Kankakee Times

The criminal justice reform bill Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed will not make residents safer, Rep. Jackie Haas (R-Kankakee) said.

“This new law makes Illinoisans less safe,” Haas told the Kankakee Times. “House Bill 3653 enhances protections for individuals charged with violent crimes at the expense of the victims of those crimes. This is why I voted against this legislation.”

Despite Haas’ concerns and those of many others opposed to the measure, Pritzker signed the legislation — a bill critics charge reduced the criminal justice operations to a “catch and release system.”

Among the changes included in the Police and Criminal Justice Reform Bill are eliminating cash bails by 2023, a ban on chokeholds and a mandate requiring that all police officers be equipped with body cameras by 2025.

Haas said the measure is opposed by many in law enforcement for a good reason.

The legislation came to be after social justice protest gripped much of the nation last summer following the killing of a black man by a white Minnesota police officer in May. Demonstrations for social justice and police reform continued after other high-profile killings of blacks by white police officers that summer.

“This law puts additional burdens on police departments and makes it harder for officers to do their job,” she said. “Read the statements released by law enforcement officials, public safety agencies and the Illinois State’s Attorney’s Association. They all agree that this law threatens the safety of Illinois residents. This legislation hamstrings an officer’s ability to protect themselves and others.”

Haas said Pritzker’s motivation for being a proponent of the bill as it is crafted strikes her for all the wrong reasons.

“Gov. Pritzker clearly kicked off his re-election campaign with the signing of this legislation,” she said. “But boasting about becoming the first state to eliminate cash bail is not something the average Illinoisan wants championed. The Governor has dismissively balked that anyone who remotely questions or criticizes his decision to enact this legislation is ‘fearmongering’...so beyond insulting and turning his back on law enforcement officials, he has opted to treat everyday Illinoisans, who just wants to keep their families safe, scornfully.”