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House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, said the
initiative will address public safety by focusing on the rising
fentanyl epidemic, gun violence, and the systemic issues of the
SAFE-T Act.
One measure allows pharmacists to sell fentanyl test strips over
the counter so the public can test for the presence of fentanyl.
“This is unfortunately part of our society now and we need to
give them some tools to save their lives,” said McCombie to The
Center Square.
Another measure elevates the criminal charges against a person
knowingly and unlawfully selling any scheduled drug containing a
detectable amount of fentanyl.
McCombie has been a vocal critic of the criminal justice package
SAFE-T Act. McCombie’s legislation, HB3209, is an initiative to
protect victims of crime.
“We have seen victims’ rights be sidelined through the SAFE-T
Act and it’s something that needs to be rectified if we are
truly going to make our neighborhoods safer; it means we stop
empowering criminals,” she said.
Another bill allows qualified retired law enforcement officers
to receive school resource officer training from the Illinois
Law Enforcement Training Standards Board, so they can be
employed at schools.
“This package of bills is about making our neighborhoods safer,
and looking at how we can best do that by addressing the
underlying issues like the opioid epidemic, gun violence, and
the ongoing implications of the faulted SAFE-T Act,” said
McCombie.
Kevin Bessler reports on statewide issues in
Illinois for the Center Square. He has over 30 years of
experience in radio news reporting throughout the Midwest.
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