A new proposal in Springfield could allow people who were convicted of felonies while 21 or younger to petition for a new hearing before a judge. Said criminal defense lawyer Charles Hoffman, “All we’re asking is that these folks who have been left out of being able to rely on the developments in juvenile brain science should be given a chance to do so.”

“This doesn’t impact Resy, Open Table, Tock, actually those organizations have been in favor of legislations like this across the country,” state Rep. Margaret Croke said. “This really impacts only those third-party vendors who are using bots and sometimes they are using individuals, but they’re actually taking something that is free and reselling them.” She’s been working with the Illinois Restaurant Association, which drafted the ordinance.

Called the Keeping Sex Workers Safe Act, the proposal aims to protect those involved in work that can be incredibly dangerous. It would provide sex workers with the same legal protections, health access and benefits that other workers receive, and prohibit any discrimination against someone who is a sex worker.

By late 2023, Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation Director Mario Treto, Jr. said applicants were experiencing “historic wait times” and officially called the situation a “crisis.”

Although most Illinois public school students test below grade level in reading and math, Gov. JB Pritzker is touting his administration’s record spending on public education. “I don’t want you to think that I’m suggesting that we don’t have a whole lot more to do. We do, but let’s take a moment to sing the praises of what we’re accomplishing for our children in this state,” he said.

State Rep. Bill Hauter was torn over the proposal before voting in favor. “The law and order and conservative part of me hated it because of the usual reasons, but I just looked at this as a physician, and we’ve got to do something different,” said Hauter.

State Rep. Joe Sosnowski said without real relief this year, the state will continue losing people. “It is a five-alarm fire right now, because look at other states growing,” he said. “We lose congressional seats, other states are growing dramatically. States around us, same weather, grow 1 percent a year, so it’s a huge problem right now and we’re chasing more and more people out of Illinois if we don’t address it immediately.”

In a related announcement Thursday, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said he had joined yet another multistate federal lawsuit against the Trump administration — one of several he has joined — this time as part of an effort to block Trump from dismantling the Department of Education.

Rep. Bob Morgan is sponsoring two bills that would place restrictions on the use of AI in online therapy services as well as AI use in decision-making processes that determine a person’s health insurance coverage.

They spoke out a month after Illinois postponed signing paperwork with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that is needed to proceed with construction, with Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker citing the uncertainty of funding from the Trump administration.

State Rep. Lisa Davis, an attorney in the Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender’s office, introduced House Bill 3458 to legalize attacks on peace officers. Other first responders would be spared, such as firefighters, like her husband.

Legislation in the Illinois House would empower inspectors general, restrict lobbying by elected leaders, add protections against conflicts of interest and end last-minute amendments to legislation.

House Bill 2969 would require teams to win at least 50 percent of their games in at least three out of five seasons if they want taxpayer funds for a new stadium or to renovate an existing one. The bill would apply to all professional sports teams in Illinois, but the bill is dubbed the “BEARS Act” or Balanced Earnings And Record Standards.