In an unprecedented move, McLean County Republican board members voted against the appointment of Krystle Able to the board representing District 4. A vacancy was created when former-board member Matt Coates was appointed to the Illinois Prisoner Review Board, which requires one to resign from all other government positions. Coates was himself appointed after Ben Webb resigned because he moved outside of District 4. Webb was elected to the board in 2020 and only served for fourteen months.1
According to eight-year board veteran Josh Barnett, he has never seen an appointment to fill a vacant seat voted down. Eight Republicans outvoted seven Democrats, with Republican Chairman John McIntyre abstaining. Two Democrats, Joe Rogal of District 4 and Hannah Beer of District 6, were not present, along with Republican Gerald Thompson of District 1.
At issue were Able’s Defundist2 position on policing. Able is the former-public relations officer of the now-defunct Bloomington-Normal chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA BloNo), a Democratic operative and precinct committee person, organizer for the Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans, and the Democratic candidate for District 4 in this November’s election.
One previous social media post of Able’s stated: “Roses are red, no lives are blue, defund the police, and abolish ICE too.”
Cory Wills, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 176, which represents McLean County Sheriffs Deputies, gave vociferous opposition to Able’s appointment to the board.
“Good evening Mclean County Board Members. My name is Cory Wills and I am the President of the Mclean County Sheriff’s Deputies Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 176 Union. I am a 18 year Veteran of the Mclean County Sheriff’s Department. Standing here before you is something that I never imagined I would be doing. We typically do not get involved in politics as we are fair and unbiased Public Servants of this community. So standing in front of you this evening should show you how important this matter is to Law Enforcement. We believe that Krystle Able is not a qualified candidate for the Mclean County Board. When Ms Able is posting on Social Media and I quote, “Roses are Red, No lives are Blue, Defund the Police, and Abolish Ice to” This is a Huge Red flag for the safety of this Community. Although Ms Able is free to believe what she wants, she is not entitled to hold public office. We believe her Social Media posts should be disqualifying for a seat on the Mclean County Board. Ms Able does not believe in the Criminal Justice System, Law Enforcement, and quite frankly Ms Able is Anti Police. Ms Able and her associates are known throughout the community with their protests, and Social media Postings of Anti Police. As you are aware, these last few years have been very difficult on Law Enforcement. As a whole Law Enforcement across the country is understaffed, over worked, and has ongoing retention issues. Agencies are struggling to get applicants for police jobs. Mclean County has great officers and we pride ourselves on professionalism. The Defund the Police movement has been proven not to work. We do not need someone on the Board who has such extreme Anti Police views. We want to bring the community together, not tear it apart. Ms. Able’s views on Law Enforcement would cause great division within the community and this Board. The Citizens of this county deserve to have a qualified candidate, one who keeps an open mind and is supportive of the safety of the community. Again, we would not be here unless we felt it was absolutely necessary to let you know how completely opposed Law Enforcement is to the idea of Ms. Able being appointed to this board.
In Conclusion, This is not about being a Democrat or Republican, This is about doing the right thing. We are the first line of defense in the safety and wellbeing of this community. Your spouses, your children, grandchildren, loved ones have the right to feel safe in our community.
We urge you NOT to appoint a candidate whose presence on the Board would cause so much division in our Community and with Law Enforcement. Thank you for your time.”
Who has caused more division in the community: Krystle Able or the Fraternal Order of Police?
Has the failed fifty-year war on drugs divided our community? What about incarcerating people pre-trial for non-violent crimes while ransoming them with cash bail, any division there? Any division from the consistent use of solitary confinement at the McLean County jail? What about the nearly 1,000% increase in SWAT raids since the 1970s, largely for low-level non-violent drug offenses? Any communities impacted by that? Since the FOP is apparently down with ICE, any division by taking children from their families and locking them up in cages where they were later sexually abused and raped by government contractors or ICE agents? What about the forced hysterectomies at ICE concentration camps, any division?
All of these are choices, made by the police, that have and continue to divide our communities. None of these are necessities of society; therefore, none of the division created by these failed and terrible policies is necessary.
Wills spent a portion of his speech lamenting the current state of policing:
“As you are aware, these last few years have been very difficult on Law Enforcement. As a whole Law Enforcement across the country is understaffed, over worked, and has ongoing retention issues. Agencies are struggling to get applicants for police jobs.”
In Illinois, police typically blame the passage of the SAFE-T Act in 2021 that will, among other things, abolish cash bail soon, for retention and understaffing issues. Yet, it is the police unions themselves who are most to blame for this predicament. Here is just a small list of claims made by police unions regarding the SAFE-T Act:
- It’ll be a crime to be a police officer.
- Prevents use of force in almost all situations.
- Force cannot be used against an active shooter if they stop shooting.
- A person cannot be arrested for trespassing or disorderly conduct.
- A person cannot be arrested for obstructing justice.
- Officers have a duty to retreat.
As I’ve written previously, every one of these statements is completely false. Yet, can you blame current or potential rank-and-file officers for quiting or choosing different careers when their own advocates, the one’s they trust the most, blatantly lie to them and convince them to believe such ridiculous assertions? Police unions have told so many lies about the SAFE-T Act in an attempt to gin up fear amongst police supporters, that they’ve shot themselves in the foot when it comes to the workers they represent.
Perhaps Cory Wills, and other police union stooges, should look inward & reflect on their own behavior and so-called leadership when complaining about hiring & retention concerns.
After being voted down on August 11th, Krystle Able vowed to reapply again for the District 4 seat. She was the only applicant when the seat originally became vacant. Matt Coates was originally on the ballot to run for election. He received 863 votes in the Democratic primary. However, with his appointment to a state committee, he was no longer eligible to run. The major parties are allowed to slate candidates for the general election if no one runs in the primary or in the current situation created by Coates vacancy. The precinct committee people of District 4 voted to nominate Able to replace Coates as the candidate to run in November, and she is currently on the ballot.
While Able originally said she would reapply for the vacant seat, the McLean County Democrats announced that a high school teacher name Ryan Lawler will apply for the seat. Today, his nomination will be voted on by a special meeting of the County Board at 5:30. If approved, he will fill the remainder of Coates’ term till December.
This article was originally published on Strangecornersofthought.com.
