NW Illinois News

The Illinois Supreme Court has yet to release decisions on a pair of laws that have been highly criticized by Republicans, as they deem them unconstitutional.

State Rep. John Cabello (R-Machesney Park ) wrote on his website that the rulings have been expected for months, adding that House Republicans “vigorously opposed the end of cash bail,” which is a provision in one of the laws.

"Major decisions on two controversial laws lay before the Illinois Supreme Court, as plaintiffs await rulings on the constitutionality of the recently passed and signed firearms ban and the provision that ends cash bail as part of the 2021 SAFE-T Act passed by Democrats,” Cabello wrote.

Cabello included a link to a Center Square article on the same topic. The article states that the Supreme Court released opinions on four cases on June 17, and another earlier in June, but the state continues to await the decision on the no-cash bail law. This was put on hold after a Kankakee judge issued a temporary restraining order. The law was supposed to go into effect on Jan. 1 without the hold.

Arguments were held in the state Supreme Court on that case in March.

In the previously mentioned case on cash bail, The Center Square quoted from the arguments held on March 14. The article noted that the full Illinois Supreme Court's panel of seven were on hand for arguments that went for about 45 minutes. It added that Justice Lisa Holder went directly at Deputy Solicitor General Alex Hemmer with questions.

“In the past, we’ve seen where changes have been made with respect to who is entitled to bail made through constitutional amendment, why didn’t that happen here and should it have,” White said.

“No, your honor, it should not have,” Hemmer said. “The General Assembly was not required to put these changes to voters in a constitutional referendum.”

According to a separate Center Square article, in May the court heard a challenge from state Rep. Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur), of Macon County. He told The Center Square that the decision in his case should not have to wait for a federal decision, and it has yet to be determined.

“There’s some speculation that the Illinois Supreme Court will hold off issuing their opinion, waiting to see what the federal court system, the Seventh Circuit [U.S. Court of Appeals] and then the U.S. Supreme Court have to say about this law,” Caulkins told The Center Square. “That would alleviate some of their problems if there's a decision made on the federal side.”

On June 20, Cabello shared a link to an NBC Chicago 5 story about shootings that occurred over that weekend. Cabello said on his website: “Seventy-five people were shot with 13 people losing their lives due to out-of-control gun violence in the city of Chicago over the weekend. The citizens of Illinois are being subjected to constant violence on our streets, as Illinois Democrats refuse to acknowledge their soft-on-crime approach to criminal justice isn’t working."