McHenry Times

With another legislative session drawing to a close, state Sen. Don DeWitte (R-West Dundee) provided updates on legislation currently moving through Springfield, and how he feels that the Democratic majority's priority compass may be broken. 

In a May 13 video, DeWitte was speaking at a time when two weeks of legislative session remained. He said that things were moving very slowly, with little output from the House to the Senate and just as few bills moving from the Senate to the House. 

"My money says we will probably be here into June," DeWitte said. "I don't think we are going to make our May 31 session."

DeWitte is frustrated with the Democratic majority's current priorities, including decriminalizing the act of knowingly giving AIDS to a sexual partner without the partner aware of it, and defelonization of possession of drugs, including heroin and methamphetamine, "making [drug possession] simple misdemeanors like stealing a candy bar from your local 7-11," he said.

According to the senator, the statehouse is also discussing rewriting sex education curriculum for Illinois children in public school. 

"That will ensure your fifth grader will know what hormone blockers do at age 10 or 11, and it will also let your 12 or 13 year old in eighth grade know the different ways they can perform sexual acts," DeWitte said. "This legislation is egregious."

Redistricting and gerrymandering is a crucial issue that is being ignored in Springfield, according to DeWitte. 

"We’re not talking about the budget crisis that this state currently is involved in," he said. "We’re not talking about ethics violation legislation as more and more legislators are being indicted for illegal activities."

Lastly, DeWitte said pension debt is being ignored.

"We’re not talking about pensions, which as everyone knows is the absolute albatross around people’s necks here in the state of Illinois," DeWitte said, "creating the structural bankruptcy that we currently operate our government in."