Wednesday morning, the Illinois House voted 60-50 to pass a sweeping police reform measure. Below is a statement from State Representative Tim Ozinga (R – Mokena):
“The hallmark of good governance is honesty and transparency. Unfortunately, what I saw late last night and early this morning was neither honest nor transparent.
This 611-page bill was given to legislators only days ago. There was no input from law enforcement, key stakeholders, and other organizations tasked with upholding our laws and keeping our communities safe. Over 700 pages, the new legislation arrived on the floor with several amendments in the early morning hours and a change from HB 163 to HB 3653 to pass under constituents’ radar.
Legislators have the duty to read and understand legislation that will undoubtedly affect our constituents and our communities. This is not good governance. This was not honest, nor was it transparent. I hope in the new General Assembly we can come together to address issues facing Illinois and communities across this great state instead of passing massive bills in the dead of night while our constituents sleep.”