Sen. Terri Bryant | senatorbryant.com
Sen. Terri Bryant | senatorbryant.com
State Sen. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) is joining Republican lawmakers in pushing for the repeal of the state’s newly enacted SAFE-T Act.
“Last January, the Democrats pushed through sweeping changes to our criminal justice system,” Bryant said at a recent news conference. “They pushed through those changes in the middle of the night without public or law enforcement input and a year later we can safely say that their approach has failed. The governor and his legislative allies sent a clear signal; the voice of law enforcement was not welcome at the table.”
Bryant argues the state has been forced to pay a hefty price for Democrats' “my-way-or-the-highway approach,” with crime rates up across much of the state ever since the bill was passed.
In addition, vacancy rates at local police departments are up by 20 percent.
“As I've listened to my colleagues here talking, I just want to remind all of you that in the region where I live just a few months ago Deputy Sheriff Sean Riley from the Wayne County Sheriff's Department was shot to death when he stopped for what he thought was a distressed motorist,” Bryant said. “He was shot and his body was thrown into a ditch. That’s just a few miles away from where my daughter and my grandchildren live, and where my son-in-law served as a deputy sheriff for Jefferson County for several years. I don't know if my son-in-law would ever go back to law enforcement. And that's because of the way we treat our law enforcement officers.”
State Rep. Deanne Mazzochi (R-Westmont) is also supporting repeal efforts, adding her worst fears have come true since the law took effect.
“We warned you that this would make crime even worse,” she said. “Welcome to reality.”
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