Page 15 - July2019 FOP Magazine

to collect the data. Although this bill passed overwhelmingly in the House, it only received two votes over the minimum in the Senate.
Discussions in committee and on the floor during this ses- sion reflected the collective feeling of many representatives and senators who do not want a greater police presence in their ar- eas. One senator even stated during a private discussion that his constituents did not want any police in some areas. This attitude was pervasive primarily with the Black Caucus, and to an extent the Latino Caucus. The “progressives,” who used the term “overpoliced” in describing areas, felt that the basis of the decline in their areas started with the increased police presence experienced during the “War on Drugs” in the 1980s, which hasn’t subsided. It is mind-boggling that elected representatives have such a callous attitude toward the presence of law enforce- ment, especially when so much of that presence is the result of their own constituents calling the police.
There were an additional 12 bills that we initially opposed, but after negotiating amendments to the bills, we were able to take a neutral position on them.
From a total of 29 bills that we were asked to support during the session, 11 of those passed out.
Of the bills that Lodge 7 was able to introduce:
• HB2453, the 3 percent COLA increase for all Tier 1 pen-
sion fund participants, did not move.
• HB2470, the Pension Appeals Process Bill that gives rea-
sonable attorney fees and court costs to an officer who prevails when he or she needs to litigate a pension board decision, passed.
• HB2763, the line-up procedure change that could ex- empt an independent administrator, made it out of the House unanimously but met opposition from the Na- tional Innocence Project and ACLU prior to going into the Senate Committee. Although it passed out of the committee and moved to a third reading in the Senate, the issue will continue to be addressed prior to the veto session, which begins in October.
• HB2767, the mental health training issue, passed out after being amended to reflect training issues brought forward by the Police Training Board. This issue is also addressed in HB2766, the First Responders Suicide Pre- vention Act, which we worked on extensively to gain further guarantees of confidentiality for those who wish to participate in peer support without having to be con- cerned about confidentiality and job actions being tak- en against them for doing so. (To their credit, the City of Chicago and CPD removed their opposition to an includ- ed clause which allows for a civil action against an em- ployer for taking an adverse employment action against any participant of peer support.)
• SB1380, which would have better defined a “causal link” between a reckless act and the death of a first responder ⁠such as we eperienced last ecemer when two of our own were struck by a train while pursuing an offender who had just tested his newfound gun). This bill was bur- ied in the CLEAR Compliance Committee because the le- gal minds in the Senate felt that there is sufficient causal link in the current statute to upgrade a reckless act to a charge of involuntary manslaughter.
• SB1385, the redaction of all police identifiers from body- worn cameras unless the member had been criminally charged, was met with much resistance from the Sen- ate Committee, mostly due to the fact that some Sen- ate members were involved in making this information available when they allowed the ACLU to write the Police Reform Bill that passed in 2015. Another roadblock to
movement of this legislation was based on the fact that
there is a lawsuit currently pending on this issue.
A great deal of appreciation goes out to those staff members from both the House and Senate who reached out to us on var- ious matters and took an active role in identifying our most im-
portant issues and working to pass/stop so many of them.
Our appreciation is also extended to the sponsors who sup- ported our legislation and worked with us to make real changes in our interests. Those legislative members who should receive our support include Representative Fran Hurley, who carried three of our bills; Representative Kelly Burke, who carried one of our bills; Representative Rob Martwick, who carried one of our bills; Senator Bill Cunningham, who carried four of our bills; Senator John Mulroe, who carried two; and Senator Iris
Martinez, who carried one of our bills.
We will continue to debate issues over the break and prepare
to address them in the veto session. Many issues that did not move this year will be reintroduced next year, and we have al- ready been promised by one usual anti-police member of the House that although she was busy with several other medical is- sues this year, she will devote her attention to law enforcement next year, and we need to be ready.
Hers are still part of the 6,112 bills that were introduced in this first year of the 101st General Assembly and will be joined by a like number of bills in the coming year. Many will be famil- iar to us, and there will probably be some new and “progressive” ideas for how we do our jobs.
We can be better prepared to meet those challenges if you, our membership, get involved in the political process. Establish and keep in contact with your state representatives and sena- tors and be ready to give them your opinions on legislation that will certainly impact your personal and professional lives.
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