SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Senate Republicans said Illinois lawmakers must pass bills this spring to protect domestic violence survivors from further abuse. Senate GOP leaders have filed a package of bills strengthening enforcement of orders of protection and providing more time for survivors to seek help.
Domestic violence deaths increased by 140% from 2022 to 2024, according to the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence.Â
Republican lawmakers told reporters in Springfield Thursday that this is an emergency that needs to be addressed as soon as possible.
One of their plans could increase the penalty for violating an order of protection from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class 4 Felony. Sen. Steve McClure (R-Springfield) said this change could be critical to keep more abusers behind bars.
"This would deter people from violating orders of protection, and the felony charged would allow for more intervention and long-term rehabilitation," McClure said.
A separate bill could encourage courts to impose a minimum penalty of 48 hours in jail for violating a civil no-contact order, order of protection, or protective order, rather than the 24-hour minimum time set in state law. People would also be held behind bars for 96 hours after violating an order of protection two or more times.
Survivor Dakota Sebring said she is glad to see lawmakers standing up for people too often ignored.
"I shouldn't have to keep proving myself and keep making the process move forward. I should be taken seriously the first time, or the second, or the third or the fourth," Sebring stressed. "An order of protection should not require over a dozen calls to the police for it to be enforced, and it should not take multiple arrests before real consequences happen."
Sen. Darby Hills (D-Barrington Hills) hopes to address repeat offenders by increasing the penalty for violating any order of protection to a Class 4 felony. She said her bill could stop the cycle of abuse by recognizing patterns of behavior and responding before violence escalates.
"Our goal is simple — protect victims, hold abusers accountable," Hills said. "Give law enforcement and the courts the tools to intervene before a life is lost."
Senate Republican Leader John Curran (R-Downers Grove) has also filed a plan to require offenders prove to judges that they are not a threat to survivors or the public. Curran said the current system is unfair for survivors, as they are forced to take on that burden each time an abuser appears for pretrial release hearings.
"As a former prosecutor in Cook County, I understand not just the physical toll that domestic violence has on victims but also the stress, fear, time and resources it can take to follow through with legal action," Curran said. "This legislation package is just one step towards lowering the domestic violence death rate, empowering and protecting victims, and hopefully helping to end the cycle of domestic violence that has hurt and taken far too many lives."
None of the proposals has been assigned to a committee at this time. Senators will return to Springfield on Feb. 17.
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