Illinois Valley Times

In a Sept. 19 Facebook post, Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) alerted her constituents to a pair of lawsuits alleging the SAFE-T Act isn't legal.

"In case you missed it, the State’s Attorneys from Will and Kankakee Counties filed separate lawsuits challenging the legality of the SAFE-T Act on Friday," Rezin posted.

 She included the press releases from Kankakee County State’s Attorney Jim Rowe and Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow.

The release from Rowe, who announced his lawsuit on Sept. 16, reads in part: "The lawsuit is filed on behalf of the People of the State of Illinois by Jim Rowe in his capacity as State’s Attorney, and on behalf of Kankakee County Sheriff Mike Downey." 

It names Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Attorney General Kwame Raoul as defendants. The lawsuit seeks injunctive relief based upon Rowe's allegations that the act violates the Illinois Constitution; violates the single-subject law; violates separation of powers; being unconstitutionally vague; and violates the three-readings requirement. 

“This lawsuit should not be necessary,” Rowe said in his press release. “I surely believe that freedom should not hinge upon one’s ability to pay a bond, and that the criminal justice system is in dire need of reform, including bail and beyond. However, regardless of whether you agree with or reject the many reforms of the Safe-T Act, or even how we may each interpret them, one thing is certain: you cannot amend the Illinois Constitution without a referendum or Constitutional Convention (Illinois Constitution, Article XIV).” 

In February, Rezin backed legislation aimed at undoing some provisions of the SAFE-T Act. 

According to a press release, "The legislative package includes a 'Fund the Police Grant Act,' which would provide targeted grants to assist law enforcement, provide additional training, and purchase much-needed equipment, including body cameras. The senators called for greater support for the men and women tasked with protecting communities across the state, noting that police officers and sheriffs were leaving the law-enforcement profession in unprecedented numbers. In many cases, officers leaving the profession have indicated that it was, in large part, due to provisions of the so-called 'SAFE-T Act,' an anti-police package rammed through by a partisan vote in the late-night hours of a lame-duck session in January 2021. The legislative package also contains bills to keep violent offenders off of the street, help stop the flow of illegal guns to criminals, take serious action against carjacking, provide mental health treatment to detainees, and repeal the dangerous bail provisions of the anti-police 'SAFE-T Act.'"

Also in February, Rezin spoke against the passage of the Act. 

"The Governor signed HB3653 into law today. This despite the fact that 83% of law enforcement officers feel that this legislation diminishes their ability to respond to calls and 99% feel that this legislation will embolden criminals," Rezin posted on Facebook. "By ignoring the calls for veto, the Governor has effectively told law enforcement officers that they don’t know how to safely and fairly do their jobs. Throughout this process the concerns of our law enforcement agencies and officers have been ignored and because of closed ears and minds our communities will be less safe."