South West Illinois News

State Rep. Paul Jacobs (R-Pomona) is joining other Republicans in calling for the repeal of the SAFE-T Act, which many criticize for the speed in which it was passed, according to ABC 7 Chicago.

“I got a lesson in how Springfield really works before I had even taken the oath of office," Jacobs said. "Democrats cut off debate, then held the roll-call open while they worked their fellow Reps. to join on in support of passing the bill. There were some reluctant people that voted yes, and I think in the last year as crime has jumped significantly throughout the State of Illinois, we understand why. I’m sponsoring legislation that would roll back these damaging changes and restore respect to our police and law and order to our state.”

In January, Jacobs called for the complete repeal of the SAFE-T Act. In a Facebook post, he called the idea behind the bill bad, and the bill itself bad, according to SW Illinois News.

“We need to repeal the SAFE-T Act in its entirety, not nibble around the edges,” he said. “The overall idea is bad and the overall bill was bad. We must get back to being pro-police, pro-law enforcement, public-safety state. Criminals need to know Illinois is serious about punishing perpetrators of violent crime. We can and must do better for the people of Illinois in the coming session.”

According to My Journal Courier, in January, legislators made changes to the SAFE-T Act, which passed in 2021. The changes include clarification that labeling body camera footage is not actually altering the footage if the labeling does not change the recording. The police decertification system outlined in the original act is also pushed to start July 1, 2022. In addition, the bill notes that the mandatory supervised release term for a Class 3 or 4 felony is 12 months, except for certain specified offenses.