SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WMBD) -- Those with criminal records could get a second chance to join the workforce, thanks to a new bill that is headed to the governor's desk for a signature.

State Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth led the push for the bill, saying it was a "very personal project." The bill, dubbed the Clean Slate Act, allows for some criminal records to be automatically sealed.

"I will never forget this 75-year-old man that told me if I would have met you 50 years ago, I would have had a different life," she said.

The legislation passed out of the Illinois House on Thursday, receiving support from criminal justice reform groups alongside law enforcement and even some Republicans. It passed through the Senate a day before.

Gordon-Booth burst into tears on the House floor when the 80-26 vot

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