skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

“Banning the Box” Could Open Doors for Some IL Job Applicants

play audio
Play

Monday, December 29, 2014   

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Illinois is set to join many other states in "banning the box" on job applications that ask about a person's criminal history. A new law goes into effect this week that prevents criminal background checks until after an applicant is deemed qualified for a job.

Michelle Rodriguez, senior staff attorney with the National Employment Law Project, says an estimated 70 million adults in the U.S. have an arrest or conviction record. She predicts the law should open doors for many in Illinois.

"That's a tremendous number of people that are walking around with potential barriers," Rodriguez says. "If folks can't get jobs that's going to be bad for all of our communities, for our economy, for public safety. It just really doesn't make sense."

The Illinois Job Opportunities for Qualified Applicants Act does not apply to certain positions where employers must exclude applicants with criminal histories. The Illinois Department of Labor and Violations will be responsible for enforcement.

Rodriguez says local advocates have been working on the legislation for quite a while to ensure all Illinoisans have a chance to prove themselves when looking for work.

"This is actually something we see practically going viral at this point," says Rodriguez. "There are 13 states that have some type of "ban the box" fair-chance hiring laws in place and now they're getting close to 100 cities and counties across the country that have embraced this policy."

Illinois has had a ban-the-box policy for state government jobs in place since 2013, and becomes the fifth state to include private employers in fair-chance hiring policies.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

Social Issues

play sound

A 2023 study from the University of Nebraska Medical Center concluded the number of Nebraskans with a mental health or substance abuse disorder has pr…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021