DECEMBER 31, 2025 - JANUARY 1, 2026 • VOL. 65 ISSUE 9
More News online at Buglenewspapers.com
New laws: Gun storage, police background check changes take effect in 2026 See: Page 2: ‘NEW LAWS’
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DECEMBER 31, 2025 - JANUARY 1, 2026 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM | PAGE 2
LOCAL NEWS
from the cover: NEW LAWS
Illinois expands job-protected leave for parents with newborns in NICU By Ben Szalinski Capitol News Illinois Gun owners in Illinois must take new steps in 2026 to secure their firearms in their homes, particularly when children are present. Gov. JB Pritzker signed Senate Bill 8, known as the Safe Gun Storage Act, in late July, which prohibits gun owners from storing their weapons in an unsecured way at any location where they know that the gun could be accessed by a minor, a person at risk of harming themselves or others, or by a person who is prohibited from possessing a firearm. Under the law, gun owners will be required to keep them in a locked container so that they are inaccessible or unusable by anyone other than the owner. Owners who violate the law could be subject to fines as high as $10,000. Gun owners must also report lost or stolen firearms to police within 48 hours of discovering a gun missing. That’s down from the previous 72-hour requirement. Background checks for police officers State lawmakers passed a bill in response to the murder of Springfield resident Sonya Massey in 2024. Massey, a Black woman, was killed when former Sangamon County Sheriff ’s Deputy Sean Grayson, a white man, shot her in her kitchen while investigating a reported prowler. Grayson was convicted of second-degree murder in October.
ment or sheriff ’s office making a hire would be required to request employment personnel files from the applicant’s previous employers, including other law enforcement agencies. The previous employer would be required to share the information within 14 days. Law enforcement applicants would be required to sign a document authorizing the release of information, including military service records, police discipline databases, employment and criminal history, driving records, academic credentials, a credit check, and more. “I feel confident that going forward and over time, our communities and law enforcement will have built a trusting relationship, and I will have kept my promise to my childhood friends and Sonya’s mother,” Sen. Doris Turner, a Springfield Democrat who sponsored the bill and knows Massey’s family, said at an August news conference. Gun permits for offenders Senate Bill 1899 creates a path for firsttime gun offenders to obtain a Firearm Owner’s Identification Card and legally own a gun. First-time offenders are allowed to apply for a FOID card after receiving a court order demonstrating they successfully completed the First Time Weapons Offense Diversion Program and are otherwise eligible to own a gun.
Capitol News Illinois reporting in 2024 revealed that Grayson had a history of reprimands and disobeying superiors at departments that previously employed him.
The opportunity narrowly applies to people charged with a Class 4 felony, which is the lowest level charge for illegally possessing a firearm. The bill received bipartisan support in the legislature, and proponents said it will mostly benefit young people.
Under Senate Bill 1953, a police depart-
Human trafficking statute of limitations
The statute of limitations on cases of human trafficking of minors is going away. House Bill 2602 removes the 25-year window for victims of involuntary servitude, involuntary sexual servitude of a minor, or trafficking to pursue charges from crimes that happened while they were a minor. They will now be allowed to bring charges at any time. Rep. Anne Stava, D-Naperville, said in April that the 25-year cap was protecting human traffickers who “really don’t deserve peace of mind.” The bill unanimously passed the General Assembly. Missing persons reports Senate Bill 24 prohibits police departments from establishing waiting periods before they accept a missing persons report. The law requires police to immediately enter information about a person reported missing into the Law Enforcement Agencies Data System. The law also requires police to keep missing persons cases open until the person is located. Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation. Maggie Dougherty contributed to this report. Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
PAGE 3 | DECEMBER 31, 2025 - JANUARY 1, 2026 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM
BUSINESS AND REAL ESTATE
How to determine your financial needs in retirement No one knows what the future holds. Despite the mystery shrouding the future, it’s still vital that people plan for the years ahead, particularly in regard to saving for retirement. Advice abounds regarding how much money retirees will need to live comfortably in retirement. One common approach suggests retirees should aspire to replace 70 to 80 percent of their pre-retirement income, while another strategy urges retirees to save twelve times their final pre-retirement income, meaning someone making $100,000 in the year they retire will need at least $1.2 million in retirement savings to maintain their lifestyle. Each of these approaches are just strategies, and how much a person actually needs in retirement will depend on a host of variables unique to each individual, including the age a person retires, his or her health status at the time of retirement and personal goals for their golden years. For example, those who hope to retire at 65 and travel extensively in retirement will likely need more savings than someone who hopes to retire at 70 and travel less frequently. Though variables unique to each person will help to determine how much to save for retirement, there are some additional ways to identify how much you might need to live comfortably after
calling it a career. · Identify your ideal retirement age. Arguably the most significant variable related to saving for retirement is the age at which a person hopes to retire. Some may have the luxury of choosing their own retirement date, while others’ personal health or employers may make that choice for them. But it’s good to remember that the longer a person continues to work, the less retirement savings that person will need. When trying to determine how much to save for retirement, first identify your ideal retirement age and then go from there, recognizing that this important variable can change over time. · Identify the lifestyle you hope to live. If the romanticized ideal of a jetsetting retirement lifestyle appeals to you, then you’re likely going to need to save more for retirement than someone whose vision of life after working is less glamorous. It’s possible for many retirees to live their ideal lifestyle in retirement, but those whose ideal is marked by expensive pursuits like regular international travel will need to start earlier and save more than someone who envisions occasional trips but more time at home.
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· Don’t overlook health care costs. Health care costs for retirees are heavily dependent on individual health. But even the healthiest retiree might experience a sudden and potentially costly medical issue, so it’s best for everyone to plan for sizable health care expenses in retirement. The Employee Benefit Research Institute estimates that couples will need to have saved at least $188,000 to have a 90 percent chance of covering
their health care expenditures in retirement. That figure is subject to variables unique to each individual, but it can serve as a useful measuring stick as adults try to determine how much they need to save for retirement. Financial needs in retirement depend on the individual. However, some key planning strategies can help individuals determine how much they might need to save to live comfortably in retirement.
PAGE 4 | DECEMBER 31, 2025 - JANUARY 1, 2026 | BUGLENEWSPAPERS.COM