Skip to content
  • Subscribe
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • Email
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment
  • Features
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe to Ray’s Clumns
Suburban Chicagoland

Suburban Chicagoland

Original News, Features & Opinion on local and regional news you won't find anywhere else

  • About
    • About
    • Advertise
    • Our Writers
      • Ray Hanania
      • Bill Lipinski
      • Biography: Aaron Hanania
      • Steve Metsch
      • Steve Neuhaus
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Policy
    • Reach Out
  • Sections
    • Events
    • Opinion
    • News
    • Features
    • Seniors
    • Comic Strip
  • Library
    • “MIdnight Flight” Online Book
      • Midnight Flight Book Overview
      • Midnight Flight Introduction
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 1
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 2
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 3
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 4
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 5
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 6
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 7
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 8
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 9
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 10
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 11
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 12
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 13
    • Villages, Cities & Towns
    • Federal Office Holders
    • County Officials
    • Legislators
  • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
  • Comment
  • Podcast
    • Ray Hanania on Politics
    • Two Guys on Politics
    • Hanania on Tiktok
  • News Wire
  • Toggle search form
  • 05-23-25 Jeffery M. Leving
    Leving team’s court victory protected dad’s daughters from reported danger Dads' Rights
  • Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
    Madigan sentenced to stiff seven and a half years in prison on corruption case Chicago
  • Attorneys Jeffery Leving Arthur Kallow
    Honoring Fathers: A Father’s Day Reflection Arthur Kallow
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Papas
    Understanding Cook County Property Taxes: A Guide for Homeowners Blogger
  • Pekau diatribe expels residents Feb 5 2024 board meeting on ceasefire
    Chicago Union bosses embrace anti-Arab & anti-Muslim racism to fuel Fire District takeover Baby Boomers
  • 06-04-25 Two Guys on Politics Background Zoom LOGO with images
    Two Guys on Politics Podcast on Elon Musk, Trump’s Parade, LA Riots, and Middle East ban Bill Lipinski
  • 05-23-25 Jeffery M. Leving
    Often overlooked single fathers deserve praise this Father’s Day Blogger
  • Fentanyl drugs Courtesy of the DEA
    Five Defendants Charged in Federal Investigation Targeting Fentanyl Sales in Chicago Crime
  • Illinois State Senator Michael Hastings. Photo courtesy of the Illinois State Senate
    Southland manufacturer receives state funding thanks to Hastings Business
  • Stolen merchandise in the arrest of Isadore House by Cook County Sheriff 06-11-25
    Chicago Man Faces Felony after $400,000 in Stolen Merchandise Recovered Chicago
  • Ray Hanania joins Thom Serafin on The Crisis Cast Podcast this week discussing presidential politics, journalism and how to understand Trump's reality TV persona style
    Podcast: Musk vs Trump and the impact of media distortion on news Commentary
  • Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash
    Suburban Chicago Physician Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Health Care Fraud Crime
  • Congresswoman Robin Kelly official photo
    Congresswoman and Illinois native Lucy McBath endorse Robin Kelly for U.S. Senate during Gun Violence Prevention Month Crime
  • Standup to growing anti-Arab and anti-Muslim racism. Photo courtesy of human rights watch
    Chicago Federation of Labor criticized for racial bias against Arabs and Muslims Blogger
  • Orland Fire Protection District responds to fire in Orland Park Thursday Sept. 5, 2024. No injuries
    Orland Fire participates in Village Touch a Truck event June 12 Festival
Gov. JB Pritzker signs legislation that caps the out-of-pocket cost of prescription insulin for many people in Illinois during a ceremony Jan. 24, 2020, at the Central Counties Health Centers in Springfield. The law is one of only three that go into effect Jan. 1. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Peter Hancock. Courtesy Des Plaines Valley News)

Another pandemic victim

Posted on January 14, 2021January 15, 2021 By Steve Metsch No Comments on Another pandemic victim
SHARE THIS STORY
            
 
  

Another pandemic victim

Only three new laws for Illinois as 2021 starts

By Steve Metsch

The making of laws appears to be yet another victim of the coronavirus pandemic in Illinois.

Normally, we see dozens of new laws taking effect on a wide range of topics each New Year’s Day. But as 2021 begins Friday, there are only three new laws on the books in Springfield.

Laws using DNA to help find missing persons, capping insulin costs for diabetics, and protecting victims of sexual assault or stalking take effect Jan. 1.

Although not a new law, the state minimum wage in Illinois is also set to increase on Friday to $11 per hour.

Gov. JB Pritzker signs legislation that caps the out-of-pocket cost of prescription insulin for many people in Illinois during a ceremony Jan. 24, 2020, at the Central Counties Health Centers in Springfield. The law is one of only three that go into effect Jan. 1. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Peter Hancock. Courtesy Des Plaines Valley News)
Gov. JB Pritzker signs legislation that caps the out-of-pocket cost of prescription insulin for many people in Illinois during a ceremony Jan. 24, 2020, at the Central Counties Health Centers in Springfield. The law is one of only three that go into effect Jan. 1. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Peter Hancock. Courtesy Des Plaines Valley News)

In a law sponsored by Assistant Majority Leader Tony Munoz (D-Chicago), a process is created for using DNA to attempt to identify and locate a missing person.

According to a release on www.illinoisstatedemocrats.com, law enforcement agencies can face roadblocks collecting DNA samples when trying to locate missing people.

Public Act 101-0266, allows law enforcement agencies to collect DNA samples of the missing person or attempt to collect and create a reference DNA sample from their family members, the release said.

All DNA samples collected in missing person cases from family members of the missing person cannot be retained once the person has been located or identified.

The law also adds the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUS) to the list of laboratories law enforcement agencies can coordinate with when trying to find a missing person.

NamUS is a national information clearing house and resource center for missing, unidentified and unclaimed person cases across the country.

Missing people’s information would need to be submitted to NamUS within 45 days. In high-risk missing person cases, law enforcement would be required to submit a packet of all relevant DNA samples to NamUS within 30 days.

“DNA testing can help reunite missing people with their families,” Munoz said in the release. “If a family member of yours is missing, you can now provide DNA samples to law enforcement to help find them. Successfully finding a missing person requires law enforcement to move fast, and we want to make sure they have every tool available to do their job. By using the national system, we have a better opportunity of finding missing people sooner.”

In another new law, diabetics should benefit greatly from Senate Bill 667 which caps all out-of-pocket insulin costs at $100 per month, according to a story on www.khqa.com.

According to the release, the law applies to all patients using a state-regulated insurance plan, regardless of the supply they need.

Additionally, it requires the Departments of Insurance, Human Services, and Healthcare and Family Services to jointly issue an “insulin pricing report.” This report will include details on insulin pricing practices and recommendations to prevent overpricing of insulin.

This law makes Illinois the second state in the nation to cap out-of-pocket insulin costs, the release said. State Sen. Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill), and state Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-Chicago) co-sponsored the bill.

According to Manar and Guzzardi, about 1.3 million Illinois residents have diabetes and rely on insulin to manage their blood sugar.

The third new law, sponsored by Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs), allows sexual assault and stalking survivors to keep their home addresses confidential.

The bill, which passed with bipartisan support, empowers the attorney general’s office to keep survivors’ home addresses private from their attackers and stalkers.

“Investigations of sexual assault can be long, grueling and emotionally devastating for survivors,” Glowiak Hilton said on her website, www.senatorsuzyglowiak.com

“It’s critical for survivors to feel safe at home during and after the conclusion of the investigation.” she said in the release.

The law allows survivors of sexual abuse or stalking to list the attorney general’s office as their contact address instead of revealing their actual address, avoiding any risk that their abuser might locate them.

The minimum wage increase is part of a bill signed last year by Gov. JB Pritzker that will raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2025.

Already this year, the minimum was increased to $9.25 a year ago and raised again to $10 an hour on July 1. It will increase $1 per hour on Jan.1, 2022, Jan. 1, 2023, Jan. 1, 2024 and Jan. 1, 2025.

“We want to make sure that workers earning minimum wage are aware that the $1 increase should be reflected in their pay checks for any time they work after the first of the year,” said Michael Kleinik, director of the Illinois Department of Labor. “While we fully expect employers will pay the new wage, we also want workers to be aware of the change.”

Cook County has a higher minimum wage than the state, currently $13 an hour. The current city of Chicago minimum wage is $13.50 an hour for small employers (4 to 20 employees) and $14 an hour for large employers (21 or more employees).

A study by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute at the University of Illinois indicated that more than 1.4 million adult hourly workers in Illinois make less than $15 per hour.

Workers who are under 18 years old and work fewer than 650 hours in a year will earn a minimum wage of $8.50 per hour beginning January 1. The youth minimum wage rate will gradually rise to $13 an hour by 2025.

— Desplaines Valley News

newswire info
  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Steve Metsch
Steve Metsch
Steve Metsch is an award winning veteran reporter who previously worked for the Daily Southtown Newspapers, Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times. Metsch is a writer and editor at the Southwest News Newspaper group based in suburban Chicago, and a freelance writer a health magazine, the Suburban Life, the Naperville Sun, and other organizations.
Email Steve Metsch at sm4610@sbcglobal.net
Steve Metsch
Latest posts by Steve Metsch (see all)
  • Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band are still rockin’ - August 10, 2023
  • Weathering personal storms - July 20, 2023
  • Countryside solution irks some - July 20, 2023
  • Tweet

SHARE THIS STORY
            
 
  
 
 
 
           
News, Suburban Chicagoland Tags:DNA samples, Illinois, insulin, minimum wage, new laws 2021

Post navigation

Previous Post: All in the family
Next Post: Supporting Our Police: Statement from the Orland Fire Protection District

Related Posts

  • “Congressman Dan Lipinski (IL-3) is joined by the 2017 Senior Citizens of the Year at Prime Time Restaurant in Hickory Hills.”
    Lipinski Honors 2017 Senior Citizens of the Year Baby Boomers
  • Orland Township seniors are happy to get back to their favorite Township fitness classes, including Joints in Motion. Photo courtesy of Orland Township
    Popular Orland Township Senior Drop-In Returns Baby Boomers
  • Lyons block party a hit News
  • CoronaVirus courtesy of Wikipedia
    Public Health Officials Announce 461 New Cases of Coronavirus Disease Chicago
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas has hosted a display of Christmas Trees from around the world each year since 2003. Photo courtesy of Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas
    Pappas displays Christmas trees from around the world Editors Pick
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas
    Slashed interest rate on late property tax payments could prevent home loss Blogger

More Related Articles

Michael Schofield III Sports Complex, Orland Park. Scoreboard Kendall and Michael Schofield Family Foundation Sponsor Park Redevelopment Entertainment
Microphone in Radio Studio, Leving Law Firm Dad counted on the Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving Ltd. to help and they delivered Arthur Kallow
Mobile Stroke Unit from Rush Hospital available to Cicero residents. Photo courtesy of the Town of Cicero Cicero makes enhanced medical services available in emergencies Health
Where’s Frank? News
Fathers Rights Attorney Jeffery M. Leving Leving team protected two little boys, keeping them safe at home with dad Arthur Kallow
Fathers Rights Attorney Jeffery M. Leving Dad wins in court to get child enrolled in school Chicago

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Login with your Social ID
Subscribe to Ray Hanania's column graphic

Enter Your Email to Subscribe to Ray Hanania’s Columns

  • OPINION COLUMNS
  • Attorneys Jeffery Leving Arthur Kallow
    Honoring Fathers: A Father’s Day Reflection
    June 13, 2025
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Papas
    Understanding Cook County Property Taxes: A Guide for Homeowners
    June 13, 2025
  • Pekau diatribe expels residents Feb 5 2024 board meeting on ceasefire
    Chicago Union bosses embrace anti-Arab & anti-Muslim racism to fuel Fire District takeover
    June 13, 2025
  • 06-04-25 Two Guys on Politics Background Zoom LOGO with images
    Two Guys on Politics Podcast on Elon Musk, Trump’s Parade, LA Riots, and Middle East ban
    June 12, 2025
  • 05-23-25 Jeffery M. Leving
    Often overlooked single fathers deserve praise this Father’s Day
    June 12, 2025
  • Ray Hanania joins Thom Serafin on The Crisis Cast Podcast this week discussing presidential politics, journalism and how to understand Trump's reality TV persona style
    Podcast: Musk vs Trump and the impact of media distortion on news
    June 11, 2025
  • NEWS
  • 05-23-25 Jeffery M. Leving
    Leving team’s court victory protected dad’s daughters from reported danger
    June 14, 2025
  • Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
    Madigan sentenced to stiff seven and a half years in prison on corruption case
    June 13, 2025
  • The-Kings-Pawn-Book-300-x-300.png
  • SPORTS
  • Chicago Wovles play the Rockford Ice Hogs, Feb. 23, 2025
    Chicago Wolves Hockey skate Past Rockford Icehogs 4 to 2
    February 23, 2025
  • Chicago Wolves player Andrew Poturalski. Photo courtesy of the Chicago Wolves. https://www.chicagowolves.com
    The Chicago Wolves dispatched the Iowa Wild 4-1 on Saturday night at Allstate Arena.
    February 22, 2025
  • NEWS RELEASES
  • 05-23-25 Jeffery M. Leving
    Leving team’s court victory protected dad’s daughters from reported danger
    June 14, 2025
  • Stolen merchandise in the arrest of Isadore House by Cook County Sheriff 06-11-25
    Chicago Man Faces Felony after $400,000 in Stolen Merchandise Recovered
    June 11, 2025
John Kass Columns

Order the book PoweR PR; Ethnic Activists Guide to Strategic Communications

YOUTUBE VIDEOS

CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE TO RAY HANANIA'S YOUTUBE VIDEOS


Click here to view the video on YouTube or use the widget below.

Follow Ray Hanania at
Twitter
Facebook
TitkTok
BlueSky
RayHanania Columns

Creative Commons License
All works on this website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Do not edit original work. Give credit to the original source.

Categories

Copyright © 2022 Suburban Chicagoland & Urban Strategies Group

Powered by PressBook Premium theme