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A new state law will protect victims of sexual assault from being arrested due to outstanding warrants or fines when reporting the crime.

House Bill 92 was recently signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker and sponsored by State Sen. Jason Barickman, a Bloomington Republican.

Previously, when a sexual assault survivor came into contact with police, like when going to the hospital for treatment, they could be arrested for any outstanding warrants, even for minor non-violent offenses or unpaid fines. The new law requires police officials to request a waiver of the required execution of the warrant as long as it isn’t for a violent offense or parole violation.

* Tribune…

All single-occupancy public restrooms in Illinois must be designated as gender-neutral beginning Jan. 1 under a law Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed Friday.

The legislation, sponsored by Democratic state Sen. Melinda Bush of Grayslake, prohibits signs outside any single-occupancy public restroom from designating a specific gender. The measure was approved unanimously in the Senate and by a vote of 109-5 in the House this spring.

“Making single-occupancy restrooms gender neutral is inclusive, but it also just makes sense,” Bush said in a statement. “It’s a small change that will make a big impact for thousands of Illinoisans.”

Bush called it “a common-sense measure that will benefit individuals who don’t identify as male or female as well as parents and caregivers who have dependents of the opposite sex.”

* AP…

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed legislation Friday that makes Illinois the eighth state to remove time restrictions on prosecuting crimes of sexual violence.

The Democrat signed into law a measure that lifts a 10-year statute of limitations on pressing charges in felony cases of sexual assault and sexual abuse.

The law, which takes effect Jan. 1, is key for sex-crime victims, who sometimes are too traumatized or overwhelmed to immediately pursue criminal charges against their attackers, said Carrie Ward, executive director of the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault.

In 2017, Illinois abolished time limits on prosecuting sex crimes against victims younger than 18. Although current law for adult victims allows prosecution within 10 years, the time limit is actually less. The victim must have first reported the crime to authorities within three years.

* Capitol News Illinois…

Gov. JB Pritzker surpassed 100 bills signed as he put his signature on more than 30 new laws last week. They included a measure to increase penalties on texting drivers who cause great bodily harm, and another to allow certain recipients of food stamps to use them at state-contracted restaurants.

House Bill 2386, which passed 82-24 in the House and 41-0 in the Senate, gives the secretary of state new authority to suspend or revoke a license for 12 months for any driver causing great bodily harm, disfigurement or death in an accident caused while texting and driving. The bill also imposes a $1,000 fine for the same offense, which is classified as “aggravated use of an electronic communication device.”

* Center Square…

House Bill 2209: Property taxpayers will now know how much they’re paying for incentives to developers. The measure requires property tax bills to include a list of Tax Increment Finance, or TIF districts in the area and the dollar amount of tax allocated to each TIF district. TIF dollars come from any increased property tax revenue for a given period and is used as incentives to spur development in blighted areas.

…Adding… Press release…

Surrounded by consumer advocates at Chicago Volunteer Legal Services, Governor JB Pritzker signed the bipartisan Consumer Fairness Act into law Monday, giving millions of Illinoisans relief from high interest on consumer debt.

“Consumer debt is at an all-time high all across the United States, and there are millions of people, including too many Illinois families, who are struggling under unconscionable circumstances,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Today, here in Illinois, we are giving real relief to those who are simply trying to pay off their debts, so they can end the cycle of debt they are trapped in.”

With one in three Illinois residents in the debt collection process according to the Heartland Alliance, the new law takes two steps to protect Illinois residents from crushing debt.

Helping families avoid the cycle of debt that prevents them from building long-term financial security, the new law lowers post-judgment interest rates on consumer debt under $25,000 from 9% to 5%. It also reduces the timeframe to collect on a judgment from 26 to 17 years by limiting revivals, preventing debt collectors from trapping families in debt with judgments that are decades old.

HB 88 was passed unanimously without opposition from debt collectors and other financial institutions. The new law takes effect January 1, 2020.

“Debt can be a real, crushing thing that keeps people trapped in a cycle of poverty,” said Assistant Senate Majority Leader Iris Martinez. “By making it easier for people to make payments, we are not only making it more likely for the debt to be paid but also helping people move toward financial independence.”

“Millions of Illinoisans struggle with consumer debt, and our laws have allowed far too many of them to get trapped in an endless cycle of collections,” said Rep. Will Guzzardi. “Today, we’re putting reasonable limits on debt collection to protect people from predation and help them get back on their feet. HB 88 is a significant reform for justice and fairness in our state, and I’m honored to have been a part of its passage.”

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Jul 29, 19 @ 9:35 am

Comments

==arrested for any outstanding warrants==

Good lord, that’s grim. Good fix.

Comment by lakeside Monday, Jul 29, 19 @ 9:48 am
On the waiver of warrant issue: I get the idea, and disagree. If they have a warrant they need to be arrested. WHEN they’re arrested can be a discretionary decision by the officer (happens all the time in the real world). This “waiver” idea is a mess. Say at 0230 in the morning, a cop in Cook County finds out there’s a Ogle County warrant on the victim that’s extraditable. Now the officer has to have somebody contact the Ogle Co. State’s Attorney’s Office and ask them to get an Ogle Co.judge on the phone for a telephonic court order to authorize the waiver. I’ll bet there judges who are going to have problems with this procedure, and it will be challenged in due course.

Comment by revvedup Monday, Jul 29, 19 @ 10:33 am
“If they have a warrant they need to be arrested.”

Please explain the nature of the “need” for this opportunistic arrest of a rape victim.

– MrJM

Comment by @misterjayem Monday, Jul 29, 19 @ 1:05 pm
Revvedup, your post is too dramatic especially with the inaccuracy of:
State’s Attorney’s Office and ask them to get an Ogle Co. judge on the phone for a telephonic court order to authorize the waiver

Keep in mind they are a victim of an assault. This other can wait.

Comment by R A T Monday, Jul 29, 19 @ 2:14 pm
To MrJM and R A T: I did say in my post that the officer can exercise some discretion as to WHEN the victim is arrested. As to the “too dramatic”, the law says the first agency to be contacted is the prosecutor’s (State’s Attorney) office where the warrant was issued to obtain a waiver; only if that office is unreachable should the officer contact the State’s Attorney’s office in the county the victim is in for the waiver. Like I said, trying to reach offices after hours can be a real pain, even with an existing on-call ASA procedure, and no mention of a judge’s involvement at all invites issues to follow.

Comment by revvedup Monday, Jul 29, 19 @ 3:18 pm