ILLINOIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY June 3, 2020 Hon. Michael J. Madigan Speaker of the House of Representatives 300 Capitol Building Springfield, Illinois 62706 Hon. Don Harmon President of the Senate 327 Capitol Building Springfield, Illinois 62706 Speaker Madigan and President Harmon, The last week has been a trying one for many communities around the country. As we continue to deal with the COVID-19 crisis, these issues have been heightened and compounded by the national uproar against the killing of unarmed African Americans by law enforcement. The protests and subsequent civil unrest in communities around the state have made it extremely clear that we are in unprecedented times. Our neighborhoods have been devastated and our constituents have been overwhelmed. There is a substantial amount of legislation that deals with the rebuilding of our communities and the pursuit of justice and equality that has been filed in the past and that is more important now than ever. Our communities simply can not wait until the November veto session to address these systemic failures and the eroded trust of our neighborhoods when it comes to government, law enforcement and the criminal justice system, as well as economic development. We are in a state of emergency and need to act immediately. We are requesting the calling of a special emergency legislative session immediately in order to address these issues. Sincerely, Kam Buckner Illinois State Representative 26th District cc: Hon. J.B. Pritzker, Governor Curtis J. Tarver II Illinois State Representative 25th District Lamont J. Robinson, Jr. Illinois State Representative 5th District