On December 28, a Kankakee County Circuit Judge declared portions of the pretrial release area of the SAFE-T Act unconstitutional. Upon learning of the ruling, State Senator Craig Wilcox (R-McHenry) issued the following statement:
“Our legislative oath of office includes a promise to support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Illinois. It is disheartening that so many Democrats either forgot their oath, have not read the Illinois Constitution, or worse yet, don’t care what’s in it. The Majority Party has once again prioritized their political policy agenda over what our founders wrote into our Constitution, and with this week’s Circuit Court ruling, their ‘Constitution be damned’ approach will create complete chaos as the issue moves to the Illinois Supreme Court.
“The SAFE-T Act has been flawed from day one, when law enforcement was denied a seat at the table, and when repeated requests for Republican involvement in negotiations were ignored. Democrats knew what they wanted, and they pushed their bill through with no regard for public safety, the rights and responsibilities of the judicial branch, and proper process for making changes of this magnitude. Judge Cunnington’s ruling is the latest proof that significant issues remain in this legislation.”