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 They allow for the use of GPS tracking devices in certain domestic
violence cases, provide a stronger plan for colleges and
universities
in the event of an emergency, equip firefighters with more
authority, strengthen penalties for unlawful use of certain weapons,
and outlaw the use of a bumpkey.
In response to the death of Cindy Bischof, an
Arlington Heights woman killed by her ex-boyfriend,
Senate Bill
2719, sponsored by state Sen. Susan Garrett, D-Highwood,
and state Rep. Suzanne Bassi, R-Palatine, increases
protection for domestic violence victims. The bill establishes the
Domestic Violence Surveillance Program, in which offenders who violate
an order of protection could be ordered to wear a GPS tracking
device while on bail, as a condition of their probation or upon
release from custody.
"We have to do everything in our power to protect our communities
from domestic violence; it needlessly takes the lives of too many
people every year," Blagojevich said. "This new law will help combat
some of the dangers these individuals face and help them feel more
secure. In general, these new laws all have the same goal -- to
ensure the safety of the public."
Those who attempt to illegally obtain a firearm will
now face steeper punishment.
House Bill 5524,
sponsored by state Rep. Dennis Reboletti, R-Addison, and
state Sen. John Millner, R-St. Charles, increases the penalty
for those who illegally obtain or attempt to obtain firearms to a
possible Class X felony, which carries a sentence of up to 40 years
in the Illinois Department of Corrections. This law also revokes the
possibility of probation, periodic imprisonment or conditional
discharge.
In an effort to make campuses safer statewide, state Sen. John
Sullivan, D-Quincy, and state Rep. Robert Pritchard, R-Sycamore, sponsored
Senate Bill 2691, requiring all public
and private colleges and universities to have an emergency
response plan, a campus violence prevention plan, and have annual
training and exercises for these plans. Local
emergency managers and Illinois Emergency Management Agency regional
coordinators are required to provide schools with appropriate
standards and guidelines to assist in the development and
maintenance of the plans.
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Senate Bill 2488, sponsored by
state Sen. Gary Forby, D-Benton, and state Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion, permits
firefighters to close off lanes of traffic while responding to an
emergency situation if no law enforcement or highway officials are
present. This bill also increases the penalty for reckless homicide
cases to a Class 2 felony if the individual fails to follow
procedure required when approaching a stationary authorized
emergency vehicle, or if the defendant caused the death of two or
more people as part of a single course of conduct.
House Bill 2757 includes stricter guidelines to
protect Illinois residents from the use of knuckle
weapons. Previously the law only applied to metal
knuckle weapons. Now the new amendment of the bill includes all
knuckle weapons regardless of
composition. The bill was sponsored by state Rep.
Fred Crespo, D-Streamwood, and state Sen. Iris Martinez, D-Chicago.
House Bill 2859 creates new protections for
communities by outlawing common burglary tools.
Possession of a bumpkey may show the intent to commit a crime of
theft or other felony unless the person is authorized to possess
such a tool. A bumpkey is a regular key that has been filed down to
fit into and open any lock. This bill was sponsored by state
Rep. Michael P. McAuliffe, R-Chicago, and state Sen.
James DeLeo, D-Chicago.
[Text from file received from the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information]
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