Audio from transparency advocates.
There are plenty of victories in the measure for advocates who called for an overhaul in policing and criminal justice in Illinois. Supporters say one is how the state certifies officers and, if necessary, decertifies them. State Rep. Maurice West (D-Rockford) says the omnibus bill will help prevent “department hopping.”
“What we ve seen a lot happen, not just Illinois, but everywhere is bad actors before they get penalized for whatever they did, they resign and find themselves in a whole different police department in a whole different state. West said. And moving on, like nothing happened.”
Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the Education and Workforce Equity Act into law on Monday, which allows for the expansion of both Black history and American history in K-12 curriculum, as well as additional graduation requirements in computer literacy and increased access to Illinois’ early intervention programs.
“Our work isn’t done until equity and fairness is a guiding principle at all of our schools,” Pritzker said before signing the bill, which was drafted by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus.
Meleika Gardner, Evanston Live TV founder and board member of Women Empowering Women in Local Legislation, co-authored two pieces of legislation included in the act alongside Illinois Rep. La Shawn Ford (D). Gardner’s contributions include an amendment to HB 4954, ensuring that curriculum includes Black history pre-enslavement, and HB 5851, which expands American History curriculum so that it includes all communities.
Roy Williams Jr., a community organizer and Army veteran, has been named the replacement for Sen. Doris Turner, D-Springfield, on the Springfield City Council.
Mayor Jim Langfelder announced Friday that Williams had beaten out eight others to serve the final two years of Turner s term. The others who showed interest included Billy Earl, Bill Eddington II, Diane Howard, Fredrick Jackson, District 186 Board District 6 Representative Judith Johnson, Sangamon County District 19 Board Member Vera Small, former Capitol Township trustee Candice Trees and Nadine Wright. The nomination will be presented Tuesday to the full city council. Williams will be up for election in 2023, when the next round of city elections are slated to be held.
Illinois Governor signs radical criminal justice reform bill lawofficer.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from lawofficer.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Monday, Feb 22, 2021 Yes, I know that he hasn’t even signed the bill as this is published, but my inbox is filling up. Posted in the order they were received starting with the IPHA…
Tom Hughes, Executive Director of the Illinois Public Health Association (IPHA), released the following statement on Monday:
“As leaders of local health departments, we serve on the frontlines of defending the public’s safety. It is our responsibility to not only protect communities from threats to their health, but to also address threats to the safety of people’s lives and wellbeing, which includes those lost or hurt by systemic racism. Today, we fully recognize the fact that racism is a public health crisis, and commend Gov. JB Pritzker for taking steps to end this crisis by signing House Bill 3653 into law and reforming the criminal justice system in Illinois.”