HB 163 Senate Amendment 2 is currently moving through the Lame Duck Session of the 101st General Assembly as a criminal justice reform and police accountability bill.

We firmly believe rushing through this particular omnibus package will severely hamper the ability of police officers throughout the State of Illinois to do the important and necessary work to keep our communities safe.
We oppose HB 163 Senate Amendment 2 in its current form because:
It was written without full stakeholder input by those who would be most affected: law enforcement and labor groups, state’s attorneys, and victims’ rights organizations were not allowed a seat at the table and are opposed to the package in its current form.

Severely limits law enforcement officers’ ability to defend themselves and opens police officers up to personal civil liability for actions they take while on the job.

Eliminates cash bail for individuals arrested for serious crimes, which puts dangerous criminals back on the streets.

As the opioid crisis continues to ravage our communities, this is the wrong time to change possession of hard drugs like heroin and meth from a felony to a misdemeanor.

Creates costly new mandates on our local law enforcement with threats of reduced funding if they do not comply. 

Greatly diminishes Illinois’ ability to recruit law enforcement officers.

We believe all stakeholders should have a role in creating true criminal justice reform and police accountability legislation that will truly make our communities safer. Sign this petition if you agree with us and oppose this legislation!