(SPRINGFIELD) The Illinois Supreme Court is considering whether to find a state firearms statute prohibiting open carry unconstitutional. It’s all based on a case in 2020, when a man was sentenced to 30 months in prison after being found guilty of violating state law for having a firearm in a vehicle without a permit, despite having an Firearm Owners ID card. Yesterday, the Office of the State Public Defender urged the state’s highest court to find Illinois’ aggravated unlawful use of a weapons statute unconstitutional, saying the Illinois law violates recent U.S. Supreme Court precedent on Second Amendment rights. No ruling is expected for a few months as the justices took the case under advisement.
(SPRINGFIELD) The U.S. Attorney’s Office Northern District in Illinois announced yesterday that a Chinese company, Hytera Communications Corporation, has pleaded guilty to a federal charge of conspiracy to steal trade secrets and could be fined up to $60 million under the terms of a plea agreement. The Chinese company knowingly conspired to steal at least one trade secret from Illinois-based Motorola Solutions.
(SPRINGFIELD) The National Federation of Independent Business “Small Business Optimism Index” rose by 3.4 points last month to 105.1, the highest reading since October 2018. Meanwhile, the Uncertainty Index dropped 12 points in December as small business owners feel more confident following the November election. The Illinois state director of NFIB said the General Assembly must prioritize legislation that is pro-small business.
(SPRINGFIELD) Non-English speakers in Illinois will have access to free translators during their administrative hearings starting July 1st this year. Thanks to Governor Pritzker & the Democratic-controlled General Assembly, all administrative hearing notices must include a section in multiple languages that the recipient can request assistance for a hearing, which includes family disputes, non-moving traffic violations, unlicensed businesses, and more. Data shows 8.7% of the state’s population is considered limited in their English proficiency.