August 23, 2010

To the Honorable Members of the

Illinois House of Representatives,

96th General Assembly:

In accordance with Article IV, Section 9(b) of the Illinois Constitution, I hereby veto House Bill 5060.

I commend the sponsors of the bill for their hard work on this bill.  House Bill 5060 gives the Prisoner Review Board and individuals that have violated the conditions of their parole or mandatory supervised release broader access to physical evidence, including unlimited access to a parole agent’s notes and to physical evidence which may be the subject of a pending criminal case.  Upon review of this bill, it is clear to me that there are instances where such unlimited access is not in the best interest of the public safety of the people of Illinois because of its detrimental impact on ongoing criminal matters and investigations. As Governor, I am committed to prioritizing safety throughout our State. Accordingly, I cannot approve legislation that could compromise law enforcement efforts. 

In the upcoming weeks, I look forward to working with the bill’s sponsors on legislation that will protect the citizens of Illinois, provide law enforcement agencies the ability to conduct investigations, and ensure that the Prisoner Review Board has access to the information necessary to make appropriate decisions.

Therefore, pursuant to Article IV, Section 9(b) of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I hereby return House Bill 5060, entitled “AN ACT concerning criminal law.” vetoed in its entirety with this statement of objections.

Sincerely,

Pat Quinn

Governor