Sun-Times file
A sweeping police reform bill approved in the waning hours of Illinois’ lame duck legislative session has turned up the heat on the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police to cut a contract deal with Mayor Lori Lightfoot or risk having it imposed on them.
Championed by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, the 764-page bill passed the House and Senate on Wednesday and is headed for Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s desk.
It doesn’t eliminate qualified immunity for police officers, which would have made it easier for officers to be sued for actions they take on the street.
A criminal justice and police reforms bill that would mean the end of cash bail in Illinois and the introduction of new “police accountability” protocols.
Sweeping crime reform passes, but with opposition
Darren Iozia
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State Rep. Justin Slaughter is swarmed after a criminal justice reform bill passes the Illinois House during a lame-duck session Wednesday.
A sweeping overhaul of the criminal justice system in Illinois has passed, but is receiving a backlash from unions and law enforcement groups.
House Bill 3653, formerly House Bill 163, was passed by the Senate about 5 a.m. Wednesday and by the House in the waning minutes of a lame duck session. Gov. J.B. Pritzker must still sign it into law.
The proposal, supported by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, sought to ban the use of chokeholds and no-knock warrants as well as end cash bail provisions.
By DeAsia Paige | Belleville News-Democrat
• Jan 13, 2021
Rep. Emanuel Chris Welch, D-Hillside, (right) speaks to Rep. LaShawn Ford, D-Chicago, on Jan. 11 on the floor of the Bank of Springfield Center, the acting Illinois House chamber to ensure COVID-19 precautions. The Illinois Legislative Black Caucus is putting forward a massive bill to reform policing in the state. Justin Fowler / The State Journal-Register, published with permission
Editor’s note: This story was originally published by the Belleville News-Democrat, a news partner of St. Louis Public Radio.
Metro East Black leaders say a far-reaching criminal justice reform bill under consideration this week by Illinois lawmakers represents a long-overdue step toward addressing systemic injustice.