Rockford Sun

The Illinois State Supreme Court issued a decision regarding the legality of Illinois' move to end cash bail on July 18. In a statement issued that day, Rep. Tony McCombie shared her thoughts on the State Supreme Court's decision.

“Politically compelled public policy has never been in the best interest of the people. The liberal court’s decision today is not surprising, and this decision will undoubtedly hurt families and businesses around the state,"  Representative Tony McCombie said.

Tony McCombie was elected to represent the individuals living in the 71st District in 2016. She is a lifelong resident of Savanna, Ill., and earned a Bachelor of Arts from Western Illinois University. She owns and operates Blue Appraisals and is a real estate broker with MelFoster Company. Her previous political experience includes time as the mayor of Savanna, Ill., and as a councilor on the Savanna City Council. 

Rep. McCombie’s statement continued, including an assurance that she will work with victim advocates and law enforcement partners to make changes. “Anyone that is familiar with the court system knows that this is not about the ability whether an offender can post bail, but a progressive movement to decriminalize crime and promote an environment for repeat offenders. This policy is not about bail reform, but about elevating criminals. The Illinois House Republicans will join families around the state to bring light to the failings of the liberal imbalance of the General Assembly. We know there is an approach to address comprehensive criminal justice reform, but that must start with offenders being held accountable for the crimes they commit.”

The State Supreme Court overturned a previous ruling issued in December 2022 that called the SAFE-T Act unconstitutional. The July 18 decision said: “The Illinois Constitution of 1970 does not mandate that monetary bail is the only means to ensure criminal defendants appear for trials or the only means to protect the public. Our constitution creates a balance between the individual rights of defendants and the individual rights of crime victims. The Act’s pretrial release provisions set forth procedures commensurate with that balance. For the reasons that we have stated, we reverse the circuit court’s decision to grant summary judgment in favor of plaintiffs." Justice Mary Jane Theis wrote this ruling.

The end of cash bail has been the most controversial part of the law, which was signed in 2022. Almost immediately after Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the legislation, legislators, law enforcement and others spoke against the elimination of cash bail for a variety of offenses. ABC7 reported that the no-cash bail provision will go into effect on Sept. 18, 2023.