The state of Illinois will have dozens of new laws going into effect on Jan. 1, and while most will carve out new programs or add additional public safety measures, a handful will celebrate what makes the state unique.
While most Illinoisans are aware that the state bird is the cardinal, or that its official state flower is the violet, some other new “official” symbols are joining that list in 2023:
HB 4261: The New Official State Rock
Dolostone has been officially designated as Illinois’ official state rock after Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a bill into law in June.
Students from Pleasantdale Middle School in suburban Burr Ridge and Maplebrook Elementary School in Naperville helped to push for the designation.
Dolostone is a sedimentary rock made of the mineral dolomite. It makes up the majority of bedrock in the state of Illinois, and helps provide nutrients to soil, according to geologists.
HB 4766: Sweet Corn Appreciation Day
Most of the sweet corn production in the United States occurs in the upper Midwest, with the state of Illinois providing “an optimal setting for growing sweet corn with its deep fertile soils, moderate rainfall and temperate weather,” according to lawmakers.
As a result, Aug. 1 has been designated “Sweet Corn Appreciation Day” in Illinois, to celebrate the food’s importance to agriculture, and to recognize family farmers.
Unsurprisingly, the state grain of Illinois is corn. The state’s official snack food is popcorn, and its state vegetable is sweet corn. More information on state symbols can be found on the Illinois Department of Natural Resources website.
A change years in the making, Illinois will officially begin its new smoke detector law starting in 2023.
HB 4821: The New Official State Snake
Illinois has plenty of official creatures, ranging from the northern cardinal (state bird) to the state animal (white-tailed deer) to even an official amphibian (eastern tiger salamander).
While the state’s official reptile is the painted turtle, snakes are getting their turn in the spotlight, as the eastern milksnake will now become Illinois’ official snake.
The snakes average 24-to-48 inches in length, and feature large blotches of brown with black borders, separated by gray or white scales.
The snake lives in fields, woodlands and river bottoms, and generally eats small mammals, birds, reptiles and even fish.
According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the snake got its name because people mistakenly believed that it could milk cows.
HB 04986: The New Official State Theatre
Located within the New Salem historic site, where Abraham Lincoln once lived, is the “Theatre in the Park,” which has been officially designated as the official state theatre of Illinois.
Previously, “The Great American People Show’ held the designation as the “official state theatre of Lincoln and the American experience,” with shows focusing on Lincoln’s life and on American history, according to the University of Illinois. It ceased operations in the late 1990s.
HB 05581: The Milwaukee Avenue Polish Heritage Corridor
Under terms of this bill, a section of Milwaukee Avenue will now be designated as the Milwaukee Avenue Polish Heritage Corridor.
That designation applies to a stretch of Route 21 that goes from Sangamon Street in Chicago, and ends at Greenwood road in suburban Niles.
Plaques may be erected by the Department of Transportation to celebrate the designation, according to officials.
For a full list of laws that will go into effect in 2023, you can visit the Illinois Senate Democrats’ website.
