‘Hayli’s Law,’ Inspired By Kankakee Girl’s Battle To Stay In Business, Allows All Illinois Kids To Operate Lemonade Stands Without Permits

KANKAKEE, Ill. (CBS) — A new law has been inspired by a story you saw first on CBS 2.

It is not every day that a teenager changes Illinois law. Two years ago, we shared the story of Hayli Martenez, who was forced to stop running her lemonade stand in Kankakee.

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As CBS 2’s Jim Williams reported Wednesday, state legislators heard about it and went to work.

Hayli is all of 13 years old, and a new state law bears her name.

Williams: “Could you have imagined two years ago when we first did your story that a law would be passed with your name on it?”

Hayli Martenez: “No, never in a million years!”

It’s called Hayli’s Law. We first told you about Hayli Martenez in July 2019.

Her dream was shattered when her lemonade stand outside her Kankakee home was shut down by county health officials – who called it unsanitary.

“I said: ‘Are you serious? Are…

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