Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a series of bills into law Friday and over the weekend, with the 62 new laws set to take effect over the next year. One law on environmental protections previously drew skepticism from Republicans in Springfield.
House Bill 5070 prevents the state’s Pollution Control Board from having to adopt federal environmental rules and regulations if they are weaker than state law, allowing the board to deliberate before determining if the change will be made in the state.
During a hearing on the bill in March, Andrew Armstrong, chief legal counsel for the Illinois EPA, faced skepticism from Republican lawmakers, to which he addressed by saying the purpose of the bill was not necessarily political in nature.
The law took effect immediately after it was signed Friday.
The governor also signed a trio of bills just before the start of a Pride Month parade in Chicago on Sunday.
The laws focused on limiting hormone drugs from being monitored as controlled substances, required insurance companies to cover larger prescriptions of such drugs, and allows for the choice of a gender to be put on a drivers license or ID.
Story from Illinois Radio Network
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