Local Government Law Bulletin
Home Rule Units: Impoundment Administrative Fees vs. Penalties
A recent unpublished opinion out of the 1st District Appellate Court (“Appellate Court”) addressed a class action suit against the City of Chicago (“Chicago”) that challenged Chicago’s authority to enact an ordinance authorizing the assessment of administrative...
Illinois FOIA & Section 7 Exemptions
Chicago Public Media v. Cook County Office of the President, 2021 IL App (1st) 200888, a recent case out of the 1st District Appellate Court (“Appellate Court”), interprets Illinois’s Freedom of Information Act (the “FOIA”) Section 7 exemptions. The case focuses on...
Illinois Safe-T Act – Effective Changes July 1, 2021
Beginning July 1, 2021, various changes of the Safe-T Act (the “Act”) (new law effecting a broad spectrum of policing activity) are effective in Illinois. As a reminder, some of the top changes include: Duties of Illinois Officers Expanded The Act creates a duty to...
Illinois Affordable Housing Planning and Appeal Act – Amendments
Buried in an amendment to the Illinois State Weights and Measures Act and amongst changes to COVID-related affordable housing legislation, the Illinois state legislature has passed a bill amending the Illinois Affordable Housing Planning and Appeal Act. The original...
New Whistleblower Protections Under the Amended Public Officer Prohibited Activities Act
On July 1, 2021, many of the provisions of the recently signed criminal justice reform bill “SAFE-T Act” will go into effect. Among these is a new whistleblower protection provision under the Public Officer Prohibited Activities Act. The SAFE-T Act amends the Public...
Illinois Enters Bridge Phase of Reopening Plan
Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health (“IDPH”) confirmed that Illinois has moved from Phase 4 to the Bridge Phase of the Restore Illinois reopening plan. The Bridge Phase allows for higher capacity limits and other increased business...
1st District Appellate Court Rules in Favor of Disclosure in FOIA Matter
Lucy Parsons Labs v. City of Chicago Mayor’s Office, 2021 IL App (1st) 192073, (“Lucy v. Chicago”) a recent case out of the 1st District Appellate Court (“Appellate Court”), contemplates Illinois’s Freedom of Information Act (the “Act”) and whether Section 7 of the...
Liquor Control Act Amended to Include Liquor Delivery and Curbside Pickup Effective January 1, 2022
On April 2, 2021, Governor Pritzker approved Public Act 101-0668, amending the Liquor Control Act of 1934 (the “Act”) to allow pickup and home delivery of alcoholic liquor in Illinois starting in 2022. The additions to the Act codify some of the Temporary...
Proposals Made to the Safe-T Act
On February 22, 2021, Governor Pritzker signed a sweeping criminal justice reform bill known as the “Safe-T Act”. The Safe-T Act affects a broad spectrum of policing activity, including body camera policies (summarized here). It was passed despite criticism from some...