Inside:
- House, Senate Republicans file legislation to reform SAFE-T Act
- May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month
- Summer reading program is underway!
- Honoring fallen police officers
House, Senate Republicans file legislation to reform SAFE-T Act
House Republican Leader Tony McCombie and Senate Republican Leader John Curran have introduced identical legislation in the House and Senate which would help prevent violent criminals from continuing to commit violent offenses while on pre-trial release.
The proposal comes in the aftermath of the latest high-profile failure of the SAFE-T Act, a shooting in a Chicago hospital which caused the death of a Chicago police officer and the critical injury of another. It would change the law to require that anyone who is arrested on a felony charge while already on pre-trial release would have to be detained until the charges are resolved. The current law allows violent offenders to be released over and over again.
Sadly, the murder of the Chicago officer was not the first time an offender on pre-trial release committed a new violent crime. Not long ago a different offender allegedly set a woman on fire on a Chicago train, while another attempted to kill a man by pushing him in front of an approaching train.
In this latest incident, a seven-time convicted felon was out of jail on electronic monitoring when he allegedly shot and killed a Chicago police officer and wounded his partner. The accused gunman was wanted on three warrants and was on parole in two separate cases.
The two Republican leaders in the General Assembly commented that the law should not prioritize process over protection, and that loopholes must be closed and policies which fall short must be fixed. Preventable harm is unacceptable, and public safety must take precedence.
In all, House Republicans have filed more than 40 bills to reform the SAFE-T Act.
May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month
Now that spring is finally here, many of us are spending much more time outdoors enjoying the nice weather. But with that extra time outdoors comes the danger of encountering ticks who live in the tall grass and wooded areas in many of our communities. These ticks can carry serious illnesses, including Lyme disease. Every year in May we mark Lyme Disease Awareness Month to help Illinoisans learn how to avoid ticks, prevent Lyme disease and recognize and treat the symptoms should you or a loved one contract it.
About 40% of black-legged ticks tested are found to be positive for Lyme disease. Every year there around 476,000 new cases of the disease reported nationwide. Working an outdoor job increases a person’s exposure to ticks, but any outdoor activity can lead to an encounter with a tick. Treat clothing and outdoor gear with the tick repellant permethrin. Once you come back inside, check your clothing and your body for ticks. If you find a tick, use fine-pointed tweezers to remove it, save the tick for testing and talk with your doctor if you have concerns.
If a person is infected with Lyme, the first symptoms can often present as very general and can be easily mistaken for other illnesses. Fatigue, fever, chills, headache and minor joint pain are some of the common initial symptoms. The bullseye rash which is thought by many to be a telltale sign of Lyme is usually only present in about half of all cases, so while seeing the bullseye rash is a very strong indicator of Lyme, the lack of a bullseye rash does not necessarily mean someone does not have Lyme disease.
Find out more about how to protect yourself and your loved ones from Lyme disease by visiting the Illinois Lyme Association.
Summer reading program is underway!
With the last day of school just around the corner, my office is working with our local libraries to make sure kids keep reading over the summer. You can help your young reader by joining my Read All About It: America 250 Summer Reading Program.
Students in the 71st District who are in Kindergarten through fifth grade can participate this summer by reading at least eight books. Any student who does so by the end of July will receive an invitation to an ice cream party.
But there’s a special twist this year. Because we are celebrating America’s 250th birthday this year, if your reader chooses at least one book about American history, there will be a special additional prize.
Stop by your local library or visit my website to pick up the entry form and find out more about the program.
Honoring Fallen Police Officers
Last weekend I was honored to join law enforcement officers from the Quad Cities area at the Quad Cities Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in remembering 49 officers who have laid down their lives in service to the community.
It was a beautiful memorial service for these officers, dating back to the 1800s. Thank you to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice and to the men and women serving and protecting us today.
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