Illinois House Floor Debate — April 29, 2021

"The House will be in order. Members will be in their chairs. We shall be led in prayer today by Lee Crawford, the pastor of the Cathedral of Praise Christian Center in Springfield. Members and guests are asked to refrain from starting their laptops, turn off all cell phones, and rise for the invocation and for the Pledge of Allegiance. Pastor Crawford."

"We will be led in the Pledge of Allegiance today by Representative West."

"Roll Call for Attendance. Leader Ammons is recognized to report any excused absences on the Democratic side of the aisle."

"Thank you, Madam Speaker. Would you please excuse Representative Gordon-Booth, Representative Buckner, and Representative Slaughter?"

"And Leader Welter is recognized to report any excused absences on the Republican side."

"Have all recorded themselves who wish? Mr. Speaker (sic-Clerk), please take the record. There being 112 Members answering the roll call, a quorum is present. This is a reminder. In addition to this rule, I just want to point out, whenever you're in the chamber, whether we've gaveled in or not, your mask needs to be on. So, pursuant to House Rule 51.5, please remember to wear a face mask at all times when in the chamber that covers nose and mouth, except when necessary for eating or drinking. This includes when speaking on the microphone at your desk. Again, remember to wear a face covering at all times while you're in this chamber. Thank you. Mr. Clerk, Committee Reports."

"Chair recognizes Representative Cassidy for an announcement."

"Thank you, Madam Speaker. I want to thank everyone who has been so incredibly generous and responsive to our efforts to raise some money for Aaron Bailey's family. For those of you who gave online, I have a card here that you can sign. Those of you that gave… came directly to me have already signed it. But anybody who wants to sign the card, please come on over and write a little note to Aaron. And we'll be collecting probably through the week… through the rest of the week." 10200027.docx 3  STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 27th Legislative Day 4/29/2021

"Thank you for doing that, Representative. Chair recognizes Representative Guzzardi."

"Thank you, Madam Speaker and Members. Madam Speaker, do you mind if we have some order in the chamber? Ladies and Gentlemen, on March 31, a resident of my district, 22-year- old Anthony Alvarez was killed. He was shot five times in the back as he ran during a foot chase with the Chicago Police Department. The body camera footage of this killing was released yesterday. I haven't watched it, out of respect for the family. There may be those in this chamber, or those who are watching this today, who rushed to watch this video to see, 'What was he doing? How did he run? What was he hiding?' I would urge you to check that impulse, friends. There may be those who rush to look at his record to see if he had any outstanding warrants. Was he a model citizen? Did he have affiliations? Was he hanging with the bad crowd? I would urge you, please, to check that impulse, friends, and to ask yourself where it comes from. I don't know Anthony's story. No one in this room does. But we don't believe in capital punishment here in Illinois. Not after a trial by jury, and certainly not after a trial by an officer in the street. And there's nothing you can do. No record on your background. No affiliations. No history. Nothing you can do to deserve being shot in the back while you run. Let me repeat that. There is nothing Anthony could have done to deserve the fate that befell him on March 31. Instead of looking to Anthony to explain what happened, friends, I would urge us, in this chamber, to look in the mirror. Why are we here again, mourning another young Latino taken by those meant to protect 10200027.docx 4  STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 27th Legislative Day 4/29/2021 him, meant to protect us? Why are we here again, and what can we do so that we don't have to keep doing this? Many of us in this room have ideas about why and what we can do. I want to share one that I think we can all agree on. It's an idea that I've heard from the most radical activists and organizers and that I've heard from rank and file Chicago Police Officers. The simple notion that we are asking the police to do too much. We ask the police to do too much in society. It's an impossible task. We send armed officers who are trained in lethal violence to respond to homelessness, to public indecency, to noise complaints, to mental health incidents, to bad driving, to falling asleep in the Wendy's drive through. With that many interactions every single day, with armed officers who are trained that each of those interactions could be a matter of life or death, it's inevitable that some of them with escalate to violence and tragedy. This is not an indictment of any bad apples, but rather of the very role that we have given to law enforcement. A role that they didn't ask for and that they don't want. And a role that leads, inexorably, to the kind of tragedy that we mourn, yet again, today. I said, confidently, a moment ago, that I think we can all agree on this concept because, just last week, this chamber unanimously passed House Bill 2784, CESSA, which creates mental health first responders in the State of Illinois to send unarmed behavioral health professionals to calls for non-violent misdemeanors. This is an amazing Bill. I thank Representative Cassidy for this initiative. And, I believe, it's a first step toward our recognizing that we need to transform the role of police. That we need to only 10200027.docx 5  STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 27th Legislative Day 4/29/2021 send armed officers trained in lethal violence only to those rare instances where force is needed to prevent greater tragedy, that we can aspire to a world where that's the exception and not the rule. I congratulate this Body on its bipartisan recognition of this principle. There's some that might worry that this kind of transformation might lead to fewer police in our communities and, therefore, less safety. I would say that those of us who live in safe communities, we don't feel safe because there are police everywhere. We don't feel safe because there are patrol cars and squad cars and cops on every corner. In fact, the safest communities in Illinois are also the least policed communities in Illinois. We feel safe not because of the presence of law enforcement, but because the presence of economic opportunity, of good jobs, of good schools, of stable housing, and of caring neighbors. As we head into May here, we focus on passing Bills and headed to the budget season, let's focus on guaranteeing those things in every community. I think that, in this moment of tragedy that should be our calling. To reimagine the role of police in society and public safety as a whole and to invest in communities so that every community has what it takes to be truly safe. That's our calling as Legislators. But today, as I close, I feel compelled, I feel called myself to offer some words to the Alvarez family, to my neighbors and my constituents. It's very difficult for me to think of what those words should be. My heart breaks for the losses that you suffered, for the beautiful son and proud father and beloved young man who was taken too soon. I don't… I don't have the words to console you during this time. So, I'll offer 10200027.docx 6  STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 27th Legislative Day 4/29/2021 instead the words that those of my faith consoled ourselves with for thousands of years. And I know if you were here, our former colleague, Rabbi Kalish would be saying these words himself. It's a prayer we call the Mourner's Kaddish, and the prayer ends like this. Oseh shalom bimromav, hu ya'aseh shalom aleinu v'al kol-yisrael, v'imru: 'amen.' Which means, may the source of all peace in the universe send peace to us and to all our people. And together we say, amen. And I ask the Body, Madam Speaker, for a moment of silence for Anthony and for his family. Thank you."

"Members, we will take a moment of silence. Thank you, Representative Guzzardi. Mr. Clerk, Agreed Resolutions."

"Leader Ammons moves for the adoption of the Agreed Resolutions. All those in favor say 'aye'; opposed say 'nay'. In the opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the Agreed Resolutions are adopted. And now, allowing perfunctory time for the Clerk, Leader Ammons moves the House to stand adjourned until Tuesday, May 4, at the hour of noon. All those in favor say 'aye'; opposed say 'nay'. In the 10200027.docx 7  STATE OF ILLINOIS 102nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TRANSCRIPTION DEBATE 27th Legislative Day 4/29/2021 opinion of the Chair, the 'ayes' have it. And the House stands adjourned."