DeKalb Times

This week, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed "Hayli's Law", which is a high-profile law designed to protect lemonade stands from the reach of the government. 

The law, signed July 9, would ensure that children under the age of 16 can run a lemonade stand without requiring a permit or license to do so. 

In a Facebook post, Republican State Sen. Dave Syverson praised the bill, saying, "Hayli's Law will now ensure our children's lemonade stands are protected! With the past problems of some local Health Departments cracking down on kids operating lemonade stands, I am proud to have supported legislation, that has just been signed into law, that now gives children the freedom to operate lemonade stands without fear of government shut-down. 

"The new law prohibits the Department of Public Health or local health departments or districts from regulating lemonade or nonalcoholic drink stands operated by a person under the age of 16. A sweet victory for young entrepreneurs."

The bill passed the House and Senate unanimously, according to Illinois Policy, before being put before the governor. 

The inspiration for the bill and its namesake is none other than Hayli Martenez. In 2017, she started the "Haylibug Lemonade" stand in order to raise money for college. With the help of her mother, she set up shop and began selling cups of lemonade for 50 cents each in her Kankakee, Ill., neighborhood, a city noted for its high crime rates. 

“It was kind of scary [at first] because we liked to stay in the house. We didn’t like to come outside because of all the stuff happening around here," Hayli said about starting the stand, Illinois Policy reported. "As we kept doing it, I got to see everybody smile when they tasted my lemonade. It was just … wow. They were lining up to get my lemonade.”

Hayli's lemonade stand was profiled in local newspapers and gained some notoriety, but was shortly after shut down by the local health department, citing the lack of water and sewer service to the home of the Martenezes, despite the water for the lemonade being purchased from the store. 

Hayli's trouble with the health department is not the first of its kind. Lemonade stands have been the target of such departments around the country.