Kankakee Times

State Rep. Jackie Haas (R-Kankakee) is asking her 79th District constituents to help her continue helping them.

“It’s petition time again and your support is welcomed in getting them completed,” Haas recently posted on Facebook. “You can download the petition form and guidelines on my website at www.votejackie.com. I’m looking forward to continued service to the 79th district with your support.”

After being swept into office with 64 percent of the vote, Haas has made the fight for law and order one of her central issues. The Kankakee Time reports she recently took Democrats to task for passing the Illinois Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today (SAFE-T) Act. Among other things, the legislation 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," she added.

Haas went on to point to the recent tragic killing of Bradley Police Sgt. Marlene Rittmanic, who was killed in the line of duty with her own gun while pleading for her life. Rittmanic's partner, Officer Tyler Bailey, was also shot in the head during the episode and remains in critical condition, NBC News reported.

"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," she added. "Sadly, we see our warnings have come to fruition here."

Haas added that the alleged shooter had a lengthy criminal history.

"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."

Haas recently announced she plans to seek re-election, adding in a press release “despite the uncertainty of the legislative maps currently pending in federal court, it has been my pleasure to serve as the state representative for the past year and I fully intend to seek reelection as state representative in the 79th House District. Continuing to serve as an independent voice for district residents remains my top priority.”

With the general election scheduled for Nov. 8, the legality of the Illinois legislative map remains in federal court. The 79th District includes all or part of Kankakee, Cook, Grundy and Will counties.