DeKalb Times

As counties are filing suits against implementation of the SAFE-T Act, Rep. Jeff Keicher (R-Sycamore) says one of the law's biggest problems was the way it was pushed through the legislature.

“I have talked at length about how the process has been corrupted in the passage of the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today (SAFE-T) Act,” Keicher wrote on Facebook. “The process was virtually nonexistent and when that happens there is chaos. It was passed with virtually no debate in the middle of the night in the Senate.”

Keicher writes that the suits wouldn't have been necessary if the bill underwent established standards.

"Had the legislative process been followed, had understanding been established during committee hearings, had legislative intent been allowed to be recorded through debate, much of this follow-up action would not have been needed," Keicher wrote.

Keicher posted a link to a Shaw Local story about DeKalb County filing suit to block the legislation.

In September, McHenry, Will, and Kankakee County elected officials filed lawsuits to stop the SAFE-T Act. McHenry County State's Attorney Patrick Kenneally told WTTW that “What the Illinois constitution, and what our founders thought that was a bad idea and wasn’t constructive. So they want these bills to be able to be considered on their own merits and not just crammed through with sort of pork barrel legislation.”

In September, Keicher said the SAFE-T Act wasn't all bad, but that there are issues. He posted a link to an Injustice Watch story which tries to clear up misinformation about the SAFE-T Act.

“Backed by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, the SAFE-T Act: expands police officer training in race and ethnicity sensitivity and de-escalation tactics, requires body cameras in all departments by 2025, creates stricter body camera regulations, and requires medical treatment for people in custody without unreasonable delay, among other things," Injustice Watch wrote. “But the most controversial piece of the SAFE-T Act is the Pretrial Fairness Act, which goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2023, and will abolish cash bail in Illinois — the first state to do so in the country,” the article continues. “A highly-funded, far-right conservative misinformation campaign has spread rapidly across social media in recent weeks, using fear-mongering buzzwords such as 'the purge' and anti-Black imagery such as mugshots to describe an untrue scenario of lawlessness when the Democrats supposedly let all the criminals out of jail on Jan. 1."

In May, Keicher spoke of the concerns of local law enforcement and state's attorneys. “State’s Attorneys are voicing concerns about more violent criminals roaming free in Illinois due to provisions in the Democrats' SAFE-T Act."

Keicher was first elected to the Illinois House in 2018. His legislative experience includes serving on the Appropriations-Higher Education and Immigration & Human Rights Committee. Keicher resides in DeKalb.