13 New Laws Going Into Effect This Year In Illinois That Will Make 2020 The Best Year Yet
By Elizabeth Crozier|Published January 09, 2020
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Elizabeth Crozier
Author
An Illinois transplant who grew up and went to school in Indiana for 22 years, Elizabeth holds a BFA in creative writing and has enjoyed traveling across the country and parts of Europe. She has visited half of the states, as well as parts of Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean, and regularly travels home to the Hoosier State to see friends and family. With more than five years of writing experience, Elizabeth’s articles have been featured on several websites, and her poetry and short stories have been published in multiple literary journals.
There are many 2020 new laws that have gone into effect this year, and they’re worth knowing about. Illinois is making some changes for the better, and you’ll want to be aware of them. Scroll on for more details.
1. All kennels for cats and dogs that are not staffed 24/7 must be equipped with an alarm or a sprinkler system in case of a fire.
2. Minimum wage is rising for the first time since 2010 in the state of Illinois. Beginning January 1, 2020, the rate increased to $9.25 per hour, and it will go up again in July to $10 per hour.
7. Going forward, it will be required that all single-occupancy restrooms will be designated as all-gender bathrooms rather than as being for males and females.
9. Quickly and swiftly, the Land of Lincoln became the land of the free once again when it legalized marijuana, pardoning 11,000 weed convictions, and raking in more than $3.2 million in sales on the first day alone.
This new law is especially hopeful for making Illinois a better place as the money being earned from sales is going back into our communities and many licenses are going to people of color to promote entrepreneurship in marginalized neighborhoods.
10. The penalty for hitting a worker in a construction zone has increased exponentially from $10,000 to $25,000.
12. Those awaiting trial at Cook County jail are getting their voting rights back. There will be a temporary polling station set up there as well as vote-by-mail opportunities in place for those being held pre-trial at other county detention centers.
13. Several new laws protecting children under the care of DCFS and in foster care are also in place this year and include extra check-ups, opportunities for those in the system to leave feedback, and requirements for reporting abuse.
