Source: Town Hall
by Joe Abraham
“Katie Abraham was 20 when she was killed on January 19, 2025, in Sanctuary Urbana, Illinois. Her death changed my life forever and sharpened a question beyond the person responsible for the crash: When government decisions affect public safety, who holds officials accountable when their policies or failures create foreseeable risks? Government officials need legal protections to perform their duties. Judges must make difficult decisions, legislators need room to deliberate, and executive officials must be able to govern without constant fear of personal lawsuits. But immunity is not one universal protection. Different legal standards apply to different officials and functions. Protecting legitimate judgment is one thing. Preventing serious failures from being examined is another. The familiar response to government failure is that voters can remove those responsible. Elections are essential, but their effectiveness depends on whether political power can meaningfully be challenged.” (11/04/26)