By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – More than five weeks after a Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy shot and killed a Black woman, Sonya Massey, in her home, members of the Sangamon County Board listened to members of the public get many things off their collective chests.

From anger at how now-fired deputy Sean Grayson was able to get hired in the first place to frustration over the lack of training to deal with citizens with mental health problems to an admonishment to make meaningful change before asking the Massey family for forgiveness, board members listened for about three hours.

Then one board member turned on the rest. “Are you not human beings?” asked Marc Ayers. “I don’t give a damn what letter is next to your name – an R or a D, who cares? You chose silence. You could have spoken up, and I hope you speak up tonight.”

Board member Sam Cahnman’s proposal to put a referendum on the Nov. 5 ballot on whether voters want the ability to recall county officials was ruled out of order on a technicality; that the measure was an amendment that was too much unlike the resolution to which it was appended. Without a special board meeting between now and Aug. 19, it’s too late to get something onto the next election ballot.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]