School cell phone ban passes Senate
The Illinois Senate has passed legislation that outlaws cellphones in school classrooms.
The measure would require schools to create a policy prohibiting the use of cellphones during instructional time and create guidelines on how to store cellphones when in a school building by the 2026-27 school year. Gov. JB Pritzker called for the ban in his State of the State address in February.
Senior driving road test bill passes House
The Illinois House has passed a measure that would eliminate an age-based driving test.
Drivers ages 79 or 80 would have to go to the DMV to renew their license and take an eye test, but they would not be required to take a road test. Once a driver turns 87 years old, they would then be required to pass a road test.
Illinois is the only state that requires road exams based on age.
Real estate scammer sentenced
A Chicago real estate broker has been sentenced to more than four years in federal prison for orchestrating a fraud scheme that bilked at least four investors out of more than $3 million.
Sanislav Sannikov owned and operated Chestnut Realty Group in Chicago. From 2016 to 2020, Sannikov fraudulently claimed to investors that certain properties were for sale and that he could negotiate the purchase on their behalf. Prosecutors said he then induced the victim investors to deposit earnest money into what he told them was an escrow account. Sannikov withdrew the investor funds and spent the money on his own lavish lifestyle.
