Working for Illinois Caucus

SPRINGFIELD — State Rep. Katie Stuart on Monday morning said she had nothing to do with changes to her opioid legislation to include proposed criminal justice reforms criticized by Madison County law enforcement officials.

Madison County’s top elected law officials from both parties on Monday condemned the criminal justice bill being considered this week by the General Assembly in Springfield. House Bill 163 was introduced in December by state Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, as a prescription monitoring bill. But on Jan. 4 it had a 600-page amendment added to it that is upsetting law enforcement and prosecutors.

Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine, a Republican, and Madison County Sheriff John Lakin, a Democrat, released a statement Monday saying the bill is a “disaster for victims and public safety.”

“I want to be very clear that the police reform language in Senate Amendment 2 to House Bill 163 is not something I had any input on,” Stuart said Monday. “My original bill was rewritten by the Senate sponsors without my consultation.

“My original version of House Bill 163 was about changes to Illinois’ prescription monitoring program,” Stuart said. “My bill simply required that controlled substance prescriptions be reported to an electronic database on the same day they are dispensed. The goal was to address the opioid crisis by helping catch people who doctor shop to obtain fraudulent prescriptions for opioids.”

Stuart said her bill was passed by the House and sent to the Senate where it was not acted on.

“Instead, the sponsors removed my language, which has changed what the legislation would do,” Stuart said.

“Legislative rules currently prevent changes of sponsorship as the measure is still under control of the Senate sponsors,” she said. “When the bill is returned to the House, we will all be able to make sponsorship changes as we see fit.”

Haine and Lakin released a statement saying they “stand absolutely opposed to the rushed passage of this incredibly bad bill.

“In the name of reform, it effectively destroys law enforcement and criminal prosecution as we know it,” they said in a released statement. “It will be a disaster for victims and public safety by undermining – in multiple different ways – the ability of law enforcement and prosecutors to keep violent criminals off the streets.”

According to Lakin and Haine, as amended HB 163 radically weakens and undermines protections for law enforcement officers, victim protection, public safety and tools for prosecutors. They said it:

•Significantly limits when offenders can be detained, which will increase risk to victims, witnesses to crime and the community at-large.

•Prohibits pre-trial detention when an offender poses a general danger, allowing it only when officials can prove danger to a specific person.

•Severely limits accountability for accomplices to murder by amending the Felony Murder rule.

•Removes multiple due process protections for Police Officers while at the same time exposing them to new civil liability.

The bill also has been criticized by state Sen. Jason Plummer, R-Edwardsville; Wood River Police Chief Brad Wells and Bethalto Police Chief Mike Dixon.

“This proposal contains a number of shockingly shortsighted and irresponsible changes that would jeopardize the safety of our communities,” said Plummer. “We should call this what it is, a blatant attack on the police profession and an underhanded attempt to defund our law enforcement.”

A coalition representing Illinois law enforcement leadership and rank-and-file officers issued a statement in opposition to House Bill 163 as amended, saying it “would destroy law enforcement’s ability to keep communities safe.

“The Illinois Law Enforcement Coalition recently enumerated its Safe Communities plan, a sensible approach to modernizing Illinois law enforcement, but House Bill 163 as amended would lead to unsafe communities in Illinois,” the coalition said in a released statement.

The coalition includes Illinois Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) State Lodge, FOP Labor Council, FOP Chicago Lodge 7, Illinois Sheriffs’ Association and the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police.

According to Plummer, the proposal makes numerous changes to Illinois’ criminal justice system, including:

• Forces multiple unfunded mandates on police departments with threats of funding cuts if all the mandates are not met.

• Potentially make it impossible to hold suspects in custody before trial even when they pose a credible danger to the community.

• Would significantly limit offenders being detained, which could pose a significant threat to victims, witnesses and the public.

• Impede law enforcement investigations, which could significantly reduce the number of crimes that are solved.

• Severely limits accountability for accomplices to murder by amending the Felony Murder Rule.

• Removes due process protections for police officers which could end the policing profession as it is now known.

“Our men and women in blue are role models and it is despicable to see them treated and portrayed as the enemy,” said Plummer. “I encourage my Democrat colleagues to immediately withdraw this offensive and dangerous piece of legislation.”