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State Sen. Steve McClure, R-Springfield, urged the Senate to
vote “no” on House Bill 2397 this spring session, but ultimately
the bill passed both chambers and heads to the governor for his
signature.
“We've got all these bills to try to rename roads for people who
died overseas in the military. We've got now [Illinois
Department of Transportation] taking away the memorials for DUI
victims' families that are there to try to keep the memories of
their loved ones still alive,” McClure said during floor debate.
“We can't memorialize these people, but we're going to have a
guy who is a gang member who intentionally murdered somebody by
pushing them head first down an elevator shaft.”
The legislation was inspired by the story of Eddie Thomas, a
prisoner who died alone in a prison infirmary five months after
being diagnosed with lung cancer. According to the bill’s
sponsor, state Sen. Adriane Johnson, he died without receiving
any end-of-life care.
“This bill is simply to gather information and data on the use
of hospice and palliative care in Illinois correctional
facilities to guide the General Assembly on making policies and
decisions related to end-of-life care and correctional
facilities,” said Johnson, D-Buffalo Grove.
McClure voiced strong opposition, blasting the process as
insensitive.
“I think if this is going to be done, the least that we can do
as a body is make the victim's family aware of what's happening
and allow them to make a statement or give some sort of a
position,” said McClure.
Thomas was a Gangster Black Disciple convicted of first-degree
murder for throwing 20-year-old Kevin Tremble head first down a
Chicago elevator shaft.
“Can any of you imagine if your family member was murdered by
someone and there's no road named after the family member that
was murdered, there's no law to support that family member? I'm
guessing there was probably not even a resolution for a
celebration of life for this person, but the murderer gets their
own act in our state’s laws permanently,” said McClure.
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