www.RVPNews.com
McHenry County News
Free!
DISPLAY ADVERTISING & CLASSIFIEDS: 815-877-4044 • CIRCULATION: 815-877-4044 • E-MAIL: McHenryNews@RVPublishing.com VOL. 12 • NO. 3
New state laws taking effect 2022
PUBLISHED BY ROCK VALLEY PUBLISHING, LLC
THURSDAY, JAN. 6, 2022
Minimum wage hike, pets in public housing among new changes
By Peter Hancock CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS
Minimum wage workers in Illinois will see a boost in their hourly pay to $12 per hour starting Jan. 1, while tenants in affordable housing units will be allowed to keep pets. Those are just some of the more than 300 new laws that take effect in the new year. The minimum wage increase is actually the result of a 2019 law that phases in a state minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025. This year, it will increase by one dollar to $12 an hour. The law allowing public housing tenants to keep pets is the result of Senate Bill 154, by Sen. Linda Holmes, D-Aurora, and Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego. It provides that tenants of multifamily housing units that are acquired, built or renovated with money from the Illinois Affordable Housing Trust Fund may keep up to two cats or one dog weighing less than 50 pounds. It applies to residents of housing units that are desig-nated as affordable housing for low- and verylow-income families. The bill passed both chambers in its final form on May 30 and Gov. JB Pritzker signed it into law Aug. 6. Other new laws Vehicle taxes: SB58 raises the private vehicle tax, which is a sales tax paid on the purchase of vehicles, by $75 for each model year where the purchase price is less than $15,000 and by $100 for vehicles priced above that amount. However, the registration fee for trailers weighing less than 3,000 pounds will drop to $36 instead of $118. College admissions: HB226, establishing the Higher Education Fair Admissions Act, prohibits public colleges and universities from requiring applicants to submit SAT, ACT or other standardized test scores as part of the admissions process, although prospective students may choose to submit them if they wish. Drug prices: SB1682 requires pharmacies to post a notice informing consumers
that they may request current pharmacy retail prices at the point of sale. FOID card changes: HB562 enacts several changes to the Firearm Owner Identification card law. Among other things, it provides for a streamlined renewal process for FOID cards and Concealed Carry Licenses for people who voluntarily submit fingerprint records. It also allows the Illinois State Police to issue a combined FOID card and Concealed Carry License to qualified applicants, and it establishes a new Violent Crime Intelligence Task Force to take enforcement action against people with revoked FOID cards. Student mental health: HB576 and SB1577 allow students in Illinois up to five excused absences to attend to their mental or behavioral health without providing a medical note. Those students will be given an opportunity to make up any work they missed during the first absence and, after using a second mental health day, may be referred to the appropriate school support personnel. Official flags: HB605 requires state agencies and institutions to purchase Illinois and American flags that are made in the United States. Hair styles: SB817 prohibits discrimination in schools against individuals on the grounds of wearing natural or ethnic hairstyles, which include dreadlocks, braids, twists and afros. Lemonade stands: SB119 prohibits public health authorities from regulating or shutting down lemonade stands or similar operations that are operated by children under the age of 16. Known as “Hayli’s Law,” it was inspired by 12-year-old Hayli Martinez, whose lemonade stand in Kankakee was shut down by local officials. Juneteenth: HB3922 recognizes June 19, or “Juneteenth,” as an official state holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. In June, President Joe Biden also signed a bill designating Juneteenth as a federal holiday.
Holiday tradition
COURTESY PHOTO McHenry County News
The Canalles’ Christmas tradition – the wonderful sound of giving for 15 years – continued Dec. 11 at the Johnsburg Walmart. Pictured (left to right) are Charlotte, Johnny and Lindsey Canalle.
Driver Services facilities to close through Jan. 17 Due to an increase in COVID-19 cases statewide, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White is announcing that all Secretary of State departments will not conduct in-person transactions– including Driver Services facilities–from Jan. 3, 2022, through Jan. 17, 2022. All departments and Driver Services facilities will reopen on Tuesday, Jan. 18. White is encouraging the public to visit ilsos.gov for online services. Online transactions will remain open for all departments to conduct office services, including, but not limited to the following: • Renewing a license plate sticker.
• Renewing a driver’s license or ID card for those who qualify (individuals may call 217-785-1424 to confirm their eligibility or to obtain their PIN). • Obtaining a duplicate driver’s license or ID card. • Obtaining a driver record abstract. • Filing Business Services documents, such as incorporations and annual reports. In addition, the Drivers and Vehicles Services hotline phone number will remain open at 800-252-8980. Customers with issues involving administrative hearings may email adminhearings@ilsos.gov or call 312793-3722 or 217-782-7065. As a reminder, White has
extended all driver’s license and ID card expiration dates to March 31, 2022. This extension does not apply to commercial driver’s licenses (CDL) and CDL learner’s permits. “After careful consideration and out of an abundance of caution, we have decided to close all Driver Services facilities beginning Jan. 3, 2022, through Jan. 17, 2022, due to the spike in COVID-19 cases,” said White. “The health and safety of employees and the public remains paramount, and face-to-face transactions potentially increase the further spread of the virus. Our goal is to safely reopen all offices and
Driver Services facilities on January 18 for face-to-face transactions.” In addition, White greatly expanded remote renewal for driver’s license and ID card holders. Since this fall, White’s office mailed letters to eligible customers with expired driver’s licenses and ID cards requiring them to renew online, by phone or by mail. The office estimates that this helps to eliminate the need for approximately 1 million people to visit a facility. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has extended the federal REAL ID deadline to May 3, 2023. For more information, visit ilsos.gov.