New Illinois Laws for 2026: Statewide Grocery Tax to End, AI in Employment Decisions

Gov. JB Pritzker speaks at a Springfield grocery store in 2022 in favor of temporarily eliminating the state’s grocery tax. (Jerry Nowicki / Capitol News Illinois)

Illinois’ statewide 1% grocery tax will go away on Jan. 1, though many people will continue to pay it at the local level. Data compiled by the Illinois Municipal League shows that 656 municipalities — a little more than half of the state’s municipalities — have passed an ordinance establishing their own grocery tax.

Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill in 2024 eliminating the 1% statewide grocery tax, which he touted as a measure to ease residents’ tax burden. But because the revenue from the state grocery tax went to municipal governments, rather than state coffers, the measure allowed local governments to levy their own 1% tax via ordinance, rather than a referendum to voters.

Here are some other laws that will take effect in the new year:

Paid time off to pump breast milk

Senate Bill 212 mandates employers to compensate mothers who take breaks at work to pump breast milk for up to a year after their child is born. The bill prohibits employers from requiring employees to use paid leave time for pumping.

AI in employment decisions

An amendment to the Illinois Human Rights Act, House Bill 3773, prohibits use of AI in employment decisions such as recruitment, hiring and promotion if that use results in discrimination due to race, religion, sex and age. The law will require employers to disclose use of AI in employment decisions. The measure, however, could run afoul of a recent order that limits how states can regulate AI.

Hotel soaps phased out

The phase-out of small, single-use plastic bottles in Illinois hotel rooms continues. Senate Bill 2960, passed and signed into law in 2024, bars hotels from providing toiletries such as shampoo, conditioner and bath soap in less than six-ounce plastic containers unless specifically requested by the hotel guest.

Safer gear for firefighters

Under House Bill 2409, manufacturers of firefighter turnout gear starting in 2026 must provide written notice if their products contain PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals.” Numerous scientific studies have linked exposure to PFAS to an increased risk of developing cancer.

Head to our website to learn about more new laws.

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Steep Drop in Homicides Continued for Full Year After ShotSpotter Was Removed: Analysis

(WTTW News)

A steep drop in homicides in the 12 South and West side neighborhoods that had ShotSpotter sensors lasted a full year after Mayor Brandon Johnson scrapped the city’s controversial gunshot detection system, an updated analysis of Chicago crime data shows.

Between Jan. 1 and Sept. 22, the first anniversary of the system being shut down, police beats that had ShotSpotter sensors saw an approximately 32% decrease in homicides, according to an analysis of Chicago crime data by Rob Vargas, a sociology professor at the University of Chicago who leads the UChicago Justice Project. Citywide, the number of homicides dropped approximately 28% during the same period.

Some backstory:

The analysis by the UChicago Justice Project, which studies the politics of policing, is the first academic study to examine the impact of the decommissioning of ShotSpotter on crime rates in Chicago. The system was not in use on Chicago’s North Side or downtown.

The City Council previously demanded that Johnson reverse his decision to scrap the system, which he has said leads to the overpolicing of neighborhoods home to a majority of Black and Latino Chicagoans. Supporters of ShotSpotter said it helped officers save lives when shootings were not reported; ShotSpotter was never used to dispatch paramedics.

The City Council attempted to give Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling the power to bypass the mayor’s office and directly ink a contract with SoundThinking, the firm that operates ShotSpotter. Snelling supported the use of the system, but did not openly defy the mayor, who appointed him and has the power to fire him.

South Asian Food Is Booming Thanks to Creative Chefs Pushing Its Boundaries — And Chicago Is an Epicenter

Zubair Mohajir and Rishi Manoj Kumar are two of a group of chefs behind a boom of creative South Asian food in Chicago. (Courtesy of Keni Rosales)

South Asian food is booming in Chicago. Look no further than a recent meal hosted at Superkhana International for a glimpse of the creativity and variety lighting up the city right now like so many Diwali lamps. Playfully titled “Chi Desi Super Friends,” the special event brought together seven of the chefs pushing South Asian influence forward and broadening the narrow American conception of what Indian food can be.

“We were just sitting around thinking about all these awesome cooks cooking South Asian food in Chicago,” says Kazuyoshi Yamada, one of the chefs and co-owners of Superkhana, about the dinner, which sold out within 24 hours. “It’s definitely a zeitgeist. Part of what we’re highlighting are the ways that really talented cooks are approaching their heritage and their place in the culinary world and our place here in Chicago.”

Head to WTTW Playlist to see what local chefs are up to.

More From WTTW News:

• CTA, Metra and Pace are offering free rides on New Year's Eve.

Back in the Day: Dec. 29, 2015 - Protesters Gather at Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s House

Ten years ago, the city was outraged over the handling of the police shooting and killing of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. Protests had sparked following publicly released police footage of the incident, which critics said contradicted CPD’s initial narrative of the shooting. When another police shooting occurred on Dec. 26, 2015, when an officer responding to a domestic violence call shot and killed 19-year-old Quintonio LeGrier and his 55-year-old neighbor Bettie Jones, a couple dozen protesters gathered outside then Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s Ravenswood home to call for his resignation. As four uniformed police officers stood guard, activists shouted “Who gotta go? Rahm gotta go!” They also reportedly placed several pizza delivery orders. The Emanuels were not home and were returning from vacation. While Emanuel did not resign, the officer involved in the fatal shooting of LeGrier and Jones was dismissed in 2019.

This Week's Civic Events and Meetings

Every Monday, WTTW News highlights the best ways to get involved with local government.

Greater Chicago Food Depository 

This holiday season, why not volunteer or donate to a local food pantry? The Greater Chicago Food Depository has a variety of openings and needs that you can peruse here. 

Nourishing Hope

Formerly known as the Lakeview Pantry, this is one of the city's biggest and longest-running hunger relief organizations. In addition to offering "food that meets people where they are," Nourishing Hope also provides social services and free mental health counseling for its clients. Click here find ways to volunteer. 

Chicago Wilderness Alliance 

Want to volunteer for nature? The Chicago Wilderness Alliance, a massive regional collaborative group of more than 250 conservation organizations, has compiled a sprawling list of places that offer volunteer opportunities. Bookmark this page and find something that fits you. 

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What part of Chicago would you like to explore in the new year?

Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published.

• Nearly 300 new laws take effect in Illinois on Jan. 1, 2026. What to expect.

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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry