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Lawmakers Work To Replace Illinois' Eavesdropping Law

Wikimedia Commons
Credit Wikimedia Commons

  Since the Illinois Supreme Court struck down the state's eavesdropping law in March, it's been legal to record audio of someone without asking permission. But legislators are working on a replacement.

As Hannah Meisel reports, lawmakers are working to replace Illinois' eavesdropping law the state's Supreme Court struck down in March.

The Supreme Court found the old law overly broad. It was a crime even to record in public, where people shouldn't really have an expectation of privacy. Because of that, Illinois' law was considered one of the strictest in the nation.

Ed Yohnka, with the Illinois Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, says he wishes the court hadn't struck down the entire law, but sees this as an opportunity for a clean slate. Yohnka says the ACLU wants...

"The continuation of all-party consent, which people in Illinois have really grown accustomed to, but also a bill that would recognize the evolving and changing dynamics of modern technology," he said.

In other words, the law ought to reflect an era in which smart phones mean we can all record audio just about anywhere.

Sen. Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago) says truly private conversations ought to still be protected. Raoul is the architect of new legislation to replace the old law.

"Right now we have a gaping hole in terms of our public policy as to how we protect such conversations," he said. "There's nothing in state law that protects the invasion of such privacy."

The measure passed the Senate on the last day of the legislature's spring session, but did not get a vote in the House. Raoul says he thinks the measure has a good chance of passing during the fall veto session.

Copyright 2014 NPR Illinois | 91.9 UIS

Hannah covers state government and politics for NPR Illinois and Illinois Public Radio. She previously covered the statehouse for The Daily Line and Law360, and also worked a temporary stint at the political blog Capitol Fax in 2018.