When “Clean Slate” Becomes a Blindfold; New Concerns from Inside Illinois’ Criminal Justice System By Chief Tom Weitzel (Ret.), Fellow of Law Enforcement at Awake Illinois I previously wrote about the Clean Slate Act published at Awake Illinois. Since then, new information has emerged from prosecutors, circuit clerks, law enforcement professionals, and court personnel working inside Illinois’ criminal justice system. The picture is not encouraging. The Clean Slate Act, in its

A Preventable Killing: Illinois Leaders Ignored Every Warning Until an Officer Paid With His Life How a Broken Law, a Failed System, and Years of Political Cowardice Directly Caused the Murder of Officer John Bartholomew By: Awake IL Law Enforcement Fellow Chief Tom Weitzel (Ret.) I have spent nearly four decades in law enforcement. I have witnessed tragedy and failure. But nothing has been as infuriating, as preventable, or as systemically reckless as what happened at Swedis

Wow! This week we weren’t just honoring 5 years of Awake Illinois advocacy — we were in Washington D.C. to stand alongside grassroots leaders who refuse to back to the SPLC hate and we filed 5 federal civil rights complaints to the U.S. Department of Justice. This is our nonprofit mission in action. In honor of our 5th anniversary, we just filed 5 new federal civil rights complaints with the Department of Justice against Illinois schools and the State Board of Education for

Parents across Illinois are no longer standing by while schools secretly socially transition children, lock families out of critical decisions, and prioritize ideology over biology and parental rights. On May 22, 2026, Awake Illinois hosted a powerful livestream breaking down major developments in the fight to restore sanity in K-12 education. Attorney Ajay Gupta (Naperville lawyer and Republican candidate for Illinois House District 41) joined the broadcast to detail active

Listen to Awake Illinois founder Shannon Adcock speak with Ray Stevens where they break down the merits of the case filed against Algonquin District 300 by a district mother for parental rights violations pertaining to Gender Support Plans. Parents need to know this is happening! The interventions affirmatively intrude into the parent-child relationship and the minor’s psychological development by reshaping the child’s social environment at school through institutional author

Open Letter to Illinois Law Enforcement Leaders from Chief Tom Weitzel, Riverside Police Department (Retired), Fellow of Law Enforcement at Awake Illinois May 15, 2026 To my Illinois law enforcement colleagues, This is our moment. It is time for us to lead with the clarity, courage, and conviction that our communities desperately need — and that we were born to deliver. For years, we had elected officials who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with us, fought for our training, equipm

Helen Levinson was represented by America First Legal. The Awake Illinois team and members applaud Helen and her attorneys for standing in the gap against woke and against cancel culture. This was a HUGE win for free speech and advocacy in a time that wages war on bold, courageous advocates. Congrats, Helen! Onward! First published May 7, 2026 at The Daily Wire. Fighting Back Against The Goliath Lawsuits Designed To Shut Parents Up Lawsuits should never be used to silence cit

Today, Awake Illinois, representing more than 100,000 grassroots members across Illinois, together with MAHA Moms, Dads, and allied organizations nationwide, delivered a formal letter to U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The letter reaffirms our organization’s early and vocal endorsement of Secretary Kennedy’s appointment while delivering a clear and resolute message: We will not return to fear-driven public health policies that undermine paren

As National Police Week (May 11–17) kicks off, Awake Illinois is proud to announce that President Donald J. Trump has personally responded to our advocacy efforts supporting America’s law enforcement officers. On March 30, 2026, the White House delivered a direct reply to Chief Tom Weitzel (Ret.), Awake Illinois Law Enforcement Fellow, acknowledging our petition urging the President to “Back the Blue” and restore respect for those who protect our communities. In his powerful