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The 45-year-old’s passing was confirmed by the Champaign County
coroner.
"Senator Scott Bennett died at 1:15PM today at Carle Foundation
Hospital in Urbana, IL," Duane Northrup, Champaign County coroner
said in an email to The Center Square. “He died from natural causes
under a physician’s care and my office has no further involvement
with his death.”
The News-Gazette reported Thursday Bennett was taken to Carle
Foundation Hospital earlier that morning after first responders were
called to his home.
“The loss of Senator Scott Bennett is an unexpected tragedy," state
Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria, said. "Senator Bennett’s
collegiality and dedication was instrumental to the work of refining
and enhancing the SAFE-T Act, and his dedication to his community
was paramount. His passing is a sad moment for our state as a whole,
and his community, his friends, and his family in particular. We are
united in grief with all who loved Senator Bennett, and wish peace
and comfort for his family.”
Earlier this month, Bennett was at the Illinois State Capitol busy
working on amendments to the SAFE-T Act. He worked with state’s
attorneys, victim advocates, pretrial fairness groups and others to
get changes across the finish line. The changes included a net of
offenses that would be eligible for pretrial detention.
Bennett grew up in Gibson City, graduated from Illinois State
University, the University of Illinois College of Law, and was a
former assistant state’s attorney for Champaign and McClean
counties. He's served in the Senate since 2015.
He is survived by his wife Stacy and two children.
Greg Bishop reports on Illinois government and
other issues for The Center Square. Bishop has years of
award-winning broadcast experience and hosts the WMAY Morning
Newsfeed out of Springfield.
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