(The Center Square) – Legislation that mandates the Illinois Department of Corrections annually report on hospice and palliative care within its facilities is being criticized for being named after a convicted murderer who threw a victim head first down an elevator shaft.

State Sen. Steve McClure, R-Springfield, urged the Senate to vote “no” on House Bill 2397 this spring session, but ultimately the bill passed both chambers and heads to the governor for his signature. 

Recommended Stories

• Entire Fulbright board resigns, accusing Trump of undermining program's integrity
• Wisconsin watchdog group sues Musk, alleging his million-dollar giveaways were bribes
• Hochul accuses Stefanik of seeking ‘viral moment’ in testy Oversight exchange 

“We’ve got all these bills to try to rename roads for people who died overseas in the military. We’ve got now [Illinois Department of Transportation] taking away the memorials for DUI victims’ families that are there to try to keep the memories of their loved ones still alive,” McClure said during floor debate. “We can’t memorialize these people, but we’re going to have a guy who is a gang member who intentionally murdered somebody by pushing them head first down an elevator shaft.”

The legislation was inspired by the story of Eddie Thomas, a prisoner who died alone in a prison infirmary five months after being diagnosed with lung cancer. According to the bill’s sponsor, state Sen. Adriane Johnson, he died without receiving any end-of-life care. 

“This bill is simply to gather information and data on the use of hospice and palliative care in Illinois correctional facilities to guide the General Assembly on making policies and decisions related to end-of-life care and correctional facilities,” said Johnson, D-Buffalo Grove. 

McClure voiced strong opposition, blasting the process as insensitive.

“I think if this is going to be done, the least that we can do as a body is make the victim’s family aware of what’s happening and allow them to make a statement or give some sort of a position,” said McClure. 

Thomas was a Gangster Black Disciple convicted of first-degree murder for throwing 20-year-old Kevin Tremble head first down a Chicago elevator shaft.

“Can any of you imagine if your family member was murdered by someone and there’s no road named after the family member that was murdered, there’s no law to support that family member? I’m guessing there was probably not even a resolution for a celebration of life for this person, but the murderer gets to throw an act in our state’s laws permanently,” said McClure.