SAVANNAH — State Rep. Tony McCombie (R-Savannah) is spearheading a new podcast series called “Capitol Crimes” that chronicles the stories behind bills introduced in the Illinois House of Representatives.
Listeners hear from bill sponsors. “Capitol Crime” host Dean Abbott unravels the “why” of this bill by telling the story of the legislative measures and what happened to them after they were introduced in the House.
The first episode of “Capitol Crimes” was released last week and features McCombie telling “The Pam Knight Story.” Knight, a child protection specialist with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, was killed while on duty protecting children in need. McCombie has been fighting for five years to pass legislation to better protect DCFS caseworkers from on-the-job violence, but these bills have failed to pass and never become law.
This year, McCombie continues to fight for legislation that would give DCFS employees the same job protections the law provides for police officers and other public servants in precarious situations. .
“I'm delighted to be putting this podcast out into the world to ensure people hear Pam Knight's story. This is a story that must pass to ensure a tragedy like this never happens again. It will help rally support for important legislation,” McCombie said.
McCombie's bills include HB1460 and HB1461, which would increase penalties for those who commit aggravated assault against someone working as a DCFS employee or under the Department of Aging's Adult Protective Services program. It is.
“Supporting DCFS employees doesn't just mean attending their funerals,” McCombie said. “That means doing everything in our power to ensure these funerals never happen in the first place.”
Listen to the Pam Knight story at https://soundcloud.com/capitol-crimes.
