At 4:48 am on January 13, House Bill 3653, formerly House Bill 163, a dangerous criminal justice reform proposal passed out of the Senate. Sen. Stoller voted no.
State Senator Win Stoller (R-Germantown Hills) issued the following statement in opposition to the measure:
“What we just witnessed in the middle of the night is not the way democracy is supposed to work. Nearly 800 pages of new language landed on our desks and within an hour we voted on it at 4:48 am.
“If this bill was a good bill now, it would have been a good bill in a couple months after Senators and the public had a chance to analyze it. It is absolutely shameful that the majority arrogantly rushed this through without any time for thorough consideration.
“This legislation will have profound consequences for the people of Illinois and make life more unsafe. It handcuffs our courts and law enforcement and endangers our communities. It will allow dangerous and violent offenders back onto our streets.
“The Democrats decision to push this major piece of legislation through the General Assembly without giving us or the public a chance to thoroughly review it is wrong. These shady tactics are the reason why Illinoisans have no faith in their lawmakers or the legislative process. Lawmakers must stop playing these games if we ever want to gain the public’s trust again.
House Bill 3653 passed the Senate by a vote of 32 to 23.