Veto Police Reform Bill: Homer Glen To Pritzker

HOMER GLEN, IL — At its Wednesday meeting, the Homer Glen Village Board approved a resolution which disapproves of the legislative process of House Bill 3653 and recommending Governor J.B. Pritzker's veto.

Authored by the Legislative Black Caucus following last summer's protests against police brutality, House Bill 3653 would make Illinois the first state in the nation to end cash bail, starting in 2023. It would also require all officers to wear body cameras by 2025, expand the process for revoking the certification of officers found to have engaged in misconduct, and enact many other measures, including creating statewide use-of-force standards and expanding required training.

• Police Reform Bill Ends Cash Bail, Mandates Bodycams: HB 3653

The resolution states the original version of the bill "was drafted without meaningful input or support from statewide police and municipal organizations."

The resolution was passed unanimously, and several of the village trustees shared their opposition to the bill.

"While there's so much wrong with this particular bill, there's so much wrong with the state process," Trustee Keith Gray said.

"It's my opinion that Governor Pritzker hasn't listened to the residents of Illinois since the day he took office," Trustee Broque Backal said. "I sure hope he gets the message now, I don't have faith that he will."

Mayor George Yukich called the bill a "travesty," and said, "My heart goes out to all the policemen."