Illinois is set to implement the Public Official Safety and Privacy Act (Public Act 104-0443) on January 1, 2026. The law establishes protections for public officials by restricting the public disclosure of their personal information, including home addresses, phone numbers, and children’s identities, and criminalizing the malicious release of such data, a […]
As Illinois prepares to eliminate its 1% statewide grocery tax on January 1, 2026, St. Joseph has joined hundreds of municipalities across the state in implementing a 1% municipal grocery tax to capture the projected lost revenue. The legislation, House Bill 3144 (Public Act 103-0781), eliminates the state grocery tax […]
Public Act 104-0267, signed by Governor JB Pritzker on August 15, 2025, and taking effect January 1, 2026, amends the Illinois School Code to clarify and broaden the circumstances under which middle school students can enroll in high school-level courses for credit toward graduation requirements. The legislation modifies Section 27-22.10 […]
Beginning January 1, 2026, employers will be required to compensate nursing mothers during breaks taken to express breast milk. Under the amended statute, Illinois employers with more than five employees must provide reasonable paid break time to employees who need to express breast milk for their nursing infant child, each […]
The Supreme Court denied the Trump administration’s request to deploy National Guard troops to the Chicago area amid escalating protests over federal immigration enforcement operations. The 6-3 decision marks the first time the high court has addressed the issue of military deployments for domestic law enforcement and establishes limits on presidential […]
Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s sexual abuse issued a letter on Monday accusing the U.S. Department of Justice of violating federal law by failing to release comprehensive investigation records by a congressionally mandated December 19 deadline. The Epstein Files Transparency Act, which passed the House nearly unanimously and […]
The Department of Justice failed to meet the statutory deadline to release the complete Jeffrey Epstein files, delivering instead a heavily redacted tranche of documents. The release, mandated by the Epstein Files Transparency Act signed into law last month, was supposed to be a comprehensive disclosure of “all unclassified records” by Friday, […]
Illinois pharmacists will soon have expanded authority to assess patients and dispense all types of contraceptives, including emergency contraception, without requiring a traditional doctor’s prescription under a new law set to take effect January 1, 2026. The legislation amends the Illinois Pharmacy Practice Act to formally include contraceptive assessment and […]
A federal judge has granted a preliminary stay blocking U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement policies that prevented members of Congress from conducting unannounced visits to immigration detention facilities, ruling that the restrictions violate federal law that guarantees congressional oversight access. U.S. District Judge Jia M. Cobb issued a memorandum opinion […]
Illinois health officials announced Tuesday they will maintain the recommendation for all newborns to receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth. The Illinois Department of Public Health reaffirmed its support for universal hepatitis B vaccination following recommendations from the Illinois Immunization Advisory Committee, establishing the state’s position just days after […]
