-T Act also changed use-of-force guidelines for law enforcement, created a new police certification system and expanded detainee rights.

NewsPatrick Pfingsten