East Central Reporter

State Rep. Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville) talked about the importance of repealing the state's SAFE-T Act and restoring adequate funding for law enforcement. 

The speech was part of a recent roundtable discussion live-streamed on Facebook. Halbrook was joined by Reps. Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur), Blaine Wilhour (R-Effingham), Adam Niemerg (R-Teutopolis), and Chris Miller (R-Robinson).

"What we're talking about was the SAFE-T Act that Democrats passed in the wee hours of [the] lame duck [session] back in January of 2021, and what we're seeing is carjacking[s], muggings, homicides of all kinds," Halbrook said. "The crime rates are skyrocketing in Illinois, much higher than across our nation. We just have a climate that has empowered criminals to do whatever they want to do and there’s no fear of being punished."

Halbrook said Democrats are pushing new anti-crimes bills "to kind of distract from the damaging SAFE-T Act they passed last year, over the objections of the law enforcement groups, victim rights groups, public safety experts."

He criticized Democrats for supporting law enforcement "when it was politically convenient" to the party.

"Simply put, we need to make crime illegal again," Halbrook said. "We need to start by completely repealing the disastrous SAFE-T Act, and we've got several bills to do just that. In addition, all of us here today have cosponsored ... House Bill 4191, that will ensure our police departments receive the funding, the resources, everything they need to do their jobs with."                                 

House Bill 4191, sponsored by Caulkins in 2021, would create the Fund the Police Grant Fund within the state treasury, according to the text of the bill. It would require the board to make grants to local government and Illinois public universities to hire law enforcement officers (LEOs) and provide mental health treatment for them. The bill would provide incentives for hiring and retaining LEOs plus training to prevent gang violence, vehicle theft, hijacking, and the sale of contraband. It would also require the transfer of $100,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Fund the Police Grant Fund. As of Feb. 18, the bill had been re-referred to the House Rules Committee.            

Rep. Patrick Windhorst (R-Harrisburg) in January filed House Bill 0598, which urges the General Assembly to repeal the entirety of the SAFE-T Act. Rep. Chris Miller (R-Robinson) was added as a co-sponsor in March.