Rock Island Today

State Sen. Win Stoller (R-Peoria) says the best way to curtail the rising crime rate in Illinois is to provide police with the tools and training they need to do their jobs.

“As violent crime continues to spike throughout the state, we must not only ensure that our police are adequately funded but we must also implement policies that support law enforcement officers and provides them with the tools they need to fight violent crimes,” Stoller, first elected to the state Senate in 2021, posted on Facebook Thursday. 

Stoller offered support for his opinion by linking to an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal that discussed the consequences of defunding the police. 

Stoller also recently expressed concern about the state budget, saying it won’t protect the state if it experiences a boost in joblessness related to the predicted recession. 

"Already billions of dollars in debt, already having higher taxes on our employers, already having employees in that situation having reduced benefits when we enter a recession and have the related spike in unemployment," Stoller said. "Other states that took action are not going to be in that position. They're going to be in a position to take care that their employees who need unemployment benefits in their time of need, but we are shortchanging ours.” He said delaying action doesn't solve any problems.

“In fact, it's these delays that got us in the mess that we are in in the first place and I do not think we should be heading down that path." 

On April 9, Senate Bill 157, a budget bill, passed the Senate with one 'no' vote, and it passed the House unanimously. Many Republicans are not happy with the bill. 

"Let's call this budget what it really is — an attempt to buy your vote," Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie (R-Lake Zurich) said in a WTTW report. "While some tax relief is better than none at all, Illinoisans deserve real relief instead of bigger government.”