State Sen. John Curran (R-Downers Grove) | senatorcurran.com/
State Sen. John Curran (R-Downers Grove) | senatorcurran.com/
Sen. John Curran (R-Lemont) is disappointed with an organized retail theft bill and how it turned out.
"I am going to be a yes vote," Curran said from the Senate floor, "but I do want to express my disappointment on the large step backward from the initial product you put forward in combating what we see and hear about on a routine basis and really is the systemic organized criminal enterprise that we as a state of Illinois need to approach in a much more serious manner in combating," said Sen. Curran.
House Bill 1091 passed the Senate with 42 yes votes and 10 no votes, and passed the House with 96 yes votes and five no votes. It's been sent to the governor to be signed.
Though Republicans voted for the bill, many Republican lawmakers have withdrawn their names as cosponsors as they called the bill 'watered down' and found it to be appeasing civil liberties organizations and crime victim groups, the Lincoln Courier reported.
The main aim House Bill 1091 is to combat retail theft. It amends the state's criminal code and creates the Illinois Integrity, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces for Consumers (INFORM Consumers) Act.
"Organized retail crimes have wreaked havoc on our workers, businesses and local economies," said Sen. Doris Turner (D-Springfield), who supports the bill, The State Journal-Register reported.
Rob Karr, the leader of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, supports the bill.
"This proposal seeks to combat organized retail crime comprehensively by addressing the problem from multiple angles," said Karr, The State Journal-Register reported.
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