Here Are Some New Illinois Laws You’ll Be Seeing Soon

Okay, so maybe you're one of those people who thinks that Illinois needs more job opportunities, less crime, lower taxes, and a better-funded pension system. Would you settle for more laws instead? Like Illinois state government, I'm going to go ahead and put you down for a "yes" on that.

I'm guessing that Illinois' governor, JB Pritzker, is dealing with a serious case of writer's cramp because he just signed more than 150 measures into law over the last few days. Some of these won't kick in until the first day of next year, but others will take effect sooner.

There's One Particular Measure That Has Illinois Residents Buzzing, And It Revolves Around Exactly Who Can Become A Law Enforcement Officer

And that measure is Illinois House Bill 3751 (HB3751), which states "HB 3751 – Non-citizens who are legally allowed to work in the United States will now be eligible to apply to become police officers."

Many take that to mean that anyone here in the state of Illinois illegally can just go ahead and become a cop, and by doing so will be able to arrest legal citizens at will.

If that were the exact case, I would be totally against it, too. However, I would suggest reading the law fully to see that there are safeguards against that, most notably the part about having to be legally qualified and allowed to carry a firearm (you can read HB3751 here).

Here Are More Measures Recently Signed Into Law By Illinois' Governor

Like I said earlier, the governor's hand must hurt, and Springfield's ink supply has undoubtedly shrunk after nearly 150 measures were signed into law. Some of the other things that got the green light include:

HB 2123 – The “Digital Forgeries Act” holds that individuals have a right to legal recourse if they are the target of “deep fakes” or digitally-altered sexual images.

HB 2431 – Videoconferencing while driving will now be banned in Illinois. (Seriously? We needed a law to tell us that was bad idea?)

HB 2719 – Hospitals will be legally required to screen patients for eligibility for financial assistance before sending them to collections.

SB 1896 – New and used licensed motor vehicle dealers will be allowed to conduct sales activities via the internet, and will be permitted to deliver vehicles to a customer’s residence or another suitable location.

HB 2493 – All employees in Illinois will now have unpaid leave of up to two weeks in the event a family or household member is killed in a crime of violence.

HB 2094 – All marketing materials from mortgage companies not connected to a homeowner’s mortgage company must comply with specified requirements so as not to mislead consumers.

HB 2719 – Hospitals will be legally required to screen patients for eligibility for financial assistance before sending them to collections.