Governor Bruce Rauner made a stop in Taylorville on Monday. On the agenda was a plant tour of GSI, or Grain Systems Inc. on South Spresser Street. The governor also made a stop by the Christian County Courthouse, where he signed into law a bill that bans the sale of addictive bath salts. The bill was sponsored by local legislative leaders Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) and Representative Avery Bourne (R-Raymond), and passed through both the House and Senate with full bipartisan support.
The uses of “bath salts” have been on the rise over the last decade, and are chemically similar to cocaine and often are disguised as legitimate products.
The bill states that a person may not sell, or offer for sale any bath salts in a retail establishment in Illinois. It is a Class 3 felony if the act is violated, resulting in potential fines of up to $150,000. In addition to any penalty that may be imposed for a violation of the act, the local government that issued that retailers license may revoke their license.
Two variations were outlawed in the United States in 2012, however new chemical compounds have been introduced. SB 210 will go into effect on January 1st of 2017.
