Local Government Law Bulletin
Puppy Mill Ordinances Seek to Regulate Conditions of Animals for Sale
March 10, 2020 Recently, the City of Naperville became the latest of more than a dozen municipalities that have adopted regulations regarding or prohibiting the sale of animals from pet stores. The Naperville ordinance allows the sale of cats and dogs by pet stores...
Governor Pushes Broad Plan to Legalize Recreational Marijuana
May 14, 2019 On May 6, 2019, Senate Bill 0007 was introduced which would legalize recreational marijuana use in Illinois. Governor Pritzker touted the plan as a vital source of revenue for the state and as a necessary first step to expunging the criminal records of...
PAC Opinion Highlights Importance of Responding to FOIA Requests to Preserve Municipal Rights
April 29, 2019 In February, the Office of the Attorney General’s Public Access Counselor (PAC) published Public Access Opinion 19-003. Like many PAC opinions, this one addressed a situation in which a public body -- in this case, the Village of Ringwood -- failed to...
ZRFM Releases 2019 Edition of Handbook for Newly Elected Officials
April 17, 2019 ZRFM is proud to announce the publication of the 2019 Edition of Handbook for Newly Elected Officials: A Practical Guide to Local Government written by Richard G. Flood and Ruth Alderman Schlossberg of the firm and published by the Illinois Municipal...
Appellate Court Holds Riot Training Exercise Not an ‘Emergency’ for Purposes of PSEBA
March 29, 2019 An Illinois Appellate Court held recently that a police officer who suffered a career-ending “catastrophic injury” while participating in a simulated riot control training exercise was not entitled to health coverage benefits under section 10 of the...
Police Officer Crosses ’The Line’ with Traffic Stop for Improper Lane Usage
March 13, 2019 In a recent case, People v. Mueller, 2018 IL App. (2d) 170863 (2019), the Second District Appellate Court held that driving on a lane dividing line does not constitute the offense of improper lane usage under 625 ILCS 5/11-709(a). Police officers should...
Amendment to School Safety Drill Act Requires Student Participation in Annual Active Shooter Drill
March 13, 2019 On January 1, 2019, Public Act 100-0996 (the “Act”) went into effect, amending the existing School Safety Drill Act by adding a requirement that children be present for schools’ annual active shooter drills. Previously, the School Safety Drill Act...
Paramedics Now Covered Employees Under Public Safety Employee Benefits Act
February 18, 2019 Public Act 100-1132, which took effect on November 28, 2018, amends the definition of “firefighter” under the Public Safety Employee Benefits Act (the Act) to include paramedics, emergency medical technicians (EMTs), emergency medical...
Open Meetings Act Requires Any Rules Limiting Public Comment Be Established and Recorded
February 18, 2019 In January, the Office of the Attorney General’s Public Access Counselor (PAC) published Public Access Opinion 19-002 in which it stated its position that Section 2.06(g) of the Illinois Open Meetings Act (OMA) requires that any rules limiting the...