Kankakee Times

Republican lawmakers in Illinois fear the spike in violence and rise in crime will just continue to get worse across the state due in part to Democratic-sponsored legislation that was signed into law last year.

The Illinois Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today (SAFE-T) Act changed a rule that allowed prosecutors to charge an accomplice with murder if the main perpetrator was killed by a third party during the commission of a forcible felony, created a new process to decertify abusive police officers, required law enforcement to wear body cameras, and limited when a police officer is allowed to use deadly force, according to Injustice Watch.

"Democrats have created a climate that has emboldened criminals to believe they will not be punished for these heinous acts," state Rep. Jackie Haas (R-Kankakee) said during a Jan. 5 news conference.

Haas pointed to a recent tragedy in her own district, where Bradley Police Sgt. Marlene Rittmanic pleaded for her life before she was shot and killed with her own gun while on duty. Rittmanic's partner, Officer Tyler Bailey, was shot in the head and remains in critical condition, NBC News reported. Haas said the alleged shooter had a lengthy criminal history.

"My colleagues and I have been raising concerns about the massive uptick in violence in the City of Chicago and we warned the Governor over and over again that the violence that they see in Cook County will bleed into the rest of the state if it continues to go unaddressed," Haas said during the news conference. "Sadly, we see our warnings have come to fruition here."

Haas called on Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL) and his Democratic colleagues to see crime "for what it is."

"This is an example of what will continue to happen as a result of the SAFE-T Act," Haas said. "We cannot continue to allow those who repeatedly violate the law to run the street with no consequence. We cannot continue to tie the hands of law enforcement officials and our court system."

The SAFE-T Act passed both chambers mainly along party lines during the last session. 

Pritzker signed the bill into law in February of 2021. 

There are some parts of the law that don't go into effect until next year and 2025.