Amendment of the Illinois Human Rights ActBy Eileen M. GearyDecember 2008Employers, including local governments, are preparing to defend a new type of case in circuit court.
Attorney General issues opinionsBy Lynn PattonSeptember 2008The following is a summary of informal opinion Nos. I-08-001 through I-08-022 that may be of interest to the government bar.
Attorney General issues opinionsBy Lynn PattonMarch 2008Under section 4 of the Attorney General Act (15 ILCS 205/4 (West 2006), as amended by Public Act 95-699, effective November 9, 2007), the Attorney General is authorized, upon request, to furnish written legal opinions to State officers and State’s Attorneys on matters relating to their official duties.
Clearing the air on the State’s new smoking banBy James W. ChipmanMarch 2008In the legislative drafting process, it is common to include in a piece of legislation a provision setting forth the purpose of the bill in order to establish the general tone and intention of the legislative body.
How green is your government?By Mary L. MilanoSeptember 2008It arguably began in 2000, with the establishment by then-Governor Ryan of the Green Illinois Government Coordinating Council.
In-sitesDecember 2008This column has covered topics such as finding information about Medicare and researching safety ratings of nursing homes. On a related topic, we recently discovered a new e-newsletter for caregivers of those on Medicare.
In-SitesSeptember 2008Although we covered this topic a few years ago, Web sites have improved, so we revisit the topic of hospitals and nursing home ratings.
In-SitesMarch 2008Go Green! There are many ways to be conscious of our environment. And, believe it or not, many are “convenient!”
Summary of recent decisionsBy Hon. Edward J. Schoenbaum, Jr.December 2008District court did not err in dismissing for failure to state cause of action, plaintiff’s complaint alleging that requirement that he obtain for his independent candidate petition for United States Congress signatures, representing five percent of individuals who voted in prior congressional election, violated his equal protection rights where defendant required less number of signatures in other congressional districts within state.
Will the courts snuff out the Smoke Free Illinois Act?By James W. ChipmanDecember 2008A vast majority of new laws quietly take effect without much fanfare or notice from the general public. One notable exception was the new Smoke Free Illinois Act (the Act)1 that took effect on January 1, 2008.
