Rockford Sun

Candidate for the 68th District in the Illinois House of Representatives Jonathan Ojeda is decrying  election opponent Rep. Dave Vella (D-Rockford) for voting for legislation that opponents are saying will further empower criminals and make Illinois less safe.

Ojeda said despite the fact that 41 people had died from a fentanyl overdose in Winnebago County last year, "Rep. Vella’s party’s response was to release many accused of supplying these deadly narcotics back onto the streets."

“Rep. Vella needs to immediately explain why he has not worked to repeal this legislation that is posing an immediate danger to Illinois families,” Ojeda said in a statement. “I will make restoring public safety a top priority and will not be afraid to put a stop to these soft-on-crime policies plaguing our communities and forcing families to flee. His lack of action has made it clear that Rep. Vella will continue to prioritize partisan politics over the people of our district.”

The provision of the SAFE-T Act that eliminates cash bail is scheduled to go into effect on Jan. 1. Opponents say this will free thousands of criminals currently detained in state prisons as they await trial. Opponents say those charged with robbery, abduction, arson, second-degree murder, intimidation, aggravated battery, aggravated DUI, aggravated flight, drug-related homicide, and threatening a public officer will be set free if the SAFE-T Act  provision is implemented as planned.

Gov.  J.B. Pritzker took to Facebook to call these allegations "misinformation."

"Misinformation spreads like wildfire, and there are ugly lies making the rounds about the SAFE-T Act," Pritzker posted. "This law does not mandate the release of defendants or create 'non-detainable offenses.' Defendants are eligible for pre-trial release based on their risk, not their bank accounts."

“Approximately 400 criminal defendants will be released back into our community because our Illinois legislators passed the 'SAFE-T Act' back in 2020,’” J. Hanley, the state's attorney for Winnebago County, wrote in an opinion piece for the Rockford Register Star. 

Sheriff Peter Sopczak of Johnson County said that his jail will also be vacant. 

“Anyone sitting in jail right now with all these pending charges, they’re going to be let out,” Sopczak said according to Arizona's Family. “The gates are open and they’re going to be let out onto the streets.”

The Johnson County Sheriff joins 100 of the 102 state's attorneys in Illinois who are in favor of removing or amending the law. The only two exceptions among the state's attorneys supporting the measure are state's attorneys Eric Rinehart of Lake County and Kim Foxx of Cook County, according to Madison-St. Clair Record.

Democratic legislators in the Illinois House supported legislation to decriminalize possession of small amounts of heroin, fentanyl, and other narcotics. Anyone in possession of enough fentanyl to kill several people would not have been imprisoned if the bill had passed the Senate. According to the Drug Enforcement Agency, fentanyl is 20 times more toxic than heroin and just one gram is enough to kill 500 people from an overdose. A dose of 100 grams is enough to cause 100,000 overdose deaths. 

House Minority Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) questioned the attempt to lower the allowable for deadly drugs. 

“The Illinois Democratic Party has left DuPage values far behind. House Bill 3447, a narcotics decriminalization bill, passed the House with 61 Democrat votes this spring but thankfully stalled in the Senate,” Durkin said in a statement, Prairie State Wire reported.