SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) – Legislation making its way through the Illinois Statehouse could eliminate what some call a needed protection for law enforcement.

HB 1727, also known as the “Bad Apples in Law Enforcement Accountability Act of 2021” is headed to a vote in the entire house after passing the Restorative Justice Committee on a party line vote last week.

"It is another anti-police bill that will make our communities less safe,” Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell said. "This bill is an answer looking for a problem."

Under the proposed legislation police departments would be required to reports judgements and settlements, including the amount and name of any officer whose action led to the settlement. The most controversial part would strip police of the qualified immunity, allowing police officers to face civil lawsuits for violating a person’s constitutional rights.

"Now you're going to have people who are going to stop and think about what I should do, what shouldn't I do because everyone is thinking about sued,” Campbell said.

The push for police reform is controversial, but even law enforcement agrees there needs to be some change.

"I think it is great if it is only affecting people who intentionally want to violate somebody's constitutional rights,” Champaign County Sheriff Dustin Heuerman said, but he warned eliminating qualified immunity for law enforcement is bad for the good cops who may now be able to be sued for their actions despite having no ill intentions. 

Sheriff Heuerman said he sees this as a potential hinderance to protecting the public in general saying he wonder “how many deputies, how many officers are not going to do what we want them to do, what we need them to do as a community for the fear they will lose their house, they may lose their cars.”

Both sheriffs’ do not think lawmakers are giving them a fair voice in reform.

"It would be nice to know the direction the legislature wants to go and help them get there as to not,” Heuerman said.

WAND News reached out to the bill sponsors and have not heard back.