ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — It is illegal to hang things from rearview mirrors in Illinois, such as air fresheners or disability signs.

However, a new bill is aiming to change that.

House Bill 2389 would make it so law enforcement could no longer stop drivers who have objects hanging from their rearview mirrors. The bill passed the House on March 24 with bipartisan support.

Representative La Shawn Ford, who filed the bill, told The Center Square that many drivers in the state might not realize that hanging things from rearview mirrors is against the law.

“Even though it is in the driver handbook, most people don’t pay attention to it,” Ford said. “They don’t even realize that it is against the law. The police know it is a violation. And remember, the police are responsible for pulling people over because the law says that they have to. It makes no sense.”

Daunte Wright was killed two years ago in Minnesota after he was stopped for having an air freshener hanging for his rearview. The officer that stopped Wright had been reaching for her taser gun, but instead grabbed her pistol.

“If the bill passes the Senate, as we expect, and the governor signs it into law, that is one less responsibility that law enforcement will have to have,” Ford said.

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias did not hesitate in supporting the bill.

“Pulling someone over for merely having an air freshener attached to the rearview mirror is not only archaic, it’s ridiculous,” Giannoulias said. “Amending the law by prohibiting traffic stops that encourage discriminatory practices will ultimately make our streets safer for both motorists and police officers.”

Ford said that the new bill all comes down to safety issues.

“We need to minimize how often police have to have contact with drivers for the safety of both,” Ford said. “A simple traffic stop for this violation can lead to a person being killed by police for a number of reasons. Imagine a police officer pulling someone over for an air freshener or a rosary when there is a killer on the loose. It makes no sense.”