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 It was 1984 when a German pop group made “99 Red Balloons” the
No. 2 song on the Billboard charts, but by 2022 they might face a fine for
releasing so many balloons in Illinois.
The Illinois House on April 21 voted to make it illegal to release 50 or more
balloons in Illinois. Do it once, get a warning. Twice, a $500 fine. A third
time, a $1,000 fine.
And that’s for each group of 50 balloons: “The release of more than 50 balloons
shall constitute a separate violation for every 50 balloons,” according to House
Bill 418, which passed the Illinois House 90-23. The law takes effect Jan. 1,
2022, if it passes the Illinois Senate and is signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
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The bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Sam Yingling,
D-Grayslake, said balloons are an environmental threat and recently
caused a power outage for over 1,000 customers in Champaign. After
released balloons come down, they create problems for farmers and
wildlife.
Interestingly, government agencies and universities are exempt from
these rules, according to the bill.
Illinoisans face the highest state and local tax burden in the
nation and the No. 2 property taxes. There’s a $317 billion public
pension deficit eating away at state finances.
Springfield has yet to tackle those big problems. But at least
Illinoisans will be safe from too many balloons, if HB 418 becomes
law.
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