CRIME
The Verdict Is In: SAFE-T Act Is Not Working Two Years Later
When Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the SAFE-T Act into law in February 2021, supporters claimed it would modernize Illinois’ criminal justice system and make incarceration practices more “fair.” The law was rushed through during a lame-duck session and made sweeping changes, putting criminals over victims, imposing unfunded mandates on police officers and counties, and eliminating cash bail.
Two years after the no-cash bail system fully took effect in September 2023, Illinoisans continue to suffer the consequences while criminals walk free. Courts are overwhelmed, police are operating with fewer tools and more unreasonable mandates, all while repeat offenders are cycling in and out of custody. Families are left questioning whether the system is still on their side. Instead of fairness, the law has produced confusion and risk.
The warnings from law enforcement and House Republicans are now reflected In the news:
• “Accused killer walks free under Illinois SAFE-T Act” – WIFR
• “Police chiefs warn criminals are emboldened after bail reform” – Daily Herald
• “Counties face mounting costs, confusion with SAFE-T Act mandates” – Capitol News Illinois
• “Repeat offender charged with burglary days after release” – Chicago Tribune
• “Victims’ families outraged after suspects released under new law” – ABC7 Chicago
These headlines, just a snapshot of the past two years, underscore what communities across the state already know: the SAFE-T Act is not working.
House Republicans warned of this outcome from the start, and their concerns have been borne out. Representative Dennis Tipsword, who spent nearly three decades in law enforcement before coming to the General Assembly, has described the law as one that “sides with criminals rather than the people who are trying to protect us.” He has seen how offenders who would have been detained just a few years ago are now quickly released, emboldened by the knowledge that consequences are minimal. To help restore accountability, Tipsword filed House Bills 4000, 4001, and 4004 this spring, measures aimed at supporting law enforcement and closing dangerous loopholes created by the SAFE-T Act. He has also joined colleagues in backing stricter penalties for criminals who flee and elude police, a problem that has grown worse since the SAFE-T Act made it easier on criminals and harder on victims of crime.
The pressure Isn’t just on law enforcement. Judges and prosecutors now spend countless hours navigating complicated rules that limit their discretion. State Representative Patrick Windhorst, a former state’s attorney, notes that “the SAFE-T Act has harmed our law enforcement officers and our court system while increasing risks to public safety.” To fix this imbalance, Windhorst introduced HB 1479, HB 1482, and HB 1483, bills that would restore the ability of judges to revoke pretrial release, expand the list of detainable offenses, and issue warrants for defendants who refuse to comply with release conditions. These are targeted changes designed to close gaps that criminals are exploiting daily.
The most devastating consequence, however, has been for victims. Families already coping with tragedy now watch suspects walk free because the law classifies their crimes as non-detainable. Representative Tom Weber has been especially outspoken on this point, citing cases like that of Megan Bos, whose body was held for more than 50 days by a man released within a day of his arrest. Weber, who has sponsored legislation to repeal the SAFE-T Act, argues that “public safety is being compromised, and the system is failing the very people it was supposed to protect.” His words capture what families across Illinois now know firsthand: the SAFE-T Act was a promise of fairness that has turned into a failed experiment.
In response, Weber has filed HB 4104 in order to give courts broader discretion to deny pretrial release for felony defendants, even in cases where current law’s thresholds are not met, keeping more criminals off of the streets, easing the burden on law enforcement.
Representative Patrick Sheehan, who himself is a police officer, has also been warning of the consequences since the law’s earliest days, especially as it relates to law enforcement. “The SAFE-T Act has stripped law enforcement of critical tools, tied the hands of officers, and prioritized criminals over victims,” he stated.
Instead of restoring trust in the justice system, this law has drained local resources, flooded courts with bureaucracy, and left communities less safe. House Republicans are working to reverse the damage by advancing legislation like Tipsword’s HB 4004, Windhorst’s judicial authority package, and Weber’s bill giving courts broader discretion. Together, these efforts are aimed at doing what the SAFE-T Act failed to do: put victims first, hold criminals accountable, and give law enforcement the tools they need to protect Illinois families.
Two years later, the verdict is clear. The SAFE-T Act hasn’t made Illinois safer—it has made Illinois less safe. It is time to restore balance, responsibility, and accountability to our justice system.
Illinois House Republicans Talk Overdue SAFE-T Act Reform
Two years after the Pretrial Fairness Act eliminated cash bail, Illinois families are still paying the price. We’re demanding change as we present new legislation to fix the failures of the current law and prioritize public safety.
Watch the House Republicans’ press conference on SAFE-T Act reform.
‘Peacekeeper’ pictured at Pritzker event accused in deadly Mag Mile smash-and-grab
A man accused of his involvement in the deadly smash-and-grab last week on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile posed for a picture with Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker just days earlier.
Kellen McMiller, a 35-year-old Chicago man, is one of seven people charged in connection with the Thursday, Sept. 11 incident at the Louis Vuitton store near the 100 block of E. Walton Street. McMillan faces felony counts of murder, burglary, theft, and three counts of fugitive from justice with an out-of-state warrant.
Less than a week before the incident, Pritzker praised McMiller for his work as a peacekeeper. Both were pictured together in an image taken on Friday, Sept. 5, as Pritzker met with the peacekeepers in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood.
The governor’s team referred to the group as “trusted messengers” in the community, in a press release issued that same day. Cook County prosecutors would later charge McMiller for his alleged role in the crash-and-grab burglary.
Read more on this story from WGN.
EDUCATION
Empowering Parents and Families
This Spring, out-of-touch Democrats were fighting to strip educational freedom, hammer schools with unfunded mandates, and enact woke gender policies in our schools. House Republicans fought to empower parents and families – and stopped some of the nonsense.
Minority spokesperson on the House Education Policy Committee Amy Elik led the fight against the burdensome Homeschool Act. This act would have mandated an unnecessary annual registration scheme for homeschool families.
“Parents should have the ability to choose the learning environment that best fits their child’s learning,” said Rep. Amy Elik. “Bureaucrats in Springfield have bigger problems to solve than adding burdensome and unnecessary mandates on home and private school families.”
State Representative Brandun Schweizer, a vocal advocate for homeschool families, was a strong voice for the over 130,000 Illinoisans who filed witness slips against the Homeschool Act.
“House Republicans, with the help of 130,000 advocates across Illinois, were able to stand up for homeschool families and make their voices heard,” said Rep. Schweizer. “It’s a slippery slope from regulations to making homeschooling an impossible option in Illinois. I will continue to stand for homeschool freedom and ensure all students get the opportunity to succeed, no matter how they learn, and that parents are included in their child’s education.”
State Representative Regan Deering, who also serves on the Mt. Zion Community Unit School District’s school board and has volunteered as the Chair of the Decatur Public Schools Foundation, talked about some of the real issues affecting education in Illinois.
“If we are going to talk about fixing problems with education, let’s zoom out on education as a whole: from unprecedented teacher shortages, intense levels of bullying and violence, and not enough students learning at grade level,” said Rep. Regan Deering. “Public education is full of government mandates and plenty of dollars, yet our kids are still not always getting the education they deserve. Those are real issues that merit solutions.”
State Representative Travis Weaver said he was proud to stand up and protect Illinois children from woke gender policies.
“Times are changing,” stated Rep. Weaver. “Our children not only have to compete globally, but they also have to compete with increasingly efficient technology. Meanwhile, Illinois Democrats prioritizing the wrong things, like letting boys play in girls’ sports. House Republicans will continue to hold them accountable and focus on teaching kids the skills they need to be prosperous in this new world.”
JOBS
Illinois Unemployment Rate Drops to 4.4%, Payroll Jobs Decrease in August
The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced Thursday that total nonfarm payrolls decreased over-the-month in August, down -13,300 (-0.2%) to 6,153,700. The July monthly change in payrolls was revised from the preliminary report, from -2,500 to -1,100.
The industry sectors with over-the-month jobs increases included: Information (+800), Manufacturing (+400), and Construction (+300). The industry sectors with the largest monthly payroll jobs decreases included: Trade, Transportation and Utilities (-4,500), Private Education and Health Services (-4,000), and Professional and Business Services (-2,600).
The unemployment rate was 4.4 percent in August, down -0.2 percentage point from the previous month, the lowest unemployment rate since July 2023, based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The revised July unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.6 percent.
POLITICAL RHETORIC
Governor Pritzker Can’t Outrun the Tape
Governor Pritzker took to the podium this week to claim that accusations about his use of Nazi rhetoric were “completely false.” When pressed on whether he has ever compared Republicans to Nazis, the Governor snapped back, saying:
“No, I have not. That is completely false. I have never called Republicans Nazis.”
The backtracking is stunning, as if the Governor forgot that his interviews are on camera. His own past remarks tell a very different story:
February 2025 — Illinois State of the State and Budget Address
“If you think I’m overreacting and sounding the alarm too soon, consider this: It took the Nazis one month, three weeks, two days, eight hours and 40 minutes to dismantle a constitutional republic.”
Watch Here
February 2025 — Appearance on The View
“And everything that he has done has been tearing down constitutional democracy and that’s what happened in Nazi Germany.”
Watch Here
February 2025 — Appearance on CNN
“Well we’re talking about the death of a constitutional republic. That’s what happened in Germany in 1933 and 1934.”
Watch Here
August 2025 — Press Conference
“The Nazis in Germany in the 30’s tore down a constitutional republic in just 53 days. It does not take much frankly, and we have a President who seems hell bent on doing just that.”
Watch Here
Governor Pritzker can’t outrun the tape. Illinois deserves a leader who owns his words and lowers the temperature, not someone who rewrites history when it suits him.
TAXES
House GOP Plan Aims to Cut Taxes on Tips and Overtime
Illinois House Republicans are advancing legislation to eliminate state income taxes on tips and overtime pay, two forms of compensation that thousands of workers across the state rely on to make ends meet, as part of the Relief for Working Families Bill Package. The initiative, which includes three bills introduced by Representatives Joe Sosnowski, Jennifer Sanalitro, and C.D. Davidsmeyer, reflects a growing effort to ease the financial burden on service industry employees, hourly workers, and anyone whose livelihood depends on long shifts and customer generosity.
House Bill 1750, filed by Rep. Joe Sosnowski of Rockford, proposes a straightforward change to the Illinois Income Tax Act: exempting both tip income and overtime compensation from state taxation. If enacted, HB 1750 would allow workers to deduct these earnings from their Illinois taxable income, effectively increasing take-home pay for thousands of residents. The bill is a commonsense measure to reward hard work and provide immediate relief to those who often work irregular hours or depend on tips to supplement low base wages.
“When someone stays late, picks up extra shifts, or relies on tips to make ends meet, they shouldn’t be penalized at tax time,” Rep. Sosnowski said. “HB 1750 helps ensure more of their hard-earned money stays in their pockets where it belongs.”
Joining Sosnowski in this effort are Rep. Jennifer Sanalitro and Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer, both of whom have introduced their own bills to address this need. Sanalitro’s HB 1898 and Davidsmeyer’s HB 2735 both also seek to remove state income tax obligations on gratuities reported to the IRS.
The rationale behind these bills is rooted in economic fairness. In industries like hospitality, food service, and personal care, tips can make up a significant portion of a worker’s income. According to the Illinois Restaurant Association, the state is home to more than 77,000 restaurant servers alone, many of whom rely on gratuities to bridge the gap between base pay and a livable wage. For these workers, every dollar counts, and taxing tips can feel like a penalty for providing good service. Overtime pay, similarly, is often earned by those who take on extra shifts or work beyond standard hours to support their families. By removing state taxes on these earnings, lawmakers argue that Illinois can offer meaningful, immediate relief to those who need it most.
These bills are about dignity and respect for labor. In a time when inflation continues to squeeze household budgets and the cost of living rises across the board, allowing workers to keep more of what they earn is a direct way to support economic stability. The proposals also reflect a broader trend among Republican lawmakers to prioritize tax cuts that benefit everyday workers. By focusing on tips and overtime, the bills target income streams that are often overlooked in broader tax debates but are vital to the financial health of working-class families.
For now, the House GOP plan represents a clear and focused attempt to make Illinois a more worker-friendly state. Whether it’s a bartender pulling a double shift, a delivery driver hustling for extra tips, or a nurse clocking overtime to cover staffing shortages, these bills send a powerful message: your extra effort matters, and you deserve to keep more of what you earn.