Don’t hate on Illinois lawmakers just because they failed to fix the state’s $97 billion pension shortfall during the last legislative session, which ended on May 31. They were very busy passing 595 other bills, 549 of which awaited Governor Quinn’s signature at presstime.

Here are six of the best new ideas out of Springfield this session:

SB 2218
Forbids all but licensed optometrists, pharmacists, or physicians from dispensing contact lenses.

HB 188
Bars tanning businesses from servicing customers under 18.

HB 3255
Allows local government or police to keep crowds involved in parades or protests off railroad tracks.

SB 1620
Prohibits the “wanton” waste of game meat (game birds and game mammals).

SB 1538
Defines “bow and arrow” as “consisting of arrows and the bow to shoot the arrow”—but not a crossbow.

HB 167
Creates a Prince Hall Freemasonry license plate.