| Illinois Becomes First State in Nation to Eliminate Cash Bail Illinois’ SAFE-T Act has been highly criticized by the public, law enforcement, and state’s attorneys since it was forced through the Legislature on the final day of the 2021 lame-duck session. The “no cash bail” provisions of the law are set to take effect statewide today, Sept. 18, making Illinois the first state in the nation to do away with the system completely. Effective Monday, September 18, Illinois will replace its current cash bail system with a new set of strict standards that prosecutors must meet to be able to detain certain offenders. Senator Plummer opposed the SAFE-T Act in the General Assembly for numerous reasons, including the fact that the law fails to provide judges enough discretion to be able to keep the public safe. He also points out that the law will significantly reduce funding for counties and victims’ services. Eliminating cash bail, without identifying another funding source for counties, will impact local courts’ ability to function. The “no cash bail” provision completely ignores the financial hit on local courts systems that are now going to have to make up that revenue on their own. Leaving a gap in funding for local courts and critical victims’ services could soon force counties to reduce services, raise taxes or both. Senator Plummer says that the General Assembly must address this issue during the upcoming fall veto session to make sure Illinois’ local court systems have the financial resources they need and that victims can continue to receive the support they deserve. |
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| Dial 988 Offers Help for Individuals in Crisis Individuals in crisis can now call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at any time to connect with a trained crisis counselor. As of July 16, 2022, all calls and text messages to “988” route to a 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline call center, which provides free and confidential support for people in distress 24 hours per day and seven days per week. You can learn more about the 988 hotline here. National Suicide Prevention Week is an annual campaign to inform and engage health professionals and the public about suicide prevention and warning signs of suicide. | |
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| Nominate Outstanding School Personnel The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) wants to know more about outstanding educators, administrators, or school professionals. ISBE will be accepting applications until Oct. 15 for the 2024 Those Who Excel & Teacher of the Year Awards. Awards are presented in seven categories: classroom teachers, early career educators (teachers 1-4 years), school administrators, student support personnel, educational service personnel, community volunteers, and teams. |
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| ISP Encourages Traffic Safety During Harvest Season National Farm Safety and Health Week began September 17, and the Illinois State Police (ISP) is reminding motorists and farmers about traffic safety during the fall harvest season, which typically begins in early September and can last into November. As farmers are traveling between fields, ISP is asking motorists and farmers to share the road to help reduce crashes involving tractors, implements, and other farm equipment. ISP is encouraging motorists to: Allow extra travel time during harvest season.Don’t pass until it’s safe and legal to do so.Use extra caution around tractors and slow-moving vehicles.Adjust to a greater following distance to increase sight lines when following behind wide, slow-moving vehicles. | |
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| Illinois State Fair Sets Attendance Records According to the Illinois Department of Agriculture, the 2023 Illinois State Fair in Springfield saw more than 700,000 attendees during the 11-day event, which the Department says sets the new record. The Department also announced the Fair had the second highest number of Grandstand tickets sold in the last five years, and record-breaking carnival revenue ($1.58 million). Planning is now under way for the 2024 Illinois State Fair, which is scheduled to run August 8-18. |