Lawmakers heard from DuPageCountyState’s Attorney Joe Birkett, as well as advocates and family members of victims and prison reform groups Aug. 25 at the second meeting of the Illinois Joint Investigatory Panel on Early Release.

State Sen. Dave Luechtefeld (R-Okawville) said Birkett cautioned lawmakers to make public safety the top priority when considering any prisoner early-release program. Any inmate who is released early without having clearly demonstrated a clear commitment to rehabilitation is a “high-risk” release, Birkett warned.

The Panel is examining controversial early-release programs in Illinois, including one unpublicized program established under Gov. Pat Quinn that allowed the early release of nearly 2,000 prisoners, including violent offenders.

The early-release programs were the subject of a highly critical report from retired Judge David Erickson released Aug. 13, two days after the first Joint Panel meeting in Peoria. That report concluded that Quinn’s Department of Corrections failed to adequately protect public safety and released inmates early for “meritorious” behavior “simply by virtue of being delivered into DOC (Department of Corrections) custody.”

Birkett testified before lawmakers and witnesses who gathered at the ThompsonCenter in downtown Chicago for the Aug. 25 meeting. He said it was clear from the timing of prisoner releases that occurred under the controversial Meritorious Good Time (MGT Push) Program, that the Illinois Department of Corrections released criminals before they could have possibly received information on the prisoners from local prosecutors and law enforcement personnel.

Okawville, Ill. – Last week, legislation intended to generate much-needed revenue was signed into law, which State Sen. Dave Luechtefeld (R-Okawville) said will provide a five-week amnesty period for tax delinquents.

Senate Bill 377 (PA 96-1435) allows individuals who have accumulated back taxes between June 30, 2002, and July 1, 2009, to pay those taxes penalty-free from Oct. 1 to Nov. 8 without being fined. Tax delinquents who don’t pay during the amnesty period will see all interest and penalties double.

Officials hope that by providing incentive for tax delinquents to cough up their overdue obligations the program will bring in tardy tax dollars, as opposed to spending state time and energy pursuing the tax delinquents.

The tax amnesty program was initially projected to return about $350 million, a prediction based on projections from the state’s 2003 tax amnesty program. However, recent data from the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability and the Department of Revenue indicate the program is more likely to return about $170 million.

Also last week, two bills were signed into law to encourage solar energy use.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                        August 17, 2010

Okawville, Ill. – Upon hearing the verdict read Tuesday, August 17 of former Governor Rod Blagojevich’s criminal trial, State Senator Dave Luechtefeld (R-Okawville) said the guilty verdict on count 24, false representation to a FBI agent, is not enough.

“With only one count agreed upon by the jury, it is my hope that there will be another trial to address the serious allegations against the former governor. I stand firm in the decision that the Illinois General Assembly made to remove the former Governor from office, “stated Senator Luechtefeld.