Kane sheriff spreading misinformation instead of facts
Gun violence is a uniquely American public health epidemic; while we know the remedies, public officials like Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain refuse to prescribe them. We are fighting every day for those remedies, so on one point we agree with what the sheriff said at the Kane County Board meeting: we are also embarrassed he has a “D” for Democrat by his name.
The Protect Illinois Communities Act is not about politics, it is common sense public safety policy that will keep weapons of war out of neighborhoods and homes. It was publicly discussed at three hearings in December 2022. If the sheriff had cared to pay attention or check his facts, he would have seen several representatives from law enforcement spoke on the record in support of the bill.
But, much to the detriment of the people of Kane County, Sheriff Hain doesn’t care about facts. He prefers to spread misinformation and stoke the flames of controversy.
Families in our community have been loud and clear — enough is enough. There is nothing political about dropping your child off at school and fearing you may never see them again. No Kane County resident should feel unsafe celebrating at a parade, shopping at their local grocery store or gathering in a park. Legislators in Illinois heeded the calls of our constituents and joined eight other states in banning the sale and possession of assault-style weapons. We took action and we stand by our commitment to common sense gun safety.
Gun violence is a complex and multifaceted public health crisis and each piece of the puzzle deserves attention — from sustained investment in community violence intervention programs and, yes, mental health support, to job creation and addressing inequalities in our public schools. But for us to continue to pretend that the mass proliferation of guns isn’t the number one factor contributing to gun violence is to deny both basic common sense and empirical research in a way that is either embarrassingly naive or maliciously disingenuous.
We do need a more comprehensive approach to mental health treatment, we need to expand access to opportunity and we need to bridge political and cultural divides, but no serious approach to gun violence can ignore the ease of access to weapons of war.
Again, we ask Sheriff Hain to step back from public disputes and commit to working together on public safety policies to benefit the people of Kane County. Our doors are always open for collaboration and he knows where to find us.
Sens. Cristina Castro, Karina Villa
Reps. Anna Moeller, Barbara Hernandez, Maura Hirschauer
Kane sheriff refutes allegations made by legislators
The Kane County Board’s Legislative Committee is commissioned to address new laws and statewide initiatives that may affect or benefit Kane County; therefore, it is appropriate to report to them when concerns arise, which is what I did at a recent meeting.
I support considerations of firearms limitations for illicit usage as attempted in the Assault Weapon Ban legislation and I am an advocate for a no cash bail system and enhanced police professionalism standards as addressed in the SAFE-T Act.
However, both of these attempts to address societal concerns are now mired in Supreme Court review, mostly due to Democratic legislators’ failure to include the recommendations of professionals who do this work every day . When was the last time we saw so much substantive legislation immediately curbed due to potentially unconstitutional inclusions?
We need to remember that the Democratic Party speaks of mental health as a priority and core concern, yet while passing the currently contested assault weapon ban meant to address mass killings, they also passed a bill that delays the responsibility of the Illinois Department of Human Services to take people into proper supportive care from what are now our state’s largest mental health institutions: county jails.
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My statements against these actions are out of a direct statutory responsibility to keep all Kane County citizens safe. Had legislators included us in conversations from start to finish, we could have had an opportunity to get it right.
Of the five legislators who signed the above “rebuttal” letter in response to my committee comments, I heard from only one regarding the assault ban legislation. I offered feedback from several law enforcement officers with more than 100 years of police and law experience, but none of it was taken into consideration.
Regarding the SAFE-T Act, I proactively expressed concerns over some portions of the bill to the same legislator, but no collaboration was requested and none of the concerns were addressed in the final iteration.
Ultimately, the primary law enforcement representatives that the SAFE-T Act sponsors “allowed” at the table were Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser (Kane) and DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin through the finishing trailer bills.
This is not how our system is supposed to work and the end result is legislation held in legal limbo. The inflammatory language of the legislators’ rebuttal to me speaks to their continued ignorance of facts, laws and the constitution. I have been a staunch advocate of justice reform in the state, with many initiatives considered too progressive for some that have proven successful and gained national attention.
To the point of their last paragraph, communication is exactly my goal and I would welcome collaboration from any of them as I have desperately pressed for during my two terms. Unfortunately, it has come to the point where I need to raise awareness of these issues in a public forum.
Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain
No ‘normal’ after shootings — or effort to address the issue
Classes have resumed on the Michigan State University campus but no one expects a sense of normalcy to return as well. In fact, for many students nothing will ever be quite the same.
That’s the worst part of these mass shootings, even those who aren’t targets will be living in fear for the rest of their lives.
Who could have ever imagined a decade ago that one of the most effective tools for college recruiters would be an assurance that their campus is safe from domestic terrorism?
But that’s the reality of life today. Places of higher learning are no longer just a lovely destination for obtaining an advanced degree. Sadly, they’ve become a prime location where the crazies go to do maximum damage with their perfectly legal assault weapons.
And as the bodies of innocent victims pile up outside the classrooms and inside the dorms, our legislators are at a loss for words other than to say, “It’s too early to make an accurate assessment” or “It’s a matter of mental health.”
The fact is, it’s never too early to do something to stop all the blood being spilled on school grounds. And as for doing more to attend to the deranged, how about voting them out of office!
Bob Ory, Elgin
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