Sen. John Curran | senatorcurran.com
Sen. John Curran | senatorcurran.com
Sen. John Curran (R-Lemont) thinks that even though a bill targeting organized retail theft started out well, it later 'backtracked significantly.'
"I am going to be a yes vote but I do want to express my disappointment on the large step backward from the initial product you put forward in combating what we see and hear about on a routine basis and really is the systemic organized criminal enterprise that we as a state of Illinois need to approach in a much more serious manner in combating," Curran said on the Senate floor.
House Bill 1091 passed the Senate with 42 yes votes and 10 no votes, and passed the House with 96 yes votes and five no votes. It's been sent to the governor to be signed.
There is also a $5 million investment included within the state budget aimed at addressing organized retail crime. This investment will allow the attorney general's office to award grants to state's attorneys, as reported by the Metropolis Planet.
The main aim of House Bill 1091 is to combat retail theft. It amends the state's criminal code and creates the Illinois Integrity, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces for Consumers (INFORM Consumers) Act.
"We passed a public safety package that addresses very real concerns in our communities while also targeting the root causes of violence," said House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch, as reported by The State Journal-Register. "We had to address it holistically. That's what we did here this session."
According to The State Journal-Register, the bill will also require online retailers like Amazon or eBay to verify all information about people who are selling more than $5,000 worth of products on the platform or are making more than 200 sales in a period of one year.
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