Illinois Quick Hits: ACLU Critical Of Chicago's Curfew, Illinois Blocks Carvana, DEI Course To Be Required At SIU

By The Center Square Staff:

DEI course to be required at SIU

An Illinois university will require students to pass a diversity, equity and inclusion course to be eligible to graduate.

Officials at Illinois State University in Normal say the requirement will be applicable to all students beginning in the fall 2023 semester. In March, ISU announced a $4.5 million faculty retention initiative based on individuals’ commitments to DEI.

Chicago issues new curfew

Mayor Lori Lightfoot joined Chicago officials and community leaders Monday to outline changes to the city’s curfew as well as adding a new curfew at Millennium Park for unaccompanied minors.

As of this week, the weekend curfew for minors is being moved from 11 p.m. to 10 p.m., and unaccompanied minors will not be allowed into Millennium Park from Thursday to Sunday after 6 p.m. Officials hope the new rules will deter the chaos that erupted Saturday, leading to the shooting death of a 16-year-old boy.

ACLU critical of new curfew

The ACLU of Illinois is criticizing Mayor Lightfoot’s new curfew for minors following a fatal shooting near “The Bean” over the weekend.

Lightfoot said young people under 18 will not be allowed in Millennium Park without an adult after 6 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, while the weekend curfew for minors is being moved to 10 p.m.

A spokesperson for the ACLU Illinois said the mayor’s curb on unaccompanied youths runs the risk of eroding the trust between the Chicago Police Department and young people who want to gather downtown to enjoy the public amenities that the city has to offer.

Gas prices remain high

There are only three states in the country with an average gas price per gallon under $4, and Illinois isn’t one of them.

According to GasBuddy, the national average is now $4.46 per gallon, up over 15 cents from a week ago. The only three states with a gas price average under $4 are Georgia, Kansas and Oklahoma.

The average price in Illinois is now up to $4.82.

Illinois blocks Carvana

Online car dealer Carvana cannot do business in Illinois until it resolves problems with getting buyers vehicle registrations and titles.

A spokesman for the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office said Carvana’s license was suspended after complaints from consumers. Carvana failed to get buyers their titles within a 20-day period required by Illinois law and in some cases were four to six months late.

Law makes course material available online

A new law signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker may help college students save some money amidst the skyrocketing prices for tuition.

The new law requires universities to give students access to online versions of their course materials on the first day of class. The online alternatives would be priced at a significantly lower cost than printed textbooks.

The focus of the work of The Center Square Illinois is state- and local-level government and economic reporting that approaches stories with a taxpayer sensibility. For more stories from The Center Square, visit TheCenterSquare.com.