PEORIA, Ill. — Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker was in Peoria Wednesday with area leaders to discuss the controversial police and criminal justice reform bill, HB 3653, signed earlier this week.
When discussing the bill, Prizker said it makes Illinois national leaders.
“Illinois has taken substantial steps forward towards dismantling the systemic racism that plagues our communities, our state and our nation,” Pritzker said. “Illinois raises the bar for what’s possible, while also acknowledging there is more work to do.”
When asked about the bill being passed in the “dead of night” as many opponents of the bill argued, Pritzker said it had been coming for months.
“This bill was not rushed — there were committee hearings after committee hearings,” said Pritzker. “The idea that was somehow done quickly just didn’t happen — this started last summer.”
Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth agreed with Pritzker.
“[Leaders] worked on hearings for four months and four days,” said Gordon-Booth. “This was not done in secrecy — this was done with law enforcement at the table.”
Gordon-Booth said she and Senator Dave Koehler had conversations with Peoria County Sheriff Brian Asbell regarding the bill.
Asbell, an advocate for police reform, said Tuesday at the Peoria County Public Safety and Justice Committee Meeting 70% of HB 3653 is “necessary and good.”
“There’s other things with transparency [in the bill] that we have already put into play,” said Asbell.
Asbell’s issues with the bill come with the language of some parts of the bill.
“We really don’t have clear direction on how to manage things we once did,” said Asbell.
Asbell apologized at the meeting for “pushing the narrative” that the bill was dangerous, saying balance was needed between the two ideologies of the bill.
He continued to say the Sheriff’s Office has lost 10 employees since January, and they are trying to reassure employees they will find the balance and move forward.
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