SPRINGFIELD (WGEM) – Illinois lawmakers are renewing their focus on curbing domestic violence in the state.
The renewed focus comes after what police are calling a murder-suicide last week in Villa Park involving a man on pretrial release after a domestic violence arrest.
Police found Winston Elguezabal and his wife Julie dead on April 26 following an apparent murder-suicide. Winston Elguezabal was on pretrial release after a recent domestic violence arrest.
Under the Pretrial Fairness Act portion of the SAFE-T Act, people accused of domestic violence are presumed to be released while awaiting trial. They can be held but the prosecution is required to file a motion and prove they’re too dangerous to be on the streets.
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State Senate Minority Leader John Curran, R-Downers Grove, wants to change that.
“We want to get serious about domestic violence, domestic abusers, those who are causing bodily harm to women and children, the victims of domestic violence, we need to flip that presumption,” he said. “My legislation is very simple in nature, the presumption will be flipped.”
He will introduce a bill requiring the accused to file a petition and prove they are not too dangerous to be released.
Democrats are pushing for another bill called “Karina’s Bill.” They believe it’s too easy for people accused of domestic violence to access firearms.
“I would ask my colleagues who want us to work on all of these items to think about the victims of domestic violence and readily availability of firearms to the perpetrator, and the protections are not there yet. We need to give law enforcement the tools to seize those weapons,” said state Rep. Diane Blair-Sherlock, D-Villa Park.
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“Karina’s Bill” would require police seize someone’s weapons within 96 hours when they’re giving a court order to surrender their Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card. Right now, they can turn their guns over to another FOID card holder including someone in the same house.
Curran said he supports the underlying idea of getting guns out of the hands of accused domestic abusers. He cautions though that ongoing negotiations between lawmakers, advocates and law enforcement have to get the policy details right since executing search warrants can be very dangerous.
The Illinois Secretary of State’s Office is warning residents of a “new surge” in scam texts claiming to be from the DMV and demanding money.
According to a press release from Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, residents are receiving text messages falsely claiming to either be from his office or a DMV, threatening suspension of license and vehicle registration if “fines” are not paid.
The messages often include links that can be used to steal residents’ information, and Giannoulias’ office is reminding residents to use vigilance and caution when receiving such messages.
“These text messages look legitimate and are designed to frighten people into acting quickly before they have time to think,” Giannoulias said. “Our office will never send a text message demanding payment or threatening to suspend someone’s license. If you receive a message like this, remember it’s a scam – plain and simple. Do not click the link and please report the message to scamalert@ilsos.gov.”
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According to his office, the messages often reference fake regulations or deadlines, and cite an upcoming enforcement date to add an air of urgency to the texts.
“These schemes are designed to create panic and trick individuals into surrendering money or personal information,” the Secretary of State’s Office said.
If a motorist receives a text, they are urged:
-NEVER to click a link
-Do not reply
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-Do not provide personal information
-Forward the message to the SOS’ scam alert email.
The only legitimate text messages the Secretary of State’s Office sends are to remind motorists of upcoming appointments at DMV facilities.
The No. 3 seed Illinois Fighting Illini (25-8) take on the No. 11 seed VCU Rams (28-7) with a Sweet 16 spot on the line on Saturday at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
How to watch VCU Rams vs. Illinois Fighting Illini
Stats to know
Illinois has a +501 scoring differential, topping opponents by 15.2 points per game. It is putting up 85.0 points per game to rank 17th in college basketball and is allowing 69.8 per outing to rank 67th in college basketball.
Illinois knocks down 11.0 three-pointers per game (eighth-most in college basketball), 2.6 more than its opponents (8.4). It is shooting 34.9% from deep (126th in college basketball) while allowing opponents to shoot 31.3%.
VCU has a +347 scoring differential, topping opponents by 9.9 points per game. It is putting up 81.6 points per game, 55th in college basketball, and is giving up 71.7 per outing to rank 116th in college basketball.
VCU knocks down 9.4 three-pointers per game (60th in college basketball) at a 36.9% rate (31st in college basketball), compared to the 6.8 per game its opponents make, at a 32.9% rate.
This watch guide was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.
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