Andy Kravetz
Journal Star, Peoria, Ill.
CHICAGO — A day after Fulton County Sheriff’s Deputy Troy Chisum was killed, Gov. JB Pritzker signed into law a measure that would double the death benefits for families of fallen law enforcement officers and firefighters.
Previously, the amount of money the state would reimburse a family was capped at $10,000 but the new law raises that limit to $20,000. The bill will apply to all deaths from June 30, 2018, onward.
“While no amount of money can ease the terrible grief of families who have lost their loved ones because they were killed in the line of duty, I hope we can at least lessen the financial burden of an immeasurable loss of our state’s finest,” the governor said in a news release. “My heart breaks for the families, friends and fellow first responders every time a brave soul leaves us in the noblest of ways. A grateful state will always honor your legacies.”
———
©2019 the Journal Star (Peoria, Ill.)