Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed two bills into law June 26 that advocates say will boost protection against hate crimes, the Chicago Tribune reported.
One bill makes discrimination against minorities, the elderly and other protected people during housing transactions a civil-rights violation. Threats, coercion, intimidation and racial slurs can also be civil-rights violations when used to prevent someone from getting housing. The law also outlaws firing an employee for renting housing to a minority family.
The other statute makes it a hate crime to use electronic communication to harass someone because of his or her race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, ancestry, gender or disability.