Starting Sunday it’s going to be tougher to buy a can of Drano than a bottle of Jack Daniels.
Sunday is when the state’s Caustic/Corrosive Substance Act goes into effect imposing new purchase hurdles for many products including drain and sewer line cleaners.
The legislation is a response to two acid attacks in Chicago where the victims were severely disfigured. It was the final piece of legislation for State Rep. Susan Mendoza, D-Chicago, who now is the Chicago city clerk.
Buying a bottle of Drano will never be the same in Illinois again.
A new state law went into effect today that requires customers purchasing products containing sodium hydroxide, or lye, and other corrosive chemicals to show a legitimate photo ID and to provide their name, address and date of birth. And the store clerk will log the time and date of purchase.
While some consider the regulations intrusive, Illinois lawmakers behind the new law said regulating drain cleaners and other products is needed to protect the public from those who may use them to harm.
“The fact of the matter is there are evil people in the world who will abuse the most normal, everyday household products for sinister aims,” state Rep. Rich Morthland, R-Cordova, said.
However, those same House members seem troubled about requiring citizens to show that same “valid driver’s license or other government-issued identification showing the person’s name, date of birth, and photograph” in order to vote.
In fact, Rep. Randy Ramey’s bill (HB 3458) designed to reduce voter fraud by requiring valid identification sits dormant in House Rules.
* But is this actually the case? Will you have to register with the state if you buy a bottle of Drano at the local supermarket? Absolutely not, says one of the bill’s Republican supporters…
No, said state Rep. Chapin Rose, you shouldn’t need to show your driver’s license or sign a form to buy Drano or most other bathroom cleaning products.
There’s been some confusion about what is covered by a state law that went into effect Jan. 1, the Mahomet Republican said.
“The way this has been reported is about 90 percent not accurate,” said Rose, whose office has received a few calls about the bill (HB 2193) approved last spring. “There are going to be some high-grade, industrial-grade products available at Menards, for example, that are covered, but they’re industrial grade. Virtually anything on the Walmart shelf is not going to be covered by this.” […]
HB 2193, which passed both houses of the Legislature unanimously, limits who can possess certain caustic or corrosive acids that are regulated by the Federal Caustic Poison Act. Persons who sell or use the substances for commercial purposes are exempt from the restriction on possession. […]
But the law doesn’t apply to most everyday consumer products, said [Tanya Triche, senior counsel with the Illinois Retail Merchants Association], only those that contain the words “causes severe burns” on the label.
* And if you check the Midwest Hardware Association’s website, you’ll see a list of products that would require the registration. The list includes commercial products, like “Rooto Professional Drain Opener.” This stuff has high concentrations of sulfuric acid and other compounds that are far more harmful than household products.
How exactly does signing a piece of paper and proving you can operate a vehicle change the ability of someone to purchase the product and throw it on someones face? The never ending search for rock bottom can cease.
I’m guessing the idea is that presenting your ID and signing the log may deter someone with ill intentions because if a crime is committed, police can fairly easily track down who bought industrial-strength acid recently. Sure, you could show a fake ID and write down the wrong name and address, but a) if it’s a crime of passion, you probably haven’t taken the time to get a fake ID, and b) if you have to go through that whole procedure, chances are good the clerk will remember you and be able to give the police a good description.
Whether it applies to “most everyday consumer products” shouldn’t really be the test. Maybe I’m in the minority, but I think the law is more than a little ridiculous. Aggravated assault is still on the books, right?
It’s like those stupid ‘theft of farm supplies’ initiatives for meth precursors, or upping the ante for assault against CapFax commenters or whatever. We have laws against the behaviors described and these “enhancements” aren’t going to change a thing. Enforce the laws in place, do better detective work. It’s just more stupidity from government that everyone gets to pay for.
To confirm what Rose said, I purchased Liquid Plumbr for the very first time yesterday and wasn’t carded.
Lord knows I already feel like a criminal every time I need some cold medicine. Or superglue. Or spray paint.
Looked at the hardware list, was a little surprised to see Ammonia Quart on it.
- Retired Non-Union Guy - Monday, Jan 9, 12 @ 12:47 pm:
More nuisance for the home / hobbyist car restorer. After rust removal, muriatic acid is often used to etch the bare metal before priming.
Same for DIY home repair people who want to prep concrete before painting or strip woodwork before restaining it. A lot of those type products contain acids of one type or another.
I didn’t see it on the list, but the name brand heavy duty foaming oven cleaner I have on hand contains lye as the primary ingredient.
There are more products than are on the above referenced list. Guess we’ll see how big a hassle it becomes …
No identification required to receive a ballot at the polling place, but a photo i.d. requirement to clean a clogged kitchen sink? That is weird. I remember one of the horrific crimes in which a woman was disfigured by acid (a romantic dispute between two women for the affections of the same man), but I am not sure how realistic such legislation is in terms of preventing crimes. Should we register all of the persons who purchase box cutters? Gang bangers seem to like to misuse these tools as criminal weapons.
Okay, I should have said a woman hired persons to stalk her rival who was being courted by the same two timing man and arranged for the other woman to be harmed by the throwing of acid. I was not condoning the horrible crime that occurred.
It is still an odd law. All of the other criminal statutes in the law books, many of which were later applied by the prosecutors, did not deter the nut job from having her rival harmed. There were two incidents, I believe, but I cannot recall the second crime. I suspect Representative Mendoza took action because one of the crimes involved Latinos and it was highly publicized in their community.
It does not sound like this will be a major annoyance for most consumers. That being said I have my doubts it will have any effects on assaults or anything like that. In a similar vein I would be interested to see if their is much evidence that ID checks and limitations on the purchase of pseudoephedrine has had any noticeable effect on meth production
If Repubs were truly worried about voter fraud they’d be working hard to explain why a mysterious extra 20 votes for Romney appeared in the middle of the night in the middle of Iowa last Tuesday AFTER the caucus was over.
Yes, several reports indicate that Santorum actually won Iowa by 12 votes instead of Romney winning by 8 because of an unexplained extra 20 votes “miscalculation”.
This whole “voter fraud” issue is a ruse to keep minorities and poor people from voting.
LIVE session coverage...
- Kilroy - Monday, Jan 9, 12 @ 11:27 am:
This is a great law.
Kudos to Springfield on this one.
- Dirt Digger - Monday, Jan 9, 12 @ 11:38 am:
I wondered why Home Depot asked for my ID to buy wood refinisher yesterday.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Jan 9, 12 @ 11:39 am:
DD, they are likely overreacting.
- JN - Monday, Jan 9, 12 @ 12:03 pm:
I am amused that the first item on that list is a base.
- JN - Monday, Jan 9, 12 @ 12:10 pm:
Ah and I look again and “acid” wasn’t in the title of the bill. Must have been last week’s headlines that left that misconception.
- amalia - Monday, Jan 9, 12 @ 12:13 pm:
susana is really great!
- John A Logan - Monday, Jan 9, 12 @ 12:19 pm:
How exactly does signing a piece of paper and proving you can operate a vehicle change the ability of someone to purchase the product and throw it on someones face? The never ending search for rock bottom can cease.
- MrJM - Monday, Jan 9, 12 @ 12:22 pm:
When drain cleaners are outlawed, only outlaws will clean drains!
Drano doesn’t disfigure people, people disfigure people!
You can have my Liquid-Plumr when you pry it from my cold dead fingers!
– MrJM
- wordslinger - Monday, Jan 9, 12 @ 12:25 pm:
Way to let the facts get in the way of a good Illinois Review rant, Miller.
- YossarianLives - Monday, Jan 9, 12 @ 12:28 pm:
I’m guessing the idea is that presenting your ID and signing the log may deter someone with ill intentions because if a crime is committed, police can fairly easily track down who bought industrial-strength acid recently. Sure, you could show a fake ID and write down the wrong name and address, but a) if it’s a crime of passion, you probably haven’t taken the time to get a fake ID, and b) if you have to go through that whole procedure, chances are good the clerk will remember you and be able to give the police a good description.
- D.P. Gumby - Monday, Jan 9, 12 @ 12:36 pm:
I didn’t know you could disfigure someone by voting!
- Thoughts... - Monday, Jan 9, 12 @ 12:42 pm:
Whether it applies to “most everyday consumer products” shouldn’t really be the test. Maybe I’m in the minority, but I think the law is more than a little ridiculous. Aggravated assault is still on the books, right?
It’s like those stupid ‘theft of farm supplies’ initiatives for meth precursors, or upping the ante for assault against CapFax commenters or whatever. We have laws against the behaviors described and these “enhancements” aren’t going to change a thing. Enforce the laws in place, do better detective work. It’s just more stupidity from government that everyone gets to pay for.
- Wensicia - Monday, Jan 9, 12 @ 12:42 pm:
If these products are that dangerous to others and the environment, why not ban their use by any outside of licensed professionals?
- Colossus - Monday, Jan 9, 12 @ 12:43 pm:
To confirm what Rose said, I purchased Liquid Plumbr for the very first time yesterday and wasn’t carded.
Lord knows I already feel like a criminal every time I need some cold medicine. Or superglue. Or spray paint.
- Thoughts... - Monday, Jan 9, 12 @ 12:46 pm:
Oh, but I forgot - it makes a great mailer for all those Super-Reps protecting us against the evil acid-throwing masses.
- OneMan - Monday, Jan 9, 12 @ 12:46 pm:
Looked at the hardware list, was a little surprised to see Ammonia Quart on it.
- Retired Non-Union Guy - Monday, Jan 9, 12 @ 12:47 pm:
More nuisance for the home / hobbyist car restorer. After rust removal, muriatic acid is often used to etch the bare metal before priming.
Same for DIY home repair people who want to prep concrete before painting or strip woodwork before restaining it. A lot of those type products contain acids of one type or another.
I didn’t see it on the list, but the name brand heavy duty foaming oven cleaner I have on hand contains lye as the primary ingredient.
There are more products than are on the above referenced list. Guess we’ll see how big a hassle it becomes …
- Dirty Red - Monday, Jan 9, 12 @ 1:08 pm:
This is as much of a deterrance for face flingers as the current system is for Meth producers.
- Black Ivy - Monday, Jan 9, 12 @ 1:17 pm:
Good intentions taken way, way too far. It happens. Sigh!
- Esquire - Monday, Jan 9, 12 @ 1:27 pm:
No identification required to receive a ballot at the polling place, but a photo i.d. requirement to clean a clogged kitchen sink? That is weird. I remember one of the horrific crimes in which a woman was disfigured by acid (a romantic dispute between two women for the affections of the same man), but I am not sure how realistic such legislation is in terms of preventing crimes. Should we register all of the persons who purchase box cutters? Gang bangers seem to like to misuse these tools as criminal weapons.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Jan 9, 12 @ 1:44 pm:
===a romantic dispute===
You have a pretty twisted idea of romance.
Also, did you not read the story above? You don’t need to present an ID for Drano.
Sometimes, it really is amazing how people can stick to their initial knee-jerk reactions in the fact of a couple of facts.
The bill and the need for the bill are totally acceptable topics for debate. But at least try to stick to the basic facts here.
- Louis Howe - Monday, Jan 9, 12 @ 2:05 pm:
Ridiculous…
- anonymice - Monday, Jan 9, 12 @ 2:09 pm:
Next, it will be children’s ice cream. It’s all part of your post-war communist conspiracy, Mandrake!
- JustaJoe - Monday, Jan 9, 12 @ 2:22 pm:
You can’t legislate against stupidity. If you could, the legislature could pass a law that would stop most of its activity. Too many laws!
- Horace - Monday, Jan 9, 12 @ 2:44 pm:
“DD, they are likely overreacting. ”
I don’t blame them.
If they interpret the state law wrong, and later something gets used in a crime, and then traced back to the store, they will no doubt be libel.
- Esquire - Monday, Jan 9, 12 @ 2:50 pm:
Okay, I should have said a woman hired persons to stalk her rival who was being courted by the same two timing man and arranged for the other woman to be harmed by the throwing of acid. I was not condoning the horrible crime that occurred.
It is still an odd law. All of the other criminal statutes in the law books, many of which were later applied by the prosecutors, did not deter the nut job from having her rival harmed. There were two incidents, I believe, but I cannot recall the second crime. I suspect Representative Mendoza took action because one of the crimes involved Latinos and it was highly publicized in their community.
- RMWStanford - Monday, Jan 9, 12 @ 2:58 pm:
It does not sound like this will be a major annoyance for most consumers. That being said I have my doubts it will have any effects on assaults or anything like that. In a similar vein I would be interested to see if their is much evidence that ID checks and limitations on the purchase of pseudoephedrine has had any noticeable effect on meth production
- Rich Miller - Monday, Jan 9, 12 @ 2:59 pm:
===has had any noticeable effect on meth production ===
Yeah, it mostly moved to Mexico.
- Colossus - Monday, Jan 9, 12 @ 3:29 pm:
Or New Mexico, if you prefer your meth blue.
- Cheswick - Monday, Jan 9, 12 @ 4:41 pm:
Two words: Vachel Lindsay.
Sorry.
- SO IL M - Monday, Jan 9, 12 @ 5:10 pm:
And we in Southenr Illinois have yet another reason to do our shopping in KY and MO.
- SO IL M - Monday, Jan 9, 12 @ 5:11 pm:
Southern ….Yes I can spell it, I cant type.
- PPHS - Monday, Jan 9, 12 @ 5:11 pm:
I had to show ID to buy craft puff paint, at Michaels.
- G. Willickers - Tuesday, Jan 10, 12 @ 7:30 am:
If Repubs were truly worried about voter fraud they’d be working hard to explain why a mysterious extra 20 votes for Romney appeared in the middle of the night in the middle of Iowa last Tuesday AFTER the caucus was over.
Yes, several reports indicate that Santorum actually won Iowa by 12 votes instead of Romney winning by 8 because of an unexplained extra 20 votes “miscalculation”.
This whole “voter fraud” issue is a ruse to keep minorities and poor people from voting.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/01/10/135215/commentary-voter-id-laws-and-life.html
- wishbone - Tuesday, Jan 10, 12 @ 10:08 pm:
Like “hate crimes” this is legislative overreach. Punish the crime that is committed. It is the “kiss” principle.
- David Brunjes - Wednesday, Jan 11, 12 @ 7:35 pm:
Please help get this law repealed. What’s next? Sharp metal objects? Flamable materials? Don’t think it will happen? Bet me.
http://www.change.org/petitions/repeal-the-caustic-substances-law