Bill Text: IL HR0433 | 2019-2020 | 101st General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Urges that violence be labeled as a disease and treated as a public health crisis.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 33-0)

Status: (Passed) 2020-11-30 - Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Debbie Meyers-Martin [HR0433 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2019-HR0433-Introduced.html

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HOUSE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, In the State of Illinois, two thirds of gun
violence is related to suicide, and one third is related to
homicide, claiming approximately 12,000 lives a year; and
WHEREAS, Violence has plagued communities, predominantly
poor and distressed communities in urban settings, which have
always treated violence as a criminal justice issue, instead of
a public health issue; and
WHEREAS, On February 21, 2018, Pastor Anthony Williams was
informed that his son, Nehemiah William, had been shot to
death; and
WHEREAS, Due to this disheartening event, Pastor Anthony
Williams reached out to state Rep. Elizabeth "Lisa" Hernandez,
urging that the issue of violence be treated as a disease; and
WHEREAS, In 2018, elected officials from all levels of
government started a coalition to address violence as a
disease, with the assistance of faith-based organizations,
advocates, and community members and held a statewide listening
tour from August 2018 to April 2019; and
WHEREAS, The listening tour consisted of stops on the South

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Side and West Side of Chicago, in Maywood, Springfield, and
East St. Louis, with a future scheduled visit in Danville; and
WHEREAS, During the statewide listening sessions,
community members actively discussed neighborhood safety,
defining violence and how and why violence occurs in their
communities; and
WHEREAS, The listening sessions provided different
solutions to address violence, however, all sessions confirmed
a disconnect from the priorities of government and the needs of
these communities; and
WHEREAS, In the 100th General Assembly, the Safe and Full
Employment (SAFE) Act was filed in order create a process to
identify high-violence communities and prioritize state
dollars to go to those communities to fund programs that would
address the underlying causes of crime and violence; and
WHEREAS, Due to a variety of reasons, including in
particular the State's budget impasse, funds were unavailable
to establish such comprehensive policy; and
WHEREAS, Policies like the SAFE Act are needed in order to
provide communities that have historically suffered from
divestment, poverty, and incarceration with smart solutions

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that can solve the plague of violence; and
WHEREAS, It is clear that violence is a public health
problem that needs to treated as such, a disease; and
WHEREAS, Research has shown that when violence is treated
in such a way, then its effects can be slowed or even halted;
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
we stand together with the victims of violence and their loved
ones who are being plagued by this disease in communities
across Illinois, and that we urge that violence be labeled and
treated as a public health crisis in order to effectively
address it; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
delivered to Pastor Anthony W. Williams of the First
Congregational Church of Berwyn.