SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (NEXSTAR) — As Illinois lawmakers push for police reform, law enforcement officials warn the state could see a wave of mass resignations from veteran police who bristle at the notion of ending qualified immunity, cash bail, or weaker union powers.
State Senator Kim Lightford (D-Maywood) downplayed the calls to delay police reform, says Illinois has been working to increase police accountability “for more than 20 years.”
State Senator Paul Schimpf (R-Waterloo) would not address rumors that he’s considering a run for governor in 2022, but said Governor Pritzker “has been a catastrophic failure as a governor.” Schimpf also addressed the legislative push for police reform after a summer of nationwide protest and calls for greater accountability in law enforcement.
After every member of Illinois’ Congressional delegation voted for the CARES Act, Josh Sharp with the Illinois Fuel and Retail Association says businesses already spent the money they were banking on from the federal tax breaks, and are frustrated with the “devastating” decision from the Pritzker administration to decouple from the federal COVID-19 relief and still collect those tax dollars in Illinois.
House Democrat Mike Zalewski of Riverside says he has committed to support Speaker Madigan for re-election, but could vote for other members to do the job as well. He’s pushing for Illinois to lift the ban on betting on in-state college sports, and to decouple from the Congressional CARES Act tax relief intended for businesses in order to help balance the state budget.