As of Jan. 1, thousands of new laws, approved by voters or passed by legislatures as part of the 2016 election, took effect. These laws range from practical to absurd, from being understandable to downright puzzling, from increased training of police toward sexual abuse cases to being able to spear catfish with a pitchfork (yeah).
It would be painstaking to review each, and for the majority of average citizens, only so many will prove to have an impact on their lives. For Illinois residents, the following are of the highest need-to-know.
- SB 1564, sponsored by State Sen. Daniel Bliss, updates a current law known as the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscious law. Previously, this law included a measure that allowed health care providers to refuse discussing or practicing certain medical treatments in the case where they disagreed with it for religious purposes. This update seeks to restore patient-doctor privilege, and ensure patients are receiving the best treatment they deserve, regardless of the providers personal objections.
- HB 5576, sponsored by Sen. Toni Hutchinson, prohibits birth control from having additional costs on medical insurance. The law requires insurance companies to allow up to 12 months coverage for all FDA approved contraceptives.
- HB 4999, sponsored by Rep. Will Guzzardi, strengthens existing laws that protect an individual’s right to privacy from current or potential employers. The amendment was made to the Rights to Privacy in the Workplace Act, and also prohibits employers from requesting, demanding or coercing employees to turn over social media accountants for review.
While Illinois passed a plethora of laws this new year, none seemed to cover what may be considered “hot button” issues. The topics that have been a point of discussion in recent years are minimum wage, marijuana legalization and gun control, to name a few. There were several states that passed laws concerning these issues, and as their popularity continues to grow, it can be expected that their legislative presence may be taken to a federal level.
- Marijuana legalization for medical and recreational use. While it is unlikely the federal government will pass a law that allows for the recreational sale and use of marijuana, the trend among states is growing. In this past election California, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada passed legislation for the recreational use of marijuana, while Arkansas, Florida and North Dakota passed for medical use. This brings the state count of recreational use to seven, and the medical use to 27; expect more states to pass legislation over the next few years, creating discussion at the federal level.
- The minimum wage has been an intensely debated subject for quite some time, and while the federal government has set an absolute bare minimum, states are taking it upon themselves to raise that minimum to what they see as a “living wage.” Colorado passed legislation this past election to increase the minimum wage from $8.31 to $9.30, with an annual increase of $0.90 until 2020 when it will have reached $12/hr. Following that lead are the states of Maine, Arizona and Washington, who all passed legislation that causes an increase in minimum wage. As states begin to raise the absolute minimum, the Federal Government will likely be faced with the issue of setting a higher floor number, or at least have the issue brought up by legislators.
- Probably the most intense topic of the three, gun control is seeing some changes in certain states, particularly California, where a new law prohibits the purchase of assault rifles with “evil features.” While it may seem too specific for significance, the “evil features” include additions or modifications to the rifle such as pistol grips, flash hiders, and bullet-buttons, which assist in removing and replacing ammunition magazines. It is a small update in what is likely to be an ongoing, possibly endless debate, but the trends show that gun control is on the rise across the nation. As the public shootings occur year after year, citizens, even those in support of gun ownership, are acknowledging the need to restrict access to certain weaponry. Expect further discussion in Congress regarding assault rifle restriction or increased background checks.
