East Central Reporter

Republican state Rep. Chris Miller contends he’s come to know the hard way the high cost of there be no consequences for bad behavior.

“I know from raising seven kids that if there are no consequences it will continue and only get worse,” Miller told the East Central Reporter in justifying his opposition to the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today (SAFE-T) law that tweaks the Illinois criminal justice system to enact a no cash bail element.

“I think we're seeing that with the rising crime rates across some parts of the state,” he added. “In the city, it's like the wild west.”

While supporters of the law, set to go into effect in early 2023, argue it stands to make for a fairer and more equitable justice system, Miller insists he fails to see the logic. “I would ask what they’re thinking,” he added. “In all seriousness, it's just absurd when you see every area of crime getting worse since this law went on the books. I think it’s an oxymoron to think you can rid yourself of crime by erasing all the consequences for the criminals. I voted against this boondoggle, and I am working to repeal it. We need to scrap the SAFE-T Act and craft a bill that better protects our citizens.”

Miller isn’t the only lawmaker now expressing disdain, with a group of local state’s attorneys recently coming together to blast the new law as policy that ties their hands.

“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 to violent offenders,” one lawmaker insisted. “That’s what this law does.”

Even as the criticism of the new law has mounted, Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL) and democrats have remained steadfast in their support, with Pritzker recently telling 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. 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."

With CapitolNewsIllinois.com reporting GOP lawmakers have taken to referring to SAFE-T as a “de facto defund the police bill," given all the added restrictions it handcuffs officers with, the new law is formally set to go into effect Jan. 1, 2023.