>> The new Year is approaching quickly and with it comes a whole slate of new state laws.

Hundreds of new Illinois laws are set to take effect January 1st covering everything from AI regulation to background checks for police.

Here to walk us through some of the most, the most, the biggest additions and how they could impact who you are.

Brendan, more state government and politics reporter at Capitol News, Illinois and via zoom been Zelenskyy.

Also a reporter for Capitol News, Illinois.

Welcome.

Thanks to both of you for joining us.

Great hear British so friend and one of the was it allows Illinois residents to sue federal immigration agents if they are arrested near court houses or if they believe that their constitutional rights have been violated tell us that, you know, the Trump administration we know is challenging this new law in court.

What can you tell us about the Sudan and what it could mean?

>> brings this is expected.

So the law was a response to Operation Midway Blitz which results resulted in the arrest of 4500 folks up here in Chicago area resulted in a lot of clashes between federal agents and folks in the community.

So lawmakers enacted this legislation that allows for right of private action as well as provides a safe zone around courthouse is state court houses.

We knew that the federal government was going was going to file a lawsuit, basically saying that states cannot tell federal agents where they can and cannot what they can and cannot do that.

They can't regulate their actions.

So it's a see cause We will see house where things go.

yeah, another another of many, legal actions between the state and the Trump administration.

Right.

Of course, want to wait and see if a court.

>> Over turns that long, if it makes its way all the way to the Supreme Court, as many cases have when it comes to the Trump administration been zelenskyy another new law was created in response to the police murder of Sonya Massey last year tells the story behind this new law on what it does.

>> Yeah.

This was a super high profile incident that happened in Springfield where it's a new mask, black woman, woman was shot and killed by a white Sonoma County sheriff's deputy.

Really what we have found Capitol News, Illinois investigations as well as other cases, legal cases that have come out front of the jury and Shawn Grate son's murder trial earlier this year was that Grayson had a very troubled history.

He was the deputy who shot Sonya Massey and you get a lot of history of disciplinary issues and not following orders that other police agencies that hired him before he became employed.

And second, the county in Springfield.

So you know what?

The state lawmakers are really looking at here is trying to find a way to kind of to fix issue.

How did how did these disciplinary issues get overlooked and what this new law does?

It's a basically requires police departments to take a look candidates entire background go through disciplinary records at prior agencies and see if any candidates an issue before they are hired on to a police department.

So things like what happened was on Grayson at police agencies don't fall through the cracks.

>> Another law, Brendan is the family Neo-natal intensive Care Leave Act expands.

Family leave to a larger swath of employees.

How does that work?

Tell us about that.

One.

>> Yeah.

So this would basically require that employers of 16 to 50 workers to provide up to 10 days of unpaid leave 2 for employees that have a child in the NICU for larger employers at the up to 20 days.

So the FMLA covers larger employers as well as public employees.

So this would cover of some smaller employers and would cover part-time workers as well.

So it would basically say they says that the your employer has to meet in your health insurance and has to reinstate you.

Want leave is concluded.

And they also can't force you to use your paid time off in lieu of this unpaid time off in orders.

Take that time off with a baby in the NICU.

>> I've course a hot button issue in 2025.

That's not going to stop in the year 2026. tells one of the new laws that focus focuses on regulating AI in Illinois.

>> Yeah.

So this law basically prohibits the use of AI in employment decisions if they could discriminate against a protected class, you know, race, gender.

It also there's a provision in this law that prohibit discrimination based on zip code.

Basically, I mean, protected.

Classes already are protected from discrimination.

But that's just kind of clarifies.

The AI is AI is included in that, although it we should be clear that this is kind of a gray area because the Trump administration a few weeks ago enacted an executive order that is trying to rein in state level regulations.

The Congress is also indicated they may enact a law that preempts state AI regulations.

So this one and other ones that Illinois has enacted in recent years May may be limbo depending on what the federal government.

Right.

that point, you mentioned President Trump signing an executive order earlier this year focusing on deregulating AI.

It reads, quote, United States AI companies must be free to innovate without cumbersome regulation, but excessive state regulation for its this imperative don't know if the Illinois law that's going to count as excessive.

If this is the kind of thing that we'll see in court.

>> Another law, then it changes the way Illinois INS can store guns.

Tell us about that.

>> Yeah, this was a very controversial law, but also big priority for Democrats in Springfield and really kind of what it does is it creates a new penalty.

Is that really our design, unspent, advise people to make sure their guns are locked up and completely stored away from any children.

And that's so this really takes place when children are present, donors must be keeping their firearms in a locked container.

going to have some heco combination more than likely.

That is completely inaccessible to a child or really anybody else who's not be able to own a gun.

So as a gun owner is somehow found violation of this, there subject to some pretty high fines up to $10,000.

But, you one of the things that kind of is grandfathered in being able to report guns that are people who have their gun still missing under this new law still have 48 hours to report them is missing before they face any penalties.

But lot of new firearm regulations here as part of this law that are really designed to keep guns out of the hands of children.

>> Another law, we don't really have time to get into it.

But I do want to mention that Illinois's ending that one percent statewide grocery tax.

You all have reported, Brendan, that 656 me now with municipalities which covers about 56% of the state's population.

They've enacted their own local grocery taxes.

Setting that aside in just a few seconds, what else are you keeping an eye on in Springfield in the New year?

>> And one word the budget.

We've seen a lot of cuts coming from the federal government and economic growth slowing in some ways that's going to impact on on state coffers.

So a challenging budget every year.

But it's especially going to be this year, especially this year, been just a few seconds in question to you.

>> Yeah, same thing.

But also we'll be keeping an eye keeping an eye on the bears just to see it.

State lawmaker is pitch from the bears that they're going to move to Indiana's something that as any opinions in Springfield, Gary Bears and not just the Bears game this weekend against the Lions.

Brandon