(NationRise.com) – Far-left officials are on a bizarre mission to change the manner of describing criminals in their state.
Several Democrat representatives in Illinois have sparked a contentious debate with House Bill 4409, which proposes a significant change in the state’s legal language. If passed, the bill would require state laws, codes, and documents to replace the term “offender” with “justice-impacted individual.” This change would have an immediate impact on documents and materials published by Adult Redeploy Illinois, a state program dedicated to helping former convicts reintegrate into society.
However, Democratic leaders seemed to have difficulty explaining their reasoning for the bill. Robert Peters, a state Democrat supporting the bill, tried to dissuade his colleagues from getting “hung up” on the term. Instead, he emphasized that it will also apply to correctional facilities. Another Democrat, Representative Kelly Cassidy, claimed the language will assist former inmates as they attempt to reenter society. She claimed that a lifelong “offender” label is misleading for convicts who just want to integrate back into their communities.
However, the few Illinois Republicans who remain in power blasted the bill. They said that it’s a money-wasting scheme to make the state government softer on crime. One of those Republicans, Terry Bryan, noted that each such change requires state agencies to change every single document at taxpayer expense. He also said the state has made many similar changes recently, with each costing several thousand dollars.
Another state Republican, Steve McClure, also said that changing the term will remove accountability from criminals. He said that means encouraging criminals to admit wrongdoing so that they can move on rather than apologizing on behalf of criminals. McClure also said the new bill insults victims of crimes.
The bill has already passed the state legislature. J.B. Pritzker, the state’s far-left governor, is expected to sign it.
Illinois has spent decades maintaining its reputation as one of the nation’s most dangerous states, with a growing crime rate that shows no signs of slowing. State Democrats have struggled to respond as Democrats across the country grapple with crime surges ahead of the 2024 elections.
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