New laws take effect in Illinois, including increase in minimum wage
CHICAGO - New laws for the state of Illinois and city of Chicago have officially gone into effect.
Some of these new changes and laws will help victims of stalking, help make it easier to find missing people and put more money in many people's pockets.
The state minimum wage has increased from $10 per hour to $11 per hour. It has also increased to $6.60 per hour for individuals who work for tips.
The minimum wage law was actually passed last year, however, it raises the state minimum wage by $1 per year through 2025, when it caps out at $15 per hour.
An insulin cost cap has also gone into effect. This law will impact more than 1.3 million adults in the state.
A new DNA law now allows law enforcement agencies to obtain DNA samples of a missing person, perhaps from a relative, to make it easier to close those particular cases.
Another new law now makes victim's addresses confidential, such as survivors of sexual assault or stalking. The victims are allowed to use a substitute address.
Horse-drawn carriages are officially no longer allowed in the city of Chicago.
The Chicago City Council voted last year to end horse-drawn carriage rides in the city after Dec. 31, 2020.
Last year, Alderman Brendan Reilly, whose ward includes the city’s central business district, said he tried to persuade carriage operators to "treat their animals in a humane way." When the violations continued, he had no choice but to push to banish them from city streets, Reilly said.
Following the vote by the Chicago City Council to ban horse-drawn carriages, Larry Ortega, owner of Chicago Horse and Carriage, dismissed the animal cruelty argument.
"Even though there are city, state and federal laws clearly stating what is animal cruelty, there has never been one horse driver or owner arrested operating on the city streets of Chicago," Ortega previously said.
The horse-drawn carriage industry has been shrinking for years. The City Council’s decision affects three companies, with 10 licenses unused.
Chicago joins cities such as Salt Lake City and Camden, New Jersey, that have banned horse-drawn carriages.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.