Edwardsville Police Chief calls for action against dangerous HB 3653
Charles Bolinger, charles.bolinger@edwpub.net
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KeevenCourtesy of Edwardsville Police Department
EDWARDSVILLE A criminal reform bill opposed by Madison County law enforcement officials was approved by the Illinois House of Representatives on Wednesday.
Just before noon, the House voted 60-50 to approve House Bill 3563, formerly known as House Bill 163. The Senate met to debate the bill shortly after 4 a.m. Wednesday before the measure passed 32-to-23 just before 5 in the morning. The bill now goes to Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
Also known as the Pretrial Fairness Act, the bill ends cash bail in Illinois and overhauls police certification. The legislation was an initiative of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus and opposed by a coalition of law enforcement groups in Illinois.
Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, takes the Oath of Office to become the House speaker for the 102nd General Assembly for the Illinois House of Representatives on Wednesday at the Bank of Springfield Center. (Credit: Justin L. Fowler of The State Journal-Register)
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In a historic victory, State Representative Emanuel “Chris” Welch, a Democrat from Hillside, was elected Illinois’ first-ever Black House Speaker, ending the long era for veteran State Representative Michael Madigan, while ushering in a new chapter of Black political power in Springfield.
Criminal justice bill passes in Senate
Raymon Troncoso Capitol News Illinois
Jan. 13, 2021
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SPRINGFIELD The Illinois Senate passed a criminal justice omnibus bill around 4 a.m. Wednesday after a grueling 20 hours of politicking during Tuesday’s lame duck session.
The legislation is made up of several provisions that touch all facets of the criminal justice system. The Pretrial Fairness Act, a longtime passion project to end cash bail in Illinois by Sen. Robert Peters, D-Chicago, and a complete overhaul of police certification crafted by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul were both absorbed into the omnibus package.
The legislation, an initiative of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, was tied to a new amendment to House Bill 3653, introduced in the early-morning hours Wednesday following mostly private negotiations that stripped down many controversial provisions in the bill.
UpdatedThu, Jan 14, 2021 at 8:48 pm CT
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House Bill 3653 abolishes cash bail, creates a statewide certification system for police, requires body-worn cameras, and amends crowd control responses, sentencing laws and law enforcement training requirements. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
SPRINGFIELD, IL State lawmakers passed a broad package of police reforms Wednesday in the final hours of the lame-duck session of the 101st Illinois General Assembly.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker indicated he will sign the bill, over the objections of law enforcement groups. Backers of the measure say it will increase police accountability and reduce inequities in the criminal law system.
Authored by the Legislative Black Caucus following last summer s protests against police brutality, House Bill 3653 would make Illinois the first state in the nation to end cash bail, starting in 2023. It would also require all officers to wear body cameras by 2025, expand the process for revoking the certificatio