Naperville City Council and more than 90 public commenters weighed in on House Bill 3653, which would bring sweeping criminal justice reform statewide.
The bill would end cash bail and require all police officers to wear body cameras by 2025, among various other reforms.
Objection to the Process
Though the conversation often veered into the contents of the bill, the resolution before council was in objection to the process by which the bill was passed.
The proposed resolution states that because legislators had less than an hour between when the final 764-page bill was introduced on January 13 and when it was passed by the Illinois Senate at 4:49 a.m., there was inadequate time to review the bill.
Councilman Patrick Kelly said because of his experience working as a deputy legislative counsel in Nevada, he doesn’t think it’s unusual for a bill to be passed in that way.
“First drafts were prepared weeks or even months before they were actually voted on, but changes to the bills would come fast and furiously once legislature was in session and negotiations began in earnest,” he said. “And it really was not unusual to get a bill passed at the eleventh hour – that’s just kind of the way that government functions at the state level in my experience.”
Police Perspective
Police Chief Bob Marshall weighed in, saying though he supports some of the bill, he opposes it overall.
“There are some things in that bill that we in law enforcement like and support,” said Chief Marshall. “But there’s also quite a few things in there that we have major problems with. And we just wanted more time as an organization to vet the impact of this legislation, not only on our officers but on the citizens we serve.”
Resolution Voted Down
Though most council members voiced their support for the NPD, the resolution failed 4-5 with some saying it would be inappropriate for city officials to weigh in on the state policy.
The bill awaits the signature of Governor J.B. Pritzker.
Naperville News 17’s Casey Krajewski reports.
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