Dupage Policy Journal

State Representative Dan Ugaste shared information on two bills aimed at increasing protection for Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) workers, stating, "the majority party and the Governor's administration refuse to let the bills be heard." He made this statement in an August 30 Facebook post.

"House Minority Leader Tony McCombie has two bills that would increase protections for DCFS workers as they seek to protect our most vulnerable children, but the majority party and the Governor's administration refuse to let the bills be heard," said Ugaste, according to Facebook.

In his post, Ugaste shared a link to an article from The Center Square, which discussed the two bills and the murder of DCFS social worker Deidre Silas in January 2022. The article, dated August 22, focused on the status of two bills filed by House Minority Leader Tony McCombie. According to The Center Square, the bills would make harming a DCFS worker a Class 2 felony.

Screenshot of State Rep. Dan Ugaste's Aug. 30 Facebook post | State Representative Dan Ugaste's Facebook page

"I’ve been trying to pass a bill for a murdered, slaughtered DCFS worker since 2017, and we’re told day after day and year after year under this dome that we cannot allow for penalty enhancements. This is such B.S," said McCombie in a speech on the House floor.

On August 29, Sangamon County Circuit Judge John Madonia found Benjamin Howard Reed guilty but mentally ill in the first-degree murder of Deidre Silas. According to an MSN article dated the same day, Reed, 35, stabbed Silas 43 times and bludgeoned her with a sledgehammer as she responded to a call about possibly endangered children in Thayer, approximately 23 miles from Springfield.

The State Journal-Register reported that Judge Madonia described Silas’ killing as "one of the most brutal and heinous" cases he has seen. Madonia refused to believe that Reed had "lied through a parade of evidence," including physical and sexual abuses starting when Reed was seven years old. Reed faces a sentence ranging from 20 years to natural life imprisonment. His sentencing is set for November 15.

Dan Ugaste has represented Illinois' 65th House District since 2018. He is a former attorney and shareholder at Nyhan, Bambrick, Kinzie & Lowry, where he focused on workers' compensation defense and related litigation. Ugaste has served as President of the Lake Forest College Alumni Board and held leadership roles in various bar associations and committees. He graduated from Lake Forest High School and Lake Forest College and holds a Juris Doctorate degree from DePaul University.