At a Capitol press conference on Thursday, Rep. Grant (R-Wheaton) and fellow House Republicans David Friess (R-Red Bud) and Dan Ugaste (R-Geneva), John Cabello (R-Machesney Park), and Patrick Windhorst (R-Metropolis) laid out a legislative package aimed at improving public safety, recruiting and retaining police officers and other law enforcement officials, and providing assistance to victims of violent crime.
The Truth in Public Safety Working group was started in 2023 with the goal of enhancing public safety in Illinois big cities, Chicagoland, and the State as a whole. During the summer of 2023, the group met with law enforcement groups, retired judges, state’s attorneys and other stakeholders to develop the legislative package shared Thursday. Last summer, many Republican lawmakers held roundtables with law enforcement officers and prosecutors. The package unveiled in Springfield on Thursday proves that Republican lawmakers took the concerns of law enforcement seriously and crafted legislation to address continuing issues.
“It is beyond clear that leaders in Illinois need to recommit to public safety in the months ahead,” said Grant. “Individuals and families do not feel safe in their own neighborhoods and the state’s soft on crime trajectory is only emboldening criminals to commit even more aggressive crimes.”
Legislation introduced by House Republicans serving on the Truth in Public Safety working group include:
- HB 5120 – Widens the possible detention net to all felonies and also establishes the burden of proof at a detention hearing to preponderance of the evidence.
- HB 5121 – Calls for the revocation of pre-trial release when the defendant is charged with an offense while on release.
- HB 5126 – Restores the process for a court to issue a warrant for a defendant’s failure to appear in court.
- HB 5131 – Sets up a timeline for the Department of Human Services to remove someone from county jail within 20 days if they have been found unfit to stand trial, and requires reimbursement to the county if the person is held past the 20 days. The bill is aimed at providing necessary mental health services to those individuals who have been found mentally unfit to stand trial.
- HB 5133 – Allows for the creation of a county co-responder model to work with social workers to assist victims in need of mental or behavioral health services. The bill would ensure that police officers are responding to emergency calls and that social workers or behavioral health services workers would act as a partner with law enforcement, not a replacement.
Rep Grant remains committed to working with both local police departments and law enforcement agencies to return law, order, and public safety to her region and the State of Illinois.
State Representative Amy Grant, is currently in her 3rd term as State Representative in the General Assembly. The 47th district is made up of several communities in DuPage County, including Naperville, Warrenville, Glen Ellyn, Wheaton, Lisle, Carol Stream, Bartlett, West Chicago, Winfield, and Wayne.