(The Center Square) – Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed 76 bills into law late Friday. Some new laws were bipartisan and aimed at consumer and government transparency, while others brought minor technical changes and updates to current state law.
Retailers will be prohibited from only offering store credit when accepting the return of an unopened and unused product in one new that takes effect July 1, 2027
Local governments will be required to publish audit and financial reports online in another new law taking effect soon.
MINORITY OF VOTERS DETERMINE MAJORITY OF LOCAL SPENDING, REPORT FINDS
A new report from Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas found one in five eligible voters in the county determined the outcome of property tax referendums in recent elections, increasing public spending by hundreds of millions of dollars.
Consistent with typical voter trends, a larger portion of voters contribute to making decisions on such referendums during general elections where higher offices are also on the ballot.
CHICAGO HOLDS STATE LEGISLATIVE SUMMIT
The National Conference of State Legislatures is holding its 2026 Legislative Summit in Chicago this week.
The bipartisan gathering of lawmakers and staff includes sessions on midterm elections, redistricting, tariff impacts, data centers, prediction markets and more.
Illinois state Rep. Marcus Evans, D-Chicago, is the current NCSL president. The event runs through Wednesday.