Local Government Law

The newsletter of the ISBA’s Section on Local Government Law

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2020 Articles

Blind Encounter Access Barriers on IDES Web Page and in Vote by Mail Plan By Patti Gregory-Chang August 2020 A look at how COVID-19 is worsening the issues blind Illinoisans encounter.
Case Summary: Roman Catholic Diocese v. Cuomo By Phillip Lenzini December 2020 The U.S. Supreme Court enjoined New York Governor Andrew Cuomo from enforcing his executive order setting 10- and 25-person limits on occupancy on religious services during the pending appeal pursuant to the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment in Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn v. Cuomo.
Chicago Netflix Tax Upheld By Michael J. Smoron February 2020 In Labell v. City of Chicago, the appellate court upheld the city’s amusement tax on streaming video, streaming audio, and online gaming services.
Executive Orders and Their Challenges During COVID-19 By Lesley Gool December 2020 A brief historical background of executive orders, an examination of the governor’s authority to issue such orders, and a look at the recent lawsuits challenging Governor Pritzker’s COVID-19 orders.
Illinois Supreme Court Rules Public Employers Can Keep Disciplinary Records Longer Than Union Contracts Provide By Carlos Arévalo July 2020 On June 18, 2020, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that enforcement of a union contract provision mandating the destruction of disciplinary records was against Illinois’ public policy of preserving and retaining public records.
ISBA Local Government Section Council Case Summaries for the December 3, 2020, Meeting December 2020 Case summaries of interest to local government law practitioners.
Justice Ginsburg – Her Legacy and Impact By Natali P. Thomas December 2020 A look at the life of former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
P.A. 101-221: Workplace Transparency Act By Phillip Lenzini February 2020 A summary of significant changes in Illinois law that went into effect on December 1 as a result of the Workplace Transparency Act.
The Public Policy Exception to Enforcing Collective Bargaining Agreements: City of Chicago v. Fraternal Order of Police and Section 8.4 By Peter J. Orlowicz & Julia Stublen December 2020 In June, the Illinois Supreme Court held that Illinois law establishes a well-defined and dominant public policy concerning the procedures for retention and destruction of government records, and that an arbitration award forcing Chicago to comply with section 8.4 in contravention of the Local Records Act was void and unenforceable because the award violated that public policy.
Recent PAC and Court Opinions Regarding FOIA and OMA By Michael T. Jurusik July 2020 Summaries of recent Freedom of Information Act and Open Meetings Act opinions.
Staying Active, Healthy, and Productive at Home By Michael B. Hyman, E. Kenneth Wright, Jr., & Erin Clifford June 2020 Suggestions to better manage working from home during COVID-19.
Transparency in the Time of COVID-19 By James A. Webb June 2020 Two of the primary statutes meant to ensure open government in Illinois, the Open Meetings Act and the Freedom of Information Act, are facing renewed focus in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.