SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (March 18, 2016) – An important Illinois Senate committee has passed a bill that would ban the use of “stingrays” to track the location of phones and sweep up electronic communications without a warrant in most situations. The proposed legislation would not only protect privacy in the Illinois, but would also hinder one…
SPRINGFIELD, Ill (Feb. 22, 2016) – An Illinois bill would reform asset forfeiture laws to prohibit the state from taking property without a criminal conviction. The legislation also takes on federal forfeiture programs by banning prosecutors from circumventing state laws by passing cases off to the feds in most situations. Rep. John Cavaletto (R-107th) introduced…
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (Feb. 12, 2016) – An Illinois bill would bill would bar state cooperation with any future federal gun control measures, effectively nullifying them in practice within the state. Rep. David Reis (R-Olney) – introduced House Bill 5664 (HB5664) on Feb. 10. Titled the Second Amendment Preservation Act, the legislation would prohibit state agencies,…
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (Jan. 29, 2016) – A bill filed in the Illinois Senate would prohibit state and local law enforcement agencies from obtaining certain types of military hardware from the federal government, and would require public notice before they acquire authorized equipment. Passage of this legislation would represent a big step toward stopping the federal militarization of…
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (Jan. 20, 2016) – A bill introduced in the Illinois legislature would ban the use “stingrays” to track the location of phones and sweep up electronic communications without a warrant in most situations. Passage of the bill would not only protect privacy in the Illinois, but would also hinder one aspect of the…
Patients facing life-threatening illnesses now have more treatment options open to them in Illinois and Oregon thanks to new laws tearing down federal roadblocks that went into effect on New Year’s Day. These new “Right to Try” laws effectively nullify in practice some Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules that stop terminally ill patients from…
CHICAGO (Nov. 9, 2015) – For the first time, thousands of people will be able to buy marijuana for medical purposes, legally, under state law in Illinois today. This represents another step toward nullifying the federal ban on cannabis in practice in the Land of Lincoln. Illinois legalized marijuana for medical use more than a two years ago,…
SPRINGFIELD, Il. (Sept. 8, 2015) – A bill introduced in Illinois last month would authorize marijuana to be taxed and regulated similar to alcohol, legalizing the plant, and effectively nullifying the federal prohibition on the same. House Bill 4276 (HB4276) was introduced on Aug. 25 by Rep. Kenneth Dunkin (D-Chicago). If this bill is successful,…
SPRINGFIELD, Il. (Aug. 11, 2015) Last week, Gov. Rauner signed a bill into law to nullify in practice some Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules that prevent terminally ill patients from accessing experimental treatments. Introduced by Rep. Greg Harris (R-13) and 21 bipartisan co-sponsors, House Bill 1335 (HB1335) gives terminally ill patients access to medicines that…
A new year, new legislative session, new legislators, and new Committee Chairs and assignments! So we are going to focus on those issues that are on the fast tract,items named by Gov Snyder in his 2013 State of the State address. (pg-33-40) Because we recognize that most people’s time is limited and that contacting …