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State Week: After months of speculation, SAFE-T Act changes approved

State Week logo (capitol dome)
Brian Mackey
/
NPR Illinois | 91.9 UIS

Since the criminal justice package passed in 2021, critics have raised issues, especially over the ending of cash bail. That criticism grew louder during the recent campaign season. Democrats had indicated plans to tweak the law, and this week we saw changes approved. But not everyone was on board. No Republicans voted in favor.

We also discuss an agreement regarding the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund, an effort to divest state funds from Russia and Belarus and a proposal to ban what are often called assault weapons, while raising the age for obtaining a firearm owners identification card.

Host Sean Crawford is joined by Professor Emeritus Charlie Wheeler and Alex Degman, Statehouse Reporter for WBEZ and Illinois Public Radio.

The former director of the Public Affairs Reporting (PAR) graduate program is Professor Charles N. Wheeler III, a veteran newsman who came to the University of Illinois at Springfield following a 24-year career at the Chicago Sun-Times.
Alex Degman covers Illinois state government for Illinois Public Radio.