Rep. Dave Severin's challenge of the SAFE-T Act comes on the heels of the announcement of his bid for re-election. | Canva
Rep. Dave Severin's challenge of the SAFE-T Act comes on the heels of the announcement of his bid for re-election. | Canva
Illinois state Rep. Dave Severin is calling for the repeal of the SAFE-T Act, which surrounds police accountability and which was passed last year with Democratic support.
The SAFE-T Act was passed almost exactly a year ago, and it has been a controversial piece of legislation since it was first proposed. It was brought forth in response to the high-profile police killings that caused riots like the one that followed the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, NBC reported.
The SAFE-T Act is intended to help ensure that the police are held accountable when a person in their custody is killed. However, some people in the GOP believe that the legislation goes to far and actually deters the police from doing their job, and is also steering away quality people from law enforcement out of fear of the legislation and its implications.
"Today is the one-year anniversary of House Democrats passing sweeping legislation to defund, disarm, and disrespect our police," Severin said in a statement on Facebook. "House Democrats voted yes, House Republicans voted NO. Violent crime is up, police retirements are increasing, and our communities are less safe. House Republicans are sponsoring legislation that would repeal the so-called ‘SAFE-T Act.' Support HR 598 - Repeal the SAFE-T Act now!"
When the legislation was passed, Injustice Watch reported, state Sen. Elgie Sims Jr. praised it on the Illinois Senate floor, saying, “This is a moment that presents a tremendous opportunity for us to fundamentally change the way we look at criminal justice in this state. This is a big, bold, complex, transformational agenda.”
Severin's call for the repeal of the legislation comes on the heels of the announcement of his bid for re-election, which was made public in December of last year.
In the Jan. 7 edition of "Severin Says," the representative also discussed House Resolution 598, of which he is a cosponsor, describing it as "a resolution that calls for the full repeal of anti-police legislation passed by Democrats on party lines early last year."
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