Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombie is responding to Governor Pritzker’s latest defense of the SAFE-T Act, following an incident in which a repeat offender on electronic monitoring allegedly set a CTA passenger on fire. The case prompted Governor Pritzker to suggest that safety concerns can be addressed with more amendments. Leader McCombie issued the following:
“Illinois families deserve the truth: the SAFE-T Act has been a failed experiment from the start.
“This is exactly what House Republicans warned about. Repeat offenders are being released and reoffending, and families are paying the price.
“Let’s be honest: the SAFE-T Act had bipartisan opposition when it passed. Republicans have offered solutions every year; working groups, open-door collaboration, and common-sense bills to repeal dangerous sections or strengthen penalties. While Republicans continue to put public safety and victims first, the majority party keeps choosing policies that protect offenders instead of communities.
“Law enforcement morale is at a crisis point, recruitment is collapsing, and now the majority is eyeing the removal of qualified immunity. If that happens, good officers will walk, and communities will be left vulnerable.
“It’s time for Democrats to admit their mistake and fix this law. Illinois families, victims, and law enforcement deserve better than political spin.”