CHICAGO (CBS) — In July 2023, Manny Alvarez’s mother and sister were shot and killed, allegedly by his father.

Manny, now 20, usually is not comfortable with praise. But he now has something to be proud of—as he helped pass an Illinois state law that both honors his mom and helps future survivors of domestic violence.

“My life sort of ended there in terms of—that was it,” Alvarez said. “That’s kind of that chapter of my life, and I’ll never have a dad I can call again, I’ll never have a sister I can call again, and I’ll never have a mom I can call again.”

Manny Alvarez was just 18 when his dad picked up a gun and shot his sister, Daniela, and his mother, Karina Gonzalez, to death in their Little Village neighborhood apartment. Manny was shot too, but survived.

He said he did not think his father was capable of doing such a thing.

“I mean, it’s something that we knew of, and in terms of all the domestic violence, it was very prevalent,” Manny Alvarez said, “but you know, you never really think someone’s going to go to that measure of actually hurting someone, let alone killing them, and basically ending everyone’s life.”

The deadly shooting happened during a quarrel, and two weeks after Manny’s mom was granted an order of protection against her husband, Jose Alvarez. But her husband had not been served.

“It was the worst two weeks ever,” Manny said, “because, you know, we’re just kind of sitting there going, ‘OK, like he’s not supposed to be here.”

Manny, who calls his mom the hardest working person he’s ever known, went to live with relatives. At the same time, advocates were crafting a bill requiring that police remove all guns from people with domestic violence orders of protection against them.

The advocate asked Manny if they could name the legislation after his mom. Eventually, he said yes, and the fight to pass Karina’s Bill ramped up.

The bill passed the Illinois General Assembly on Tuesday, Jan. 7, and Manny helped with the effort. He met with lawmakers and appeared at news conferences.

It was Manny’s way of honoring his mother.

“I can’t give her a birthday gift. I can’t give her a Christmas gift anymore,” Manny said. “But I kind of see it as a way to give back to her for all that she did for me.”

Amanda Pyron, executive director of the anti-domestic violence organization The Network, said Manny’s advocacy for getting the bill passed was “critical.”

But Pyron said their work isn’t over—even after Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signs the bill into law.

“We absolutely will monitor accountability for survivors who go into a court and are granted an order of protection with this remedy, and don’t receive it,” Pyron said.

As for Manny, he does not like to call himself brave. But he does want to keep helping domestic violence survivors—any way he can.

“I’m all ears, and that’s kind of my calling, I guess,” he said. “If anyone comes up to me with that situation, it’s, OK, what can we do? You know, who can I put them in contact with?”

It is not clear when Gov. Pritzker plans to sign Karina’s Bill into law. But when it happens, Manny said he would like to be there.

CHICAGO (WLS) — Currently, the law requires drivers 79 to 80 to take a road exam if their four-year license renewal is up.

For drivers aged 81 to 86, it is every two years, and for drivers 87 and older, it is yearly.

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Organizations like AARP say that is discriminatory.

But unlike some, 82-year-old Rochelle McGee is not sure it is such a good idea to drop the road test requirements for some seniors when they get their driver’s licenses renewed.

“I’ve been driving since I was 15, and not a lot of accidents. I have a good driving record, but as I said, everyone is not the same. So, I still think there should be some accountability for citizens,” McGee said.

The octogenarian may be in the minority as Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias and a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduce legislation which would increase the age Illinois drivers have to take a behind-the-wheel test from 79 to 87.

Illinois is currently the only state in the U.S. with a mandatory road test for seniors.

“As secretary of state, my top priority is keeping Illinois roads safe and always making improvements to ensure the safety of everyone who shares them,” Giannoulias said.

House Bill 1226, or the Road Safety and Fairness Act, was introduced last week. Sponsors made a similar attempt to alter the law in 2024.

“This is the art of the possible. We have to get this through 177 other folks in the General Assembly,” said 70th District State Rep. Jeff Keicher, R-Sycamore.

The latest proposal still requires those drivers to renew their driver’s licenses in-person and take a vision test.

“The right to drive should be based on ability, not age,” said AARP Illinois State Director Phillippe Largent.

According to Chicago police crash data analyzed by the ABC7 data team, since 2018, people 65 years and older were involved in approximately 11.8% of crashes. That is slightly less than expected, given that people 65+ make up 16.3% of the Chicago driving-age population.

“This legislation is removing this archaic requirement and doing so in a very balanced way,” said 8th District State Sen. Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago.

The proposed law also allows for immediate relatives to report unsafe motorists regardless of age to the Secretary of State’s Office.

Credible claims of cognitive decline or medical issues could result in actions ranging from retesting to taking driving privileges away entirely.

The measure could be voted on late March or early April.

CHICAGO (CBS) — Illinois could become the first state to fully decriminalize sex work among consenting adults.

Some state lawmakers are proposing legislation that would eliminate criminal penalties for adults involved in consensual prostitution.

In 2013, Illinois lawmakers approved legislation that reduced the crime of prostitution to a misdemeanor, but even still, sex workers and their clients are operating in the shadows.

Now some state lawmakers are looking to fully decriminalize the exchange of money for sex among consenting adults, citing safety and access to services:

“Sex workers face an unprecdented amount of violence, because they are stuck and forced into the shadows,” said Illinois State Sen. Robert Peters (D-Chicago).

Advocates have been working on the proposal for years, saying it will allow safer practices of vetting clients, reporting crimes, and finding suitable locations to work.

The proposed legislation also would remove past arrest and conviction records for sex workers, and create a sex workers’ bill of rights.

“Sex workers should have the same basic protections when they engage in their work as anyone else does,” said Illinois State Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-Chicago).

While the legislation would decriminalize sex work among consenting adults, it would not remove criminal penalties for sex traffickers or abuse against sex workers.

“It’s really just making sure that when we’re making these exchanges that we’re not so worried about the policing of our bodies, and also getting your door kicked in when you’re engaging into sex work,” said Reyna Ortiz, chair of the Sex Worker Advisory Group, a coalition of Black and Brown current and former sex workers who have spent years advocating for this legislation.

Ortiz said she spent 20 years as a sex worker, under the constant fear of arrest or violence.

“It’s been so hidden in this society. People don’t really understand that it really is an agreement. It is transactional, and it’s over with, and everybody goes on about their day. Unfortunately, where we are is under the threat of criminalization, which is really terrifying,” she said.

Prostitution is illegal in the vast majority of the U.S. It is legal in some parts of Nevada. In 2023, Maine became the first state to decriminalize the sale of sex, but not the purchase of prostitution services.

Specifics about the Illinois legislation, such as how it would be implemented and regulated are not yet clear. The timeline for a vote on the legislation is also unclear.

Supporters plan to formally introduce the proposal in the Illinois General Assembly this week.