Local Government Law Bulletin
Local Government Implications Regarding the Cannabis Act
There are three major areas of concern facing local governments with the passage of House Bill 1 (“Cannabis Act”), which will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2014: Local Government Property: The Cannabis Act states that cannabis cannot be used in any public space, which is...
Some Persons with Disabilities Will Have to Begin Paying Parking Meters
Changes have been made to the statutes governing persons with disabilities paying metered parking. Currently, Section 1301.1 of the Illinois Vehicle Code exempts individuals with a disability plate or placard from paying meter fees, with some limited exceptions....
Don’t Text and Legislate, or Suffer the FOIA Consequences
On July 16, the Illinois Appellate Court published its long-awaited opinion in City of Champaign v. Madigan, addressing the Freedom of Information Act’s (FOIA) applicability to text messages sent or received by public officials. A reporter from the Champaign...
Prosecution Might Not ‘Blow’ Its Case by Failing to Comply with Breathalyzer Regulations
In June, an Illinois Appellate Court in People v. Olson ruled that the State may raise "substantial compliance" with the Illinois Administrative Code (Code) as an argument for the admission of a breathalyzer test result. The case involved a machine that had not been...
Issues Going Forward with the New Concealed Carry Law
Both chambers of the General Assembly (GA) successfully overrode Governor Quinn’s amendatory veto to the Concealed Carry Bill on Tuesday (collectively over 70% of the GA voted in favor of the override), which means the bill as was originally passed by the GA is now...
What the Governor’s Amendatory Veto Means for Illinois’ Concealed Carry Law
The big news of the day is that Governor Quinn made an amendatory veto to the Concealed Carry bill (HB 183). It is uncertain what the ultimate consequence of the amendatory veto will be, but ZRFM wants to provide our local government clients an overview of the...
FOIA and Open Meetings Act Opinions
The Illinois Municipal League (IML) has provided a helpful synthesis of recent Illinois Attorney General Public Access Opinions regarding the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Open Meetings Act. We recommend a review of the IML synopses. Many local governments...
Trademarking Your Town
We have all seen them around: NYPD hats, miniature Chicago flags, replica “Bourbon Street” signs, the “What happens in Vegas” shirts. Branding is a vital aspect of tourism in many large cities, with merchandising providing a modest income stream. But smaller local...
Preparing Your Local Government for Concealed Carry
Illinois' Concealed Carry Law (HB 183) is currently sitting on Governor Quinn's desk. The law would become effective immediately upon his signature. While there would still be some time before a concealed carry license is issued due to the training and other...