West Central Reporter

A piece of legislation that has garnered unanimous approval in the state Senate looks to prevent a repeat of what Sangamon County experienced with its top law enforcement official almost three years ago.

Senate Bill 135 was introduced on Feb. 9 with Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell in mind.

Campbell won the office in the 2018 midterm elections, but because of a state law that requires an elected sheriff to be sworn in on the first day of the month where the office is required to be open and since Dec. 1 fell on a weekend, the county could not have an oath-taking until that following Monday.

"This delay could have happened during a serious emergency, leaving the people of the county without their top law enforcement official when they are needed most,” state Sen. Steve McClure (R-Jacksonville) said in a Facebook post on Apr. 26.

“This legislation will make sure counties can rely on having their elected sheriff in place without any unnecessary delays.”

LegiScan explains that SB 135 “amends the Counties Code to provide that a sheriff shall enter upon the duties of his or her office on the December 1 following his or her election (rather than on the first day in the month of December following his or her election on which the office of the sheriff is required, by statute or by action of the county board, to be open).”

If approved by the House of Representatives and signed into law by the governor, the bill will ensure that a newly-elected county sheriff enters the office on Dec. 1, regardless of what day of the week that falls on, a news release issued by McClure’s office on April 26.

The bill has been referred to the House Rules Committee.