In the days after the horrific burning of a woman on a CTA train, allegedly by a clearly deranged habitual criminal suspect last month, some in the news media immediately focused on their go-to issue: The Safety, Accountability, Fairness, and Equity-Today, or SAFE-T Act. “Illinois leaders blast SAFE-T Act after repeat offender charged with lighting woman on fire on CTA Blue Line,” reported WGN, as just one example. Former Cook County and federal prosecutor Bob Milan told the station: “The SAFE-T Act forces state attorneys to file petitions instead of just giving judges the discretion [to detain arrested suspects].”

You likely already know that U.S. Representative Jesus “Chuy” García, D-Chicago, dropped out of his re-election race in a way that essentially handed his seat to his top aide. García said his doctor advised him not to run again because of his heart condition, as did his spouse, who has multiple sclerosis that didn’t respond to her most recent treatment. And he and his wife had just adopted a grandchild after the death of his daughter. Amid all that, García said he decided the Friday before the Monday petition-filing deadline to drop out. And he decided the same day to back his chief of staff, Patty García, to replace him on the ballot.