Finally!
In late August 2013 Governor Quinn signed into law two key pieces of criminal justice legislation, which go into effect immediately.
SB 1872, Eliminate Felony Enhancement for Prostitution—Amends the sentencing provision for prostitution in the criminal code to a Class A misdemeanor and deletes the felony sentence enhancement, which is a costly and ineffective penalty that has not reduced crime. Passage of this bill makes Illinois a national leader of legal reforms that consider prostituted people as victims of human trafficking in need of services, rather than as criminal offenders.
Action: Senate: PASSED 53-1 on 4/11/13; Concurrence PASSED 56-1 on 5/30/13. House: PASSED 82-33 on 5/27/13. Signed by Governor: 8/23/13, P.A. 98-0538.
Read more from End Demand Illinois.
HB 1189, Gun Safety and Responsibility Act—Closes the loophole on background checks and requires the reporting of lost or stolen firearms to law enforcement. This bill enacts two of the strongest common-sense regulations to stop the flow of illegal guns into our communities and will help to save lives!
Action: Senate: PASSED 41-15 on 5/31/13. House: PASSED 70-48 on 5/31/13. Signed by Governor: 8/19/13, P.A. 98-0508.
Watch a video of the bill signing (the video may take a moment to load):
Veto Session
Veto Session is the next scheduled session for the Illinois General Assembly: October 22-24 and November 5-7, 2013. We will keep you posted.