Lawmakers have passed legislation that will allow law enforcement to use drones to monitor large events following the mass shooting at the Fourth of July parade in Highland Park. The Drones as First Responders Act passed the Illinois General Assembly to allow police agencies to use drones to monitor large special events, like parades and […]
Kevin Bessler | The Center Square
Kevin Bessler is a reporter with The Center Square, a republishing partner of Lake and McHenry County Scanner. The Center Square is an outlet publishing state and local-level news across the United States.
Illinois attorney general investigation shows Catholic clergy sexual abuse far more common than church admitted
(The Center Square) – An investigation by the Illinois Attorney General’s office found that 451 Catholic clergy sexually abused thousands of children over a 70-year period in Illinois, more than four times the number the church acknowledged. When the Illinois Attorney General’s office began an investigation into Illinois’ Catholic dioceses in 2018, the church publicly […]
Legislation that would establish safe spaces for illegal drug users in Illinois advances
(The Center Square) – A proposed bill could legalize the creation of “safe spaces” in Illinois for people to use illegal drugs under medical supervision in an effort to prevent overdoses. House Bill 2 would allow the Illinois Department of Human Services to create overdose prevention sites and would connect drug users with treatment programs. […]
Lawmakers advance bill that would limit police involvement in Illinois schools for rule violations
(The Center Square) – Lawmakers have advanced a bill that would stop schools in Illinois from involving the police in issuing tickets to students for minor violations. Illinois law prohibits schools from fining students as a form of discipline, but a number of schools have been referring students to police, who then ticket students for […]
Illinois Secretary of State gives $21 million to law enforcement agencies to help combat carjackings, vehicle thefts
(The Center Square) – The Illinois Secretary of State is distributing millions of dollars to law enforcement agencies and task forces in Illinois in an effort to combat carjackings and car thefts. More than 1,600 armed carjackings were reported in Chicago last year, and although the problem is less severe downstate, carjackings have been occurring […]
Legislation would allow prisoners serving life sentences in Illinois ability to seek parole
(The Center Square) – Lawmakers have introduced legislation that would allow people sentenced to life in prison in Illinois to be eligible to seek parole after serving 25 years. State Rep. Justin Slaughter, D-Chicago, announced House Bill 2045, which would allow a person serving a life sentence to become eligible for parole. The bill says […]
Illinois attorney general responds to state’s attorneys attempt to throw out provision to end cash bail
(The Center Square) – The Illinois Attorney General’s Office has filed a response to a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of ending cash bail by saying lawsuit plaintiffs’ arguments should be rejected. Dozens of state’s attorneys from around Illinois joined together to file a lawsuit to have the Illinois SAFE-T Act’s bail provision thrown out. The […]
‘Potential chaos’ after judge strikes down cashless bail portion of the Illinois SAFE-T Act
(The Center Square) – Some lawmakers say “potential chaos” may ensue on January 1 because a judge’s ruling that the end of cash bail in Illinois is unconstitutional only applies to approximately 60% of the state. Kankakee County Judge Thomas Cunningham ruled in favor of the plaintiffs — 65 district attorneys and sheriffs from around […]
New Illinois laws going into effect in January aim to address spike in carjackings, vehicle thefts
(The Center Square) – New laws are set to take effect in January that lawmakers say are aimed at addressing carjackings and car thefts in Illinois. California experienced the highest number of stolen vehicles overall in 2021, with more than 200,000 vehicles taken. The top five states for vehicular crime – California, Illinois, Florida, Colorado […]