SPRINGFIELD – On Wednesday, State Representative Dan Ugaste (R-Geneva) joined House Republican lawmakers to urge for public safety reform in Illinois. In a Capitol press conference, Rep. Ugaste joined House Republican Floor Leader Patrick Windhorst (Metropolis), Rep. Dennis Tipsword (Metamora), Assistant Leader John Cabello (Loves Park), Rep. Amy Grant (Wheaton), and Rep. David Friess (Red Bud) as members of the House Republican Truth in Public Safety (TIPS) Working Group to present their goals to improve public safety in Illinois.
“The language of the SAFE-T Act ends cash bail statewide. As we’ve seen in the parts of Illinois where this has already been instituted, it is not keeping these communities safe,” said Rep. Ugaste. “We want to introduce real pre-trial fairness in Illinois by meaningfully addressing reform that considers the rights of the accused, but not at the expense of the remainder of Illinois residents. For any system to work, cash bail must be part of the equation, and we can restore it in a way that’s fair. We cannot continue considering the rights of the accused without concern for the rights of victims and members of our communities.”
This press conference also discussed protecting crime victims, reform for law enforcement body camera requirements, and recruitment and retention of law enforcement officers. The TIPS Working Group’s goals include attracting top law enforcement to Illinois, empowering serving officers with tools to keep their communities safe, addressing unending mandates on local governments from Springfield bureaucrats, restoring cash bail in Illinois, and protecting crime victims.
Rep. Ugaste is a member of the House Police & Fire committee.