SPRINGFIELD – Leading legislation to give survivors of abuse     more comfort and accessibility filing a protective order, State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) hosted a press conference Wednesday to bring more awareness to the ongoing issues survivors face.  

“The weight of trauma a survivor carries becomes detrimental as they struggle to cope with grief and take the steps necessary to begin to heal,” Stadelman said. “By giving survivors the opportunity to file for protective orders at their own pace in the safety of their      own home, we are giving them the keys to move forward.”

Stadelman’s measure would give people the option to file a protective order either online or in-person. The measure would also require any court in a county with a population above 250,000 to offer the option of a remote hearing to the petitioner for a protective order.

“As legislators, it is our responsibility to ensure the safety and wellbeing of survivors of domestic abuse through the entirety of the reporting process,” said State Senator John Connor (D-Lockport), a chief co-sponsor of the legislation. “The justice system should provide support for any trauma survivor attempting to find peace.”

Any and all types of protective orders would be covered under this legislation.

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SPRINGFIELD – To restore public trust in local government officials, State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) is sponsoring a measure alongside Senator Dave Syverson (R-Rockford), to create a process to place local officials on administrative leave for those accused of violating their oath.

“We are ensuring that while criminal charges are pending, residents can have trust in their government to act appropriately,” Stadelman said. “This allows townships and counties the ability to remove bad faith actors within the system.”

Senate Bill 3460 creates a process in which countywide elected officials or township officers can be placed on administrative leave in the wake of a criminal charge for a crime or any offense in violation of their official oath. Specifically, this measure allows county or township boards to vote to determine if the official should be placed on administrative leave with a three-fifths vote.

The vote would then be sent to the state’s attorney for review of the crimes, and if it is determined the crimes were relevant to their duties, the state’s attorney would file a motion to place the elected official on administrative leave.

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SPRINGFIELD –State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) joined several of his colleagues and the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association as well as the Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council to unveil a package of proposals to support, fund and provide law enforcement officers with resources to serve and protect communities.

“These proposals to support public safety and law enforcement members will benefit our communities,” Stadelman said. “There are key areas that we can reform our response to addressing crime that will ultimately help and greatly increase the effectiveness, attentiveness and well-being of our law enforcement.”

The package aims to provide solutions to several of the problems law enforcement officers are facing including assisting departments with new grant opportunities, providing departments with additional tools to investigate crimes and helping departments utilize resources to address inmate mental health concerns.

Additionally, in an effort to prioritize equal pay in the criminal justice system, an initiative would require counties to pay sheriffs at least 80% of the state’s attorney’s salary.

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SPRINGFIELD – When survivors of abuse or domestic violence are in need of a protective order, they often hesitate due to the agonizing trauma it stirs up, or worse, out of fear of being stopped by their abuser. To give survivors a safer, more comfortable way to file for a protective order, State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) is leading a measure to allow people to request such documentation through virtual means.

“Survivors of abuse and domestic violence often face much grief and trauma about their situation – regardless of how much time has passed,” Stadelman said. “Having to face someone and talk about what they’ve gone through can be extremely difficult – bringing that trauma to the forefront of their mind. By allowing people to file for orders of protection at home, survivors will feel safer and more comfortable.”

 Stadelman’s measure would give people the option to file a protective order by email or online, in addition to in-person. The measure would also require any court in a county with a population above 250,000 to offer the option of a remote hearing to the petitioner for a protective order. Both the petitioner and the respondent would be allowed to appear for related hearings remotely or in-person.

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