Kane County Reporter

Veteran state Rep. Jeff Keicher (R-Sycamore) stands proud of the hand he’s had in turning Colton’s Task Force legislation into state law.

With Keicher promoting the measure he sponsored as a way of closing all the loopholes he sees hampering domestic abuse laws across the state, Gov. J.B. Pritzker recently signed off on a proposal supporters are convinced will make a world of difference.

“Colton’s Task Force will work to identify gaps in the state’s domestic violence laws and develop recommendations to better protect victims and survivors of domestic violence in Illinois,” Keicher posted on Facebook. “I sponsored this bill and look forward to playing an active role in following-up on the task force’s recommendations. Together we can reduce the frequency and tragedy of domestic violence that harms far too many women and children in our state.”

Since the 2019 brutal killing of 18-month Colton Miller at the hands of his father in a murder-suicide, the legislation has been a work in progress.

In officially turning it into law, Pritzker made it a point of singling out Colton’s mom, Cassandra Tanner Miller, who has toiled over the past two years to land the proposal on his desk. While she argues the whole system is in need of work, a fair measure of her mission has centered on closing all the loopholes.

“She has honored her son’s memory every day, and his life, by working to protect other children from Colton’s devastating fate,” the governor said. Pritzker also stressed he believes the tragedy could have been prevented if authorities had responded to Tanner Miller’s repeated warnings.

“These task forces reflect your courageous work to fight for others,” he said. “Both will play a vital role as we seek to further address the scourge of domestic violence.”

Tanner Miller said she did everything she could to protect herself and her children from her former corrections officer ex-husband, 35-year-old Christopher Michael Miller, including warning the Illinois National Guard, where he was also a member, about his violent behavior and alleged drug use. She said she feels the judicial system let her down.

“It’s a pain that takes your breath away at all hours of the day,” she told CBSLocal.com. “We have not had anything that is a full comprehensive breakdown to see where the gaps are.”

State Rep. David Welter (R-Morris) said the plan calls for the task force to present an extensive report highlighting its findings to the General Assembly sometime next year.