North Cook News

House Republican Majority has issued the following press release:

(ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL) – As public safety leaders across the state continue to condemn the unpopular SAFE-T Act, 53rd District State Representative candidate Jack Vrett said he would make repealing the dangerous legislation a top priority while picking up important endorsements for his campaign from public safety organizations.

“My opponent, Mark Walker, endorsed Kim Foxx for Cook County State’s Attorney, co-sponsored the bill (HB 3447) to lower penalties for hard drugs like Fentanyl and Heroin, and voted for the SAFE-T Act,” said Vrett. “Mark Walker’s willingness to repeatedly put criminals before the people of our district is disqualifying.”

Support from public safety organizations is a key distinction of Vrett’s campaign for the Illinois House seat. Jack Vrett has been endorsed by law enforcement and public safety organizations including the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), Troopers’ Lodge #41, and the Italian American Police Association. Vrett has also been endorsed by McHenry County State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally, who recently filed a lawsuit against the SAFE-T Act. 

As of January 1, 2023, prosecutors and law enforcement will find it substantially more difficult to keep violent criminal offenders and drug dealers off Illinois’ streets because of the new restrictions included in the SAFE-T Act.

The SAFE-T Act, passed in the middle of the night in last year’s Lame Duck Session, is a sweeping overhaul of Illinois’ criminal justice and pre-trial detention system. Among other radical provisions, it eliminates cash bail, providing that criminal suspects will be detained before trial only in narrow circumstances. These circumstances are limited and include non-probational forcible felonies unless a prosecutor can show by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant is a willful flight risk or poses a specific, real and present threat of harm to a specific person in the community. Many violent crimes will not qualify under this law.

“I not only pledge to repeal major portions of the SAFE-T Act that endanger public safety, but I also pledge to always serve the needs of my constituents, regardless of party or ideology,” Vrett said. “Unlike incumbent Mark Walker, I am committed to repealing the SAFE-T Act and push forward policies that will support our law enforcement officers by giving them the resources they need and ensuring that violent criminals are not released into our communities.”

For more information on Jack Vrett’s campaign or to get involved, visit jackvrett.com.