It’s easy for someone to say they support somebody or something, but it’s another thing to turn those words into action. All nine members of the Naperville city council support the police but five show support only up to a point, and that point was reached during last Tuesday’s city council meeting.
The agenda item was about adopting resolution HB-3653 (Criminal Justice Reform Bill) disapproving of the legislative process and recommending Governor Pritzker’s veto). Four council members voted for the resolution including Mayor Steve Chirico, along with Kevin Coyne, Paul Hinterlong and Patty Gustin, while five council members voted against the resolution including Judy Brodhead, Pat Kelly, Theresa Sullivan, John Krummen and Benny White.
The vote had nothing to do with the content of the bill, it was simply about the process used by State legislators, which was passed at 4am in the morning.
Exactly 347 people expressed their opinions to the city council (mostly written comments) with 85% favoring the resolution for Pritzker to veto the bill, while only 15% opposed the resolution. A good number favoring the resolution included police officers, sheriffs, and State attorneys.
Councilwoman Judy Brodhead said she ‘did not read every word of the bill’, she leaves that up to staff and lobbyists.
Yet councilman Patrick Kelly did read the wording.
Kelly reads but Brodhead doesn’t, though they came to the same conclusion to oppose the resolution.
All five of the council members opposing the resolution said they support the men and women in blue, but their support fell short of agreeing with the police who commented on the issue.
Councilman Krummen said “I stand ‘behind’ the police…”, and councilman Benny White said, “I ‘back’ the police…” but neither stood ‘with’ the police on the issue. Krummen said, “I have no choice but to vote against this”.
Since when does a council member “not have a choice”.
Elections have consequences and actions always speak louder then words.