Pritzker, Illinois House Speaker Welch open to tweaking SAFE-T Act

Gov. JB Pritzker set off a chain reaction last November when he told reporters he’d be open to changes in the SAFE-T Act, which eliminated cash bail and replaced it with a new pre-trial release/retention system, among other things.

Pritzker was asked about the case of a woman, Bethany MaGee, who was horrifically set ablaze while riding on a Chicago commuter train.

No direct link between the crime and the SAFE-T Act actually existed, but the news media pounced on Pritzker’s statement that he’d be open to changes, and several downstate county sheriffs and others jumped up with their own suggestions (although it seemed like at least some were mostly upset about the loss of revenues from cash bail).

A Pritzker official told me back then that state laws are tweaked all the time, and the governor was merely saying that if legislators wanted to make some tweaks, he’d be open to it as well.

Before we go forward, it’s probably also important to note that while the news media (particularly television news) and some major “influencers” on social media tend to put crime front and center, a recent poll showed that fewer than 8% of Illinoisans put crime at the top of their list of the most important issues facing the state.

The results are from a Jan. 3-5, 2026, Emerson College poll of 1,000 likely Illinois primary voters. The statewide poll was commissioned by Chicago’s WGN TV.

“What do you think is the most important issue facing Illinois?” respondents were asked.

Just 7.6% identified “crime” as the most important issue.

That’s lower than “Immigration” at 10.4%; “Threats to democracy” at 12.7%; “Healthcare” at 12.9%; and “Economy (jobs, inflation, taxes)” at a whopping 40.4%.

That doesn’t mean crime isn’t important, of course. It is without a doubt. You cannot have a functioning society with high crime rates (which, by the way, have been falling fast).

But the poll does help show how the yearslong and constant drumbeat of crime stories, tweets, Facebook posts and YouTube videos pales in comparison to what voters are saying they really want to talk about: Their personal economic well-being (add health care and housing affordability to that economy category and the number rises to 59%).

But I digress.

Issues with electronic monitoring

Regardless of all that, the SAFE-T Act questions keep coming.

About a month ago, new Cook County Chief Judge Charles Beach formed a committee to look at some of the problems with the county’s electronic monitoring program for detainees. The court system runs that program, which used to be operated by the county sheriff. But there have been numerous problems reported, including officials not fully knowing what is going on with the electronically monitored population, and that has led to some tragic outcomes, like the one on that CTA train, which helped prompt the new committee’s formation.

The SAFE-T Act included a provision granting those on electronic monitoring part of two days a week for “essential movement” — things like doctors' appointments and job training, which many judges had been denying before. Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart has claimed those folks are not tracked during those two days, but the Cook County Public Defender says that’s not traced to the SAFE-T Act, which doesn’t explicitly require eliminating tracking.

The change ball moved forward a bit more last week when Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch was asked at a Chicago City Club luncheon what sort of changes he’d like to see in the SAFE-T Act.

Welch said that the Legislature should “always try to find ways to do better.”

Then he pointed at Judge Beach, saying he wants to wait and see what’s in Beach’s report, which is scheduled for release toward the end of January.

“I think we should give him an opportunity to come to us and make some recommendations to us,” Welch said.

Perhaps more importantly, Welch also said his House Democratic Public Safety Working Group should “probably listen to some other folks from across the state and get their input.” Working groups meet in private and are invite-only.

Welch strongly defended the state law throughout his comments, insisting that the SAFE-T Act “is working” and that judges and police officers “will tell you that the bad guys are in jail because judges are locking them up. The SAFE-T Act is allowing judges to do their job.”

I dunno about judges, but one doesn’t hear many, if any, cops say such a thing. That doesn’t mean they’re right, of course.

Rich Miller also publishes Capitol Fax, a daily political newsletter, and CapitolFax.com.