Amid a Moody's report describing Illinois as a below-average performer in job and income growth, the governor is poised to sign legislation that opponents say will open business owners to frivolous lawsuits.
House Bill 2161 is now on the Governor's desk. The bill seeks to prevent discrimination by an employer based on an employee's family responsibilities.
During the House debate last month, state Rep. Will Guzzardi, D-Chicago, gave a real-life example of the kind of discrimination the bill aims to prevent.
State Rep. Dan Ugaste, R-Geneva, said there are already laws on the books against discrimination in the workplace, but what this bill does is open employers up to frivolous lawsuits.
“We all believe that taking care of family is important, but this bill is another basic expansion of the ability to file lawsuits,” Ugaste said. “And it hasn't even been brought by our trial lawyers, it's a national association, which is now coming up with ideas about what lawsuits they need to be able to file in the state of Illinois. All the business groups are against it and it's not to reduce claims or lawsuits. That's a problem for businesses and it makes it harder for Illinois to attract businesses.”
Ugaste pointed to a 2024 Moody's report that describes Illinois' economy as performing below average in jobs and income growth. Ugaste urged a “no” vote for HB2161 in the House. He said the Legislature needs to think about the Moody's report before voting on this legislation.
“If people were routinely discriminated against, we would all hear about it. I just took my grandson to school because his mother couldn't. People work with people, we are human and there is no need for an invoice like this. This is something lawyers can make money from. The point of this bill is not to tell businesses not to come here, but that is the bottom line,” Ugaste said.
Guzzardi, the bill's sponsor, said the measure simply closes a loophole in the state's discrimination protections and noted that other states that have passed similar legislation are seeing the number of lawsuits filed drop.
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