Carbondale Reporter

Senate Democrats have moved forward with a contentious bill that could impact law enforcement's ability to ensure road safety. Senate Bill 42, as advanced by the Democrats, would remove the necessity for cannabis users to keep their products in odor-proof containers. Additionally, it prevents law enforcement from conducting stops or searches of vehicles based solely on the scent of cannabis.

Critics, primarily from the Republican side, argue that this proposal limits police powers and hinders them from identifying impaired drivers. They maintain that the smell of cannabis has traditionally been a legitimate reason for further investigation to prevent impaired driving, drawing parallels to situations involving alcohol.

State Senator Terri Bryant has vocalized her opposition to this measure, asserting that it sends the wrong message to drivers and discourages proactive policing on roads in Illinois.

In another legislative development, the Illinois Senate has passed legislation concerning food safety, particularly for individuals with celiac disease. Senate Bill 1288, which received unanimous approval, mandates that all food handlers in Illinois undergo training related to celiac disease and the gluten-free handling of foods. This legislation aims to bolster allergen awareness, including the addition of sesame as a recognized allergen.

The bill outlines training areas for food handlers, such as recognizing celiac disease symptoms, avoiding gluten cross-contamination, cleaning protocols, and proper gluten-free labeling. The bill is now set to proceed to the Illinois House for further discussion.

On April 10, the Illinois House passed House Bill 1237, another contentious bill aimed at eliminating Native-themed mascots and logos in schools statewide. This proposal stipulates that affected schools must rebrand by July 1, 2026, unless they obtain and renew approval from a federally recognized tribe every five years. While some schools face significant financial challenges to comply, Senate Republicans argue the bill overlooks the local relevance of these mascots as symbols of pride and cultural identity. They urge lawmakers to prioritize fiscal matters over intervening in local school traditions amid the state's economic challenges.

In a separate accomplishment, MTH Pumps, a Southern Illinois company, has emerged as the winner of the 2025 Makers Madness contest, organized by the Illinois Manufacturers' Association. Their aerial firefighting helicopter refill pump was declared "the coolest thing made in Illinois," chosen from over 250 nominees. Designed to halve the refilling time for helicopter water tanks used in firefighting, the pump was recently employed by California fire departments. Tim Tremain, president of MTH Pumps, noted that the Los Angeles Fire Department found the pump "very consistent, very helpful and very reliable."

Three other finalists were acknowledged during the event: an aircrew systems tester by Chemring Energetic Devices, donor breastmilk by Mother’s Milk Bank of Western Great Lakes, and a remote-operated oil skimmer by Elastec.