Kane County Reporter

State Rep. Dan Ugaste (R-St. Charles) claims evidence offers irrefutable proof of how much the state continues to be hurt by the passage of the SAFE-T Act.

“The tragic murder of an innocent bystander and the Cook County grand jury's decision not to indict shooter Travis Andrews on first-degree murder because of the SAFE-T Act highlights what we have been saying all along,” Ugaste said at a recent news conference on the legislation. “The SAFE-T Act has made Illinois a less-safe place to live. This rushed law is going to let a murderer get off easy. It doesn't matter that the woman whose life was cut short was not Andrews' intended victim. He got a gun to kill someone over a perceived slight and a bag of weed and her life was stolen from her.”

Ugaste said he is dumbfounded as to why Democrats would be pushing to stay the course with the law. Republicans claim the policies Democrats passed are leading to spikes in crime and senseless violence.

“There are examples of them outright rebuking our calls for repeal,” he said. “Our caucus has filed legislation to repeal the SAFE-T Act that my colleagues and I are probably sponsoring. Something needs to be done to address violent crime in Illinois, but it is clear that rushing legislation through the general assembly was not the right solution."

Republicans argue that since the passage of the bill that eliminates cash bail, changed use-of-force guidelines and brokered a new police certification system and expanded detainee rights, crime has soared across the state, with upticks in retail theft, carjacking and murders.

The Illinois Legislative Black Caucus issued a statement questioning the Republicans' conclusions, pointing out that most of the measures in the SAFE-T Act haven't taken effect yet.

“We need more Democrats to come forth and join us and say let's change course before more dangerous people get off easy and are back out on the streets after committing serious crimes,” Ugaste said. “Let's change course before more people die. We stand ready to work with the Democrats and craft legislation that will protect our communities and reform our criminal justice system.”

Republican lawmakers have introduced House Bill 4499 to repeal SAFE-T, with House Minority Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) charging “Illinois has become the wild, wild Midwest.”