Legislation headed to the governor's desk is designed to help protect students who take out loans for college.
The Student Loan Bill of Rights requires lenders to explain repayment options to struggling borrowers and to inform graduates that they may be eligible to have their loan forgiven under certain circumstances.
The bill also requires lenders to explain repayment options with those struggling to pay off their loans and sets up an ombudsman within the Illinois Attorney General’s office so students have somewhere to go with complaints about their lender.
Attorney General Lisa Madigan is urging the governor to sign the bill into law. She says nearly 70 percent of graduates leave college with an average debt of 30 thousand dollars.
No budget deal...but cats and dogs had a pretty good spring legislative session.
Lawmakers passed legislation prohibiting pet stores from getting their animals from large commercial breeders unless the breeder is licensed and inspected by the USDA. It also requires pet shops to microchip the animals for sale.
Another bill requires research institutions to try and get dogs and cats no longer needed adopted into loving homes.
Legislation also passed addressing pets and divorce.