Racism Accusation Offensive: Elmhurst Lawmaker

ELMHURST, IL – State Rep. Deanne Mazzochi, an Elmhurst Republican, earlier this month asked a Democratic lawmaker to take back his accusation that opponents of a new crime law were racist.

Rep. Justin Slaughter, a Chicago Democrat, was reported as saying that opponents of the SAFE-T Act had a "bad stench of racism." He also was said to have referred to them as making racist dog whistles.

During a legislative debate earlier this month, Mazzochi pointed out Slaughter's comments. The SAFE-T Act, among other things, ends the practice of cash bail as of Jan. 1.

Earlier this month, the legislature enacted changes to the law to deal with objections.

In the debate, Mazzochi, who lost her bid for re-election but is seeking a discovery recount, said Republican objections were practical and based on common sense.

"To say our objections were based on racism was offensive. It was insulting," she said. "We'd like you to take back those accusations. The SAFE-T Act was a bad bill with bad provisions when you first enacted it."

Slaughter declined to take back his comments, saying the opposition had "some racist undertones."

In her speech, Mazzochi criticized Cook County.

"We can't control who you decide to elect as your Cook County prosecutor, we can't control who you decide to slate as your Cook County judges. We understand that your political machine does that," Mazzochi said. "You want to live with those consequences. That's up to you."

However, she said crime was rising in DuPage County suburbs because of "spillover crime" from Cook County.

"I know it's your goal to try to empty the Cook County jails," she said. "You know what? This is not the way to do it. This is not good policy to protect the people of Illinois."

She concluded, "I appreciate you're trying to put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig."

However, Mazzochi did not cast a vote on the amendments to the "pig," which passed.

Shortly after, Mazzochi posted a video of her speech to her official legislative Facebook page.

The Elmhurst lawmaker, who took office in 2018, has discussed race before. In 2016, it was a topic in Mazzochi's regular "Snark of the day" posts on her personal Facebook page. That was when she was chairman of the College of DuPage board.

In one post, she wrote, "If you favor liberty then the President should be a white, male Republican. Because only then will the Deep State and the Media keep him in check."

In another, she referred to President Barack Obama.

"We just had a president who was clearly in it to get historic revenge against 'colonialist white men,'" she said.

Patch reported on those posts and others in 2020, but she did not respond to questions about them until a few months ago.

When Patch asked Mazzochi again about the posts in July, she said through a spokeswoman that they were "clearly sarcastic."

The posts remain on her page.

Mazzochi's district includes all or parts of Elmhurst, Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills, Western Springs and Westmont, among other towns.