Illinois enacts 320 new state laws, including bans on semi-automatic weapons and indoor vaping

Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Bullard said after one year in effect, the SAFE-T Act is having the "intended result" and damaging the policing profession in Illinois. With the calendar-page turn to 2024 on Monday comes 320 new state laws that Illinois residents will need to navigate. Some will have a widespread effect, including a law banning semi-automatic rifles and another requiring paid time off. But others won't have an immediate or noticeable impact, including a law that lets county governments consider a potential contractor's participation in an approved apprenticeship program in determining the winning low bid for a project. One law that took effect in 2019 but is still impacting tens of thousands of workers is an increase in the minimum wage.