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Illinois

Governor’s Forum: Pritzker considers changes to SAFE-T law.Bailey calls for complete abolition | Politics

SPRINGFIELD — Gov. JB Pritzker considers criminal justice law changes to SAFE-T legislation to clarify provisions related to ending cash bail in Illinois, but Republican challenger State Senator Darren Bailey continues to call for a full repeal. .

Candidates shared their thoughts on these and other issues on Friday in a virtual forum hosted by AP Media editors in Illinois.

Pritzker has frequently stated that he believes cash bail must end in favor of a system that prioritizes the risk of defendants reoffending or evading prosecution, and the SAFE-T Act does not. But prosecutors in almost every state have warned that a system to replace the current pretrial detention language would be too restrictive for judges.

Inaccurate claims surrounding the SAFE-T law are rife, and Bailey believed on Friday that when it goes into effect, it is intended to get people in custody out of jail instead of bail. An Illinois Supreme Court task force is urging lawmakers to clarify what will happen on January 1, but the law does not say that will happen.

“Therefore, a proposal is being made to clarify the law so that people can fully understand that this law does not create unmanageable crimes. You won’t be released from prison in a day – that’s not what the law does,” Pritzker said.

The governor fell short of approving a bill to amend the SAFE-T Act introduced last week by former prosecutor, Sen. Scott Bennett, D-Champaign. But he said it contained clear language that was “easy to understand.” Bennett’s bill makes clear, among other things, that the end of cash bail applies to those arrested after January 1, 2023.

“I have not read all the articles he has proposed, but Senator Bennett, who was a prosecutor and a Democrat in Champaign and Vermilion counties, has been very careful in how he approaches matters like this. I am always open to working with people who are rational and rational in their proposals,” he said.

But lawmakers aren’t scheduled to return to the Capitol until November 15, a week after Election Day.

Bailey, a farmer in Xenia, said he hopes the governor will hold a special session to consider changes to the SAFE-T law before the election. However, he did not propose anything in the form of a bill and said he would support a complete repeal.

“If I were governor now, and if I were sitting here and people across this state were concerned about their safety, I would call a special session right now,” Bailey said. “This is an election year, Governor Pritzker.

Law and order

Bailey’s opening remarks focused on public safety and lamented the high number of shootings in Chicago. “Law and order is out of control,” he said, and working on it will bring back “hope” to the people of Illinois.

“We’re going to do that by restoring education,” he said. “Our schools have been devastated in the last four years. We do that by enabling people to thrive, work, and support their families as they once did in the state.

His public safety agenda does not include gun control. He reiterated that he wants the state’s gun owner identification laws to be repealed, and called the card a money grab.

“Illinois has the strictest gun laws in the nation. The problem is that these laws are not and are not followed,” Bailey said.

Pritzker countered that the FOID law gives Illinois more background check powers than federal law. He also voted for a statewide and national ban on assault-style rifles.

“It shouldn’t be legal in Illinois. It shouldn’t be legal nationwide,” he said of the rifle. “There’s no reason someone needs an offensive weapon. Not for sporting use. Not for defensive use.”

state spending

In his opening remarks, Pritzker criticized Bailey as a “Trump extremist” and focused on his achievements in paying down state debt, increasing education spending, erasing outstanding bills, raising the minimum wage, and protecting abortion rights. guessed

He launched a $1.8 billion tax cut plan that would pay most Illinoisans directly, eliminate the state’s grocery tax for a year, delay a gas tax increase until next year, and expand the state’s earned income tax credit. advertised.

Bailey supported the proposal despite having voted against the general budget framework every year since 2019. He argued that Illinois has not had a balanced budget in his 30 years and criticized Pritzker for increasing state spending during his term.

Bailey claimed the operating budget for 2019 was $34 billion, but Illinois generated about $39 billion in base revenue in fiscal 2019, according to the records of the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability. Acquired over $40 billion in accounting investments and inter-fund borrowings.

State spending increased to $46.5 billion in fiscal 2023, the current operating budget.

Bailey did not specify any planned budget cuts, but reiterated his intention to introduce new budgeting methods to give greater scrutiny to year-over-year spending.

“My administration enacted a zero-based budget, placed knowledgeable, honorable, hard-working men and women as heads of agencies, and they began work on a zero-based budget, spending every dollar going forward. I’ll explain. It’s been spent,” Bailey said.

women’s rights

Bailey is supported by the state’s anti-abortion group and is one of Illinois’ most staunch anti-abortion legislators. However, he did not answer whether he would sign a ban on the proceedings.

“Illinois has the most liberal abortion rights in the country,” he said. “Women’s rights are well protected here. Nothing has changed. I am.”

He criticized a law abolishing the requirement to notify the parents of minors seeking abortions, and accused Pritzker of creating fear before returning to public safety.

Pritzker said parliamentarians, with some guidance from him, are continuing working group discussions on what new legislation could be implemented to protect these rights. .

“I am dedicated to defending women’s rights of choice and making sure Illinois is a safe haven for those seeking to exercise their fundamental constitutional rights to their bodies.

Bailey, who has passed two bills in the General Assembly since 2019, denounced it as partisan composition of the General Assembly and said as governor, “Communication and cooperation will be key to my administration.” . He also said that Illinois has too many bills and too many laws.

Pritzker is bipartisan in his administration, including his first budget, recreational marijuana legalization, and a $45 billion infrastructure plan to fund roads, bridges, buildings, and other projects statewide. It did some of that by doubling motor fuel taxes and expanding gambling.

He also cited the infrastructure bill when asked how his administration would prioritize downstate communities. Pritzker specifically mentioned the Shawneetown and Cairo port projects and the casinos at Walkers Bluff and his resort, which will be major employers in southern Illinois.

Bailey, who often refers to Chicago as a hellish place, said he considers himself a mouthpiece for “the rest of Illinois,” criticizing “one-size-fits-all” laws and climate change. and the fair employment law. Harmful to downstate coal and gas plants and energy bills.

Pritzker said the act was intended to allow the state to put new renewable energy into the grid while keeping nuclear power plants operational and, at least in part, addressing climate change. defended.



https://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/politics/governor-forum-pritzker-considering-safe-t-act-changes-bailey-urges-full-repeal/article_2f67f9e9-9233-5985-82ca-de2e240d67fb.html Governor’s Forum: Pritzker considers changes to SAFE-T law.Bailey calls for complete abolition | Politics

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