IL Secretary of State, State Rep. Seek To Overturn 'Air Freshener Ban'

ILLINOIS — Police officers in Illinois will no longer be able to pull drivers over for having items dangling from their car’s rearview mirror if a new bill introduced by Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias and State Rep. La Shawn Ford passes the Illinois State Senate and is signed into law.

House Bill 2389 would prohibit cops from pulling drivers over for having items such as air fresheners, rosaries or handicapped placards displayed on their mirrors while driving. Illinois is one of only a few states in the nation with laws on the books that prohibits drivers from hanging items on their mirror.

The current state law precludes drivers from hanging items from their rearview mirror, which lawmakers previously agreed could be a distraction or obstruct the driver’s vision. But in a news release, Giannoulias and Ford said that the enforcement of a “minor vehicle code violation” can lead to potential violent interactions between police officers and motorists.

Both elected officials characterized the law as “arcane” and said that some drivers who have items hanging from their mirror may be racially profiled for doing so.

The bill passed through the house in March and is now headed to the Senate, where lawmakers could pass the bill onto Gov. J.B. Pritzker for his signature.

“We need to do everything we can to reduce the need for police interactions with people for non- violent and non-threatening violations,” said Ford, the House Bill’s chief sponsor. “There is no reason for police to pull over a vehicle just because they have an air freshener on their mirror or for many other minor infractions.

“Making this change in the law is too important to wait because it’s a safety issue for both the public and law enforcement. Law enforcement is overworked and understaffed. Springfield must use taxpayers’ resources wisely to catch the violent criminals that make all our communities less safe by repealing laws like the air freshener ban.”

Giannoulias agreed.

“Pulling someone over for merely having an air freshener attached to the rearview mirror is not only archaic, it’s ridiculous,” Giannoulias said in a statement. “Amending the law by prohibiting traffic stops that encourage discriminatory practices will ultimately make our streets safer for both motorists and police officers.”