Will County Gazette

Travis Weaver, a state representative from Illinois, expressed concerns about the SAFE-T Act's impact on public safety and justice reform goals. His comments were made on Facebook.

"When Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the SAFE-T Act into law in 2021, he hailed it as a landmark step toward equity and accountability in Illinois' criminal justice system," said Travis Robert Weaver, Illinois State Representative for 93rd District (R), according to Facebook. "But nearly four years later, the fallout from this sweeping legislation has left many Illinoisans asking: Who is this law really protecting?"

Illinois implemented the SAFE-T Act’s Pretrial Fairness provisions on September 18, 2023, following the state Supreme Court's decision to uphold them earlier that summer. The law eliminated cash bail, transferring detention decisions to judicial assessments of risk. This change has sparked statewide debates regarding its effects on crime rates and court attendance. Supporters argue that it creates a fairer system, while critics claim it undermines public safety. According to Capitol News Illinois, the SAFE-T Act remains one of the most controversial criminal justice reforms in Illinois history.

In 2024, Illinois recorded a violent crime rate of 289 per 100,000 residents. Aggravated assault accounted for 50.6% of cases, robbery for 31.2%, rape for 16.2%, and murder for 2.0%. These statistics positioned Illinois as the 29th state in terms of violent crime rates that year, reflecting a mid-range standing nationally. These figures were reported after the implementation of the SAFE-T Act’s bail reform provisions and provide a baseline for analyzing its impact on public safety, according to USAFacts’ analysis of FBI data.

A study by Loyola University Chicago found that Illinois' average pretrial jail population declined significantly following the enactment of the SAFE-T Act. Urban counties like Cook saw a 14% decrease in detainees, while rural counties experienced a reduction of 25%, with the largest decreases occurring shortly after implementation. The report also noted variations in prosecutors’ detention petition practices across different county types.

Weaver is a Republican representative for Illinois’ 93rd District and was first sworn into office in January 2023. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Alabama and an MBA from Northwestern University. Before joining the legislature, Weaver worked in finance and corporate strategy at Caterpillar, ultimately becoming a strategy manager. He now serves on committees including Appropriations–Public Safety.