Lake County Gazette

Rep. Martin McLaughlin (R-Lake Barrington) is speaking out against the elimination of cash bail as part of the SAFE-T Act.

“It puts my family your family and our police officers at significant risk,” McLaughlin said.

Supporters of the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today Act, including the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, point to the legislation as a step toward making the justice system more equitable for minorities. Republicans have called the SAFE-T Act a “de facto defund the police bill” because of its additional regulations on police officers.

“Fair and equitable should mean all criminals are fairly treated by the letter of the law,” McLaughlin said. “Justice should be blind to offenders and there should be equal treatment following our laws, however is it equitable to the individuals who are on the receiving end of violent criminal offenses to not be safe in their homes, businesses or on their streets?”

Multiple state's attorneys expressed concern over the legislation at a media briefing in April, according to the Center Square. 

One state’s attorney said, “With this new law, our hands will be tied. What sane citizen in this state of Illinois would want the state’s attorney’s hands tied, the police hands tied, and give all the perks going to violent offenders? That’s what this law does.”

“We need to make crime illegal again,” McLaughlin said.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker recently defended the elimination of cash bail, according to The Center Square.

“We do not want someone in jail because they were arrested for a low-level crime like shoplifting to be sitting in jail for months or maybe even years,” Pritzker said. “At the same time, someone who is a wealthy drug dealer, perhaps accused of murder and arrested, can show up with a suitcase full of money and get out of jail.”