SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — The Illinois House passed legislation Thursday to require law enforcement have stricter hiring practices following the murder of Sonya Massey.
Sen. Doris Turner (D-Springfield) worked with the Massey Commission and law enforcement leaders to draft the bill language and ensure what happened to Massey never happens again.
Police departments would not be able to make final offers of employment for probationary or law enforcement officers unless they review all past employment records, including background investigation materials, duty-related physical and psychological fitness-for-duty examinations, work performance records, arrests, convictions, and any records of criminal, civil, or administrative investigations of conduct.
Sen. Doris Turner (D-Springfield) worked with the Massey Commission and multiple statewide law enforcement leaders to draft the bill language and ensure what happened to Massey never happens again.
Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago) was the lead sponsor of the legislation in the House. Buckner stood alongside Turner and members of the Massey family Thursday morning to stress he would get the bill across the finish line to bring them justice.
"Every parent, every child, and every neighbor in this state deserves to be safe in their own home," Buckner said. "Every department deserves to hire with integrity. We owe it Sonya. We owe it to her father. We owe it to every family who has lived through this kind of pain or who prays that they never have to."
The proposal would also expand the creation of sheriff's merit boards and sheriff's merit commissions for counties with populations of at least 75,000.
Senate Bill 1953 passed out of the House on a 101-12 vote and now heads to Gov. JB Pritzker's desk. The measure previously passed unanimously out of the Senate.
"I would say this is one of the most important bills I have brought forward to this chamber," Turner said. "The murder of Sonya Massey at the Sangamon County Deputy Sheriff's hands shook my community and brought light to some of the unjust hiring practices in the Sangamon County Sheriff's office."
Meanwhile, separate legislation to allow Sangamon County residents to recall its elected officials is locked in the House Rules Committee. The measure would create a referendum in 2026 for Sangamon County, and residents would have the ability to vote on if they want to add recall laws locally.
The proposal was originally much more expansive, with an ability for recall laws to be added for any county across the state under the same referendum process. This bill's language was later changed to state it only applied to the 2026 midterm election and gave counties the ability to repeal the recall law. Now, it only applies to Sangamon County.
Senate Republicans voted against the measure, as they argued the new bill language was too narrow and that every county should have recall laws. Senate Bill 1954 passed out of the Senate on a 35-19 vote on April 10, but the bill never received a hearing before the House Ethics & Elections Committee.
Buckner said he hopes Rep. Maurice West (D-Rockford) will include the recall language in an elections omnibus bill lawmakers could pass in the final weeks of session.
Following the passing of Senate Bill 1953, National civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci issued the following statement:
“The passage of the Sonya Massey Bill is a powerful and overdue step forward in preventing tragedies like the one that took Sonya’s life. This legislation helps address the deep flaws in the law enforcement hiring process that allowed an officer with a disturbing pattern of misconduct to continue wearing a badge and carrying a weapon.
“We are grateful to Senator Doris Turner and Representative Kam Buckner for their leadership in championing this bill and standing with the Massey family throughout this process. Their efforts, alongside the tireless advocacy of the Massey Commission, have brought about meaningful reform that will require departments to fully investigate and consider a candidate’s prior history before entrusting them with the power to police and serve our communities.
“Today, Illinois lawmakers have sent a clear message: that we can and must do better. This legislation sets a new standard for accountability and transparency, and brings us closer to ensuring that no other family endures the devastating loss the Massey family has suffered. Other states must follow their lead.
“We respectfully implore Governor Pritzker to sign this bill into law swiftly, as we reaffirm our commitment to fighting for justice, accountability, and reform in Sonya’s name.”
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