On July 31, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed legislation to curtail so-called “captive audience” meetings, becoming the eighth state to enact such legislation. The new law, known as the Illinois Worker Freedom of Speech Act, will go into effect on January 1, 2025.
Proponents of the law claim it is important that workers have protections from mandatory participation in employer-sponsored meetings if the meeting is designed to communicate an employer’s position on religious or political matters.
In other states where such legislation has passed, business groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Business are challenging these laws, claiming they violate the First Amendment by denying employers their right to free speech, and are also in conflict with the National Labor Relations Act.
