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Thursday, March 28, 2024

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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

IL: Social Justice

An Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission year-end report said 388 youths, male and female, were admitted into juvenile detention centers as of December 2023. (Adobe Stock)
Digital court hearings cause uneasiness for young offenders

Online conferencing was a lifeline for school lessons and business meetings during the pandemic. However, there is concern about the effects of …

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The Education Data Initiative predicts the average yearly cost of law school tuition between 2024 and 2025 will be nearly $52,000. (Adobe Stock)
A lack of attorneys creates 'legal deserts' in rural IL counties

Labor shortages exist across the country in the medical and teaching professions but not as much is said about the lack of attorneys in some states…

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According to the Illinois General Assembly, at least 318 new pieces of legislation will go into effect in 2024 that will impact every area in the state. (Adobe Stock)
New IL laws usher in policy changes in health care, employment, policing

At the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve, Illinoisans will see more than 300 new laws take effect - with changes that impact the state's …

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The new rule was originally set to go into effect in December, but the NLRB extended the date into February to accommodate legal challenges. (Rafael Henrique/Adobe Stock)<br />
Advocates: New NLRB joint employer rule a win for workers

The National Labor Relations Board recently issued a rule change that may have wide-ranging impacts for workers and businesses. The update to the …

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This year Illinois lawmakers passed a bill ending life sentences without parole for people in Illinois who were under 21 when they were arrested. (Adobe Stock)
More work needed on juvenile justice reform

Advocates for juvenile justice reform recently gathered in Chicago to find ways to keep young people out of the criminal justice system. Herschella …

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Researchers at Loyola University in Chicago say almost 175,000 people are held in pretrial detention each year in Illinois. (Adobe Stock)<br />
Backers hope IL 'no cash bail' makes justice equitable, less expensive

A set of controversial reforms to Illinois' cash bail system went into effect this week, changing a decades-old system of holding people in jail …

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The New York Times reports six of the nine deadliest mass shootings in the United States since 2018 were by people who were 21 or younger, a shift from earlier decades. (Adobe Stock)
IL Works to Take Youth into Account in Life Sentences

It's only been a few months since Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a bill ending life sentences without parole for people in Illinois who were under 21 when …

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Illinois state agencies will be required to use the Middle Eastern or North African classification for reporting workforce or hiring data as of July 1, 2025. (Marko/Adobe Stock)
Middle Eastern, North African Race Checkbox Added to IL state forms

Illinois is making history as the first state to collect Middle Eastern and North African representation data on all state forms and surveys…

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Backers of the Workers' Rights Amendment, approved by voters in 2022, say it will put an end to the existing gaps and exclusions in labor laws by guaranteeing union rights for all Illinois workers. (WH_pics/Adobe Stock)
New Year Brings Wide Variety of New Illinois State Laws

It's a new year, and more than 180 new laws are going into effect, which Illinoisans need to know about. The 2022 General Assembly passed bills …

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A Loyola University analysis of Illinois pretrial incarceration outcomes showed no effects on crime or rates of re-arrest, but did find a 3% rise in defendents' failure to appear in court. (Burlingham/Adobe Stock)
Illinois Dems Seek to Tweak Cash-Bail Ban Before it Takes Effect

Illinois lawmakers, meeting in their annual "Veto Session" in Springfield, are taking a look at the controversial SAFE-T Act one last time before it …

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Since recreational marijuana became legal in 2020, sales have grown to $160 million a month in Illinois. (ayehab/Adobe Stock)
Applicants Angry Over Delays in IL 'Social Equity' Cannabis Licenses

Illinois lawmakers are hoping to adjust the state's problem-plagued recreational marijuana law designed to award dispensary licenses on a fair and equ…

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Over 300,000 Illinois residents purchased insurance through the Affordable Care Act exchange in 2021. (Adobe Stock)
ACA Open-Enrollment Begins Soon in Illinois

Open-enrollment season for health insurance begins soon and Illinoisans have a lot to consider in attempting to get the right kinds of coverage…

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