 Legislative Update
January 15, 2021
From Voices Executive Director
Tasha Green Cruzat Dear Friends, This was a busy week in Springfield with a flurry of legislative items debated in the final days of the 101st General Assembly and then the convening of the 102nd General Assembly with the election of a new Speaker. Members elected Representative Chris Welch as Speaker of the House - the first African-American to hold that office. Much of the legislative activity surrounded a package of bills developed during the last several months by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus. The General Assembly approved bills covering three of the four pillars comprising the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus’ comprehensive package of measures (covering education, criminal justice, and economic development). The Governor still needs to sign the bills into law. The education bill contains a requirement to report the racial and ethnic demographics of individuals served by designated state programs. During the course of the 101st General Assembly, Voices worked with legislators on this language. Enhanced demographic data should improve the state’s efforts to identify and reduce existing inequities. Just some of the other items approved in the bills include: - Abolishing the requirement of posting monetary bail except in certain cases starting January 1, 2023.
- Except in certain specified cases, making it a civil rights violation for an employer to use a conviction record as a reason to not hire, promote, or offer professional development to an individual.
- Under the Predatory Loan Act, placing a 36 percent interest rate cap on consumer loans, including payday and car title loans.
- Requiring two years of laboratory science and a foreign language to graduate high school.
There are provisions concerning kindergarten assessments, use of deadly force by law enforcement officers, body cameras, and a new commission to look at the issue of reparations. These are just a small number of the many items approved by the General Assembly this week. You can find out more about the items mentioned here and other issues at our website. Our thanks to the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus for all of its work to address racism and inequities in our state. | |
