Illinois Republican leaders and legislative candidates joined to discuss the financial implications and safety concerns of the controversial SAFE-T Act, saying unfunded mandates could force local governments to reduce safety services and increase taxes.
House Republican Leader Jim Durkin, State Rep. Amy Elik, Illinois House District 112 candidate Jennifer Korte, Illinois Senate District 56 candidate and Madison County Board member Erica Harriss and Madison County Treasurer Chris Slusser addressed concerns with the SAFE-T Act at a press conference Monday in Edwardsville.
“Recently, we have seen bi-partisan efforts across Illinois, including here in Madison County to challenge the constitutionality of this legislation,” Korte stated in a press release. “However, this law doesn’t just make our communities less safe, it is ultimately going to make them more expensive, especially for smaller communities and police departments already struggling with state mandates."
The Illinois Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today (SAFE-T) Act, which is part of the broader House Bill 3653, was signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Feb. 22, 2021. Before that, the 764-page bill was passed by the Illinois legislature in the early hours of Jan. 13 during a lame-duck session in under an hour.
“We should be legislating on behalf of our constituents out in the open, not in the middle of the night without the eyes and ears of the very people whose safety and financial security the legislation puts at risk,” Harriss said during the press conference.
Durkin called the law a “ticking time bomb set to go off January 1."
The law, which goes into effect in January 2023, was passed just hours before new legislators were sworn into office, including Elik.
“The Democratic majority’s SAFE-T Act is a threat to both the physical and fiscal health of our local communities,” Elik stated. “Our local governments are working hard to make ends meet with the highest inflation in forty years, and this is another burden they cannot afford.”
During the press conference, Slusser praised Madison County for its prior accomplishments in “acting in a fiscally responsible manner.”
Specifically, he said Madison County officials have cut the property tax levy by $1.8 million and then froze it for the past six years by becoming more efficient. He said the county found ways to save money, adding that the Treasurer’s Office has earned record returns on county investments. Those investments have generated between $4 million and $6 million per year to offset property taxes.
“I don’t want to see all of those records get overturned and taken away, wiped out, by a law that should never have been passed in the first place,” Slusser said.
Slusser said the SAFE-T Act imposes more financial concerns than just unfunded mandates, calling it a “revenue drain.” He explained that Madison County Circuit Clerk Tom McRae anticipates between $300,000 and $500,000 in lost revenue due to the burdens on his office imposed by the legislation.
Additionally, he said there will be an estimated $1 to $2 million increase in personnel costs annually as the county will see a “massive increase in staffing.” He explained that in order to accommodate the mandatory timelines implemented by the SAFE-T Act, many departments will have to operate on weekends.
Because the SAFE-T Act requires in-person pre-trial detention hearings for most criminal cases within 24-48 hours, the county could require legal and judiciary staffing, prison staff and physical courtrooms in some cases. Additionally, probation will likely require additional personnel to supervise the defendants released from jail.
Additional costs are also expected in order to comply with mandatory body cameras and the costs of corresponding technology.
Harriss, who is a member of the Board’s Finance and Government Operations Committee, added that the “overhaul of Illinois’ local criminal justice system with unfunded mandates is detrimental” for downstate communities, “especially since we have worked so hard to lower property taxes for our residents on the Madison County Board.
“This legislation could literally force our community to pay more to be less safe,” she said.
Elik said the mandates imposed by the SAFE-T Act were designed for larger municipalities and departments. She said the requirements will be “especially detrimental” for smaller law enforcement agencies struggling to keep up with state mandates.
Elik added that aside from the unfunded mandates, eliminating cash bail will also cause a financial burden on communities. She said cash bail is “designed to support various aspects of the judicial system.”
“Eliminating the revenue without replacing it has essentially defunded many of these vital steps in the legal process that will now have to seek revenue elsewhere without certain support,” she said.
Harriss said Illinois already has the second highest property taxes in the nation, which motivated her to run for office. While the County Board has worked hard to lower taxes, she said Madison County may have to consider raising taxes in order to accommodate the unfunded mandates and lost revenue.
Elik said upstate Kane County has already begun looking to fill a “$3 million hole” created by the SAFE-T Act requirements.
“We’re already seeing this play out in Kane County,” Elik said, “where local officials are considering raising property taxes for the first time in a decade to fit a budget deficit that includes a $3 million hole from the new SAFE-T Act mandates.”
Durkin added that DuPage County estimates $63 million in additional costs over a five year period.
Korte said elected officials should be “helping, not hurting, our local government.”
“Regardless of where you stand on the so-called SAFE-T Act, one thing is for sure, the taxpayers are going to pay for it one way or another,” Korte said.
Durkin said the legislature isn't a one-time cost but "will continue to cost the taxpayers year-in and year-out."
In response to the SAFE-T Act, Illinois House Republicans filed House Resolution 598 in January. It urges the Illinois General Assembly “to value and protect crime victims and law enforcement and to repeal House Bill 3653, the SAFE-T Act, in its entirety.” The resolution has not been called for a vote.
Additionally, the Illinois House Republicans launched a petition drive, collecting signatures of those who are against the tax hikes expected from the SAFE-T Act.