Dupage Policy Journal

Illinois state Rep. Deanne Mazzochi (R-Elmhurst) on Jan. 20 attended a news conference where she discussed the need to repeal a bill that addresses issues such as use of force from police officers and the requirement of body-worn cameras, as well as putting an end to cash bail for non-violent offenders.

Mazzochi joins many other Republicans in supporting the resolution that urges the General Assembly to repeal the SAFE-T Act in its entirety.

"They’ve called the bill the SAFE-T Act, but in reality it was hasty and it was in poor judgment. we warned you that this would make crime even worse," Mazzochi said at the press conference. "Welcome to reality. you can't pass a bill designed to defund, demoralize and decertified police officers and expect that much good is going to come of that."

Filed on Jan. 5 by Rep. Patrick Windhorst, the resolution had since gained 13 House Republicans joining as co-sponsors as of Jan. 29.

According to Advantage News, Democrats in favor of the SAFE-T Act argue that it brings racial equity to criminal justice and actually protects good police officers.

"Democrats passed this legislation in the middle of the night under cover of darkness, precisely because they didn't want the people to know what they were doing," Mazzochi said at the press conference. "They didn't want the people to have input because ordinary people know that this is not common sense to make lives harder for police officers and easier for criminals. Now that the chickens have come home to roost, the Democrats are hearing from the public and the people are not happy. Now you know the Democrats are making all kinds of noise that they really do like the police, they want to fund the police, and they're trying to backtrack off their prior votes in the hopes that you're going to forget exactly what they voted for by the time we get to the November election cycle."

According to Cities FM 929, state Rep. Dan Caulkins (R-Champaign) has also drafted his own amendment for the SAFE-T Act. His version would increase penalties for offenders who use a gun in a carjacking and require a district attorney and a judge to put in writing why an offender is allowed to plead a gun case down to a lesser offense.

Mazzochi said that House Democrats can show those they represent in their districts that their voices matter by signing the legislation to repeal the SAFE-T Act.

"This is the time to make it happen, and this is the time to finally look out for the people in their district, not the political activists," Mazzochi said at the press conference. "We can get this right, we can come together to carefully consider the right action we can take that is going to promote second chances for people but is also going to protect our residents. The SAFE-T Act was not the way. It shouldn't be the way. it shouldn't be allowed to continue forward. It should be repealed."