South Cook News

Though Sen. John Curran (R-Lemont) voted for House Bill 1091, he thinks that the state should approach the issue of organized retail theft in a more serious manner.

"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 from 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. 

The Illinois Retail Merchants Association and the state's Attorney General have both supported the bill.

Among other measures, the Illinois Integrity, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces for Consumers (INFORM Consumers) Act allows a statewide grand jury to investigate, indict and prosecute violations of organized retail crime.

 "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."

"Organized retail crime is committed by sophisticated criminal enterprises that harm our communities in ways that extend beyond lost revenue and stolen products," Attorney General Kwame Raoul said in a news release, Lincoln Courier reported. "These complex operations rely on thrift and resale of stolen products to fund and perpetuate the cycle of violence through even more dangerous illegal activities like trafficking drugs and firearms."