CHICAGO (WLS) -- With the start of the New Year, there is always a new set of laws going into effect.
More than 180 new laws are set to take effect on January 1, 2023, covering a range of issues big and small that affect Illinoisans.
A complete list of all new Illinois laws taking effect next year can be found here.
Here's a look at some of the most interesting laws set to go into effect.
One of the most comprehensive, and likely the most contentious, laws to be signed into law this year was the Illinois SAFE-T Act, a massive criminal justice reform legislative package updating rules governing jail time while awaiting trial and the use of force by police.
The greatest controversy in the SAFE-T Act is the key provision for ending cash bail, which advocates said causes poor people to sit in jail because they can't make bail, even on minor charges, while affluent people can pay for their pre-trial release, even for more serious crimes.
The cash bail provision became a hallmark campaign issue in the race of Illinois governor and state attorney general. The law gives judges discretion to keep suspects they deem dangerous locked up without bail, and amendments signed by Gov. JB Pritzker in December expanded the list of detainable offenses and included some non-violent crimes.
The amendments also clarified other controversial elements of the bill, including that police can still arrest someone for trespassing, and that judges can issue arrest warrants when...
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