Quinn signs terrible laws

Gus Philpott
Woodstock Advocate
July 21, 2012

Gov Quinn signed some lousy bills into law on Friday, according to State Briefs on Page A3 of this morning's Northwest Herald. He probably didn't think they were lousy bills. They are.

One law that goes into effect immediately applies to using mobile phones while driving within 500' of an emergency scene. It also makes it illegal to use a cellphone to take pictures near emergency sites.

The article was too brief to distinguish between driver-use and passenger-use; presumably, it applies to the driver, although sections of the Illinois Vehicle Code can apply to passengers. So watch out.

Will extra cops be stationed at the 500' mark to grab violators?

I'll see if I can learn the Bill Numbers and the Statute numbers, so that you can read the above and the following laws for yourself.

Another law prohibits use of cell phones in construction zones, even if there is no speed-zone reduction signing. Where might you get caught on this one? If the law were effective immediately, you'd run into trouble on Route 120 at Fleming Road, which is a construction zone but for which there is no speed reduction. Is that Bull Valley jurisdiction there? Think they'd be thick there?

By the way, the construction there is for a traffic light! All I can say about that is, whose dumb idea was that?

These laws are ones that will be unposted and most violators are going to find out the hard way, after they see the cop motion them over or see the red/blue lights in the rearview mirror.

Another new law prohibits handheld cellphone use by commercial drivers. There has been a Federal law, about which I wrote recently. Now, a new law makes this a violation under the Illinois Vehicle Code. So those drivers of the semis on Route 47 and other roads in McHenry County are going to have to hang up and drive.

The laws won't go into effective until January 1.

It's too late, but you can always vent to Sen. Althoff and Reps. Tryon and Franks, anyway.