Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a law Wednesday that forbids employers from disciplining or penalizing workers who don’t participate in meetings “if the meeting or communication is to communicate the opinion of the employer about religious matters or political matters.”

The law requires insurers that provide state-regulated health care plans to cover pregnancy and postpartum services for covered individuals, including midwife services, doula visits, and lactation consultants for up to 12 months after the end of a pregnancy.

New safety requirements for carbon dioxide pipelines as well as a temporary ban on their construction are now in effect after Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a bill that passed the General Assembly earlier this year.

The legislation puts new controls on the state’s health insurance industry, including bans on certain practices companies have used to reduce costs by controlling the amount of health care services a patient receives.

Tuesday marked the first of at least six planned hearings about overhauling Chicago-area public transit agencies, proposed as part of legislation filed in May. That plan also calls for $1.5 billion in additional funding.

Changes to primary election fundraising, the electoral college and the state’s voter registration database are now law after Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a wide-ranging bill. The legislation, containing several unrelated election measures, passed near the end of the legislature’s spring session.

Abortion remains legal as an emergency medical procedure in Idaho, for now, after a Thursday U.S. Supreme Court ruling, while a bill that would cement those protections in Illinois law awaits Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s signature.

The new Department of Early Childhood, which will become operational in July 2026, will take over programs currently housed across three state agencies, including funding for preschool programs, child care centers and the licensing of day care centers.

The bill allows Illinois residents to get a judicial order to alter the name and sex on birth certificates and other documentation issued in another state. Currently in Illinois, the process no longer requires certification from a health professional, making it easier to request this change.

The Prairie Band Potawatomi are now headquartered in northeast Kansas. But they once had a reservation in what is now DeKalb County, a reservation that officials now agree was illegally sold out from under them in 1850.

Sports wagering and video gambling have developed into two of the most robust markets in the nation; Illinois’ sportsbooks collectively have the fourth-largest handle among all states, while Illinois’ video gambling industry is by far the largest of any state.

A Sangamon County judge blocked the Illinois State Board of Elections from enforcing a new law that would have prevented certain General Assembly candidates who didn’t run in the March primary from getting on the November ballot. The move doesn’t void the bill in its entirety, but rather blocks it only for this year’s general election for the 14 named plaintiffs in the case.

Illinois legislators passed 469 measures this year. The bulk of those items will likely become law, pending action from Gov. J.B. Pritzker. But in some cases, what lawmakers left on the table is equally significant as what passed.

Not only did the Chicago Bears and White Sox fail to win state funding for new stadiums before the General Assembly’s session ended last week, the teams shouldn’t expect to notch a legislative win later this year.

The state law that currently mandates licensing requirements for locksmiths is expected to sunset in January 2029, thanks to legislation passed in Springfield. Some fear that will result in problems for consumers, while others say it is needed deregulation.

Democrats who control the General Assembly pushed the measure through the legislative process and Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed it into law in a matter of days last month, arguing that slating is unfair to voters who didn’t get a say in a primary contest.