October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and I’m joining my Senate Republican colleagues in calling for stronger protections for survivors and greater accountability for abusers.
According to the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 101 people died in domestic violence-related incidents statewide in 2025. Every life lost underscores the need to prevent abuse from escalating into tragedy.
Earlier this year, our caucus introduced four bills to address gaps in Illinois law:
- Senate Bill 3139 would require defendants charged with certain domestic violence offenses or protective order violations to demonstrate that their pretrial release would not threaten others.
- Senate Bill 3140 would increase criminal penalties for violating an order of protection.
- Senate Bill 3141 would encourage stronger minimum jail penalties for protective order violations.
- Senate Bill 3142 would increase penalties for offenders with certain prior protective order violations.
I’ll continue advocating for these measures because protecting survivors and holding abusers accountable must remain priorities long after October ends.