Quantcast

Stories by Jonathan Bilyk on Cook County Record

COOK COUNTY RECORD

Monday, April 7, 2025

Jonathan Bilyk News


IL Supreme Court cans Elk Grove term limit referendum, declares state law restricting such limits constitutional

By Jonathan Bilyk |
The case tested the constitutionality of a state law enacted by Gov. Pritzker and Illinois' Democrat-dominated General Assembly last summer to limit the ability of voters to limit the terms of their current mayors and council members.

Logan Square property owners sue City Hall to block Bickerdike 'affordable' apartment development

By Jonathan Bilyk |
A group of Logan Square property owners have filed suit against the city of Chicago, asking a judge to block City Hall from continuing with plans to issue $22.5 million in bonds to support a 100-unit “affordable” apartment complex in the area known as the Logan Square Environs.

Trade orgs warn EPA of shortages in key health care items, spices, if move too harshly vs use of ethylene oxide

By Jonathan Bilyk |
American Spice Trade Association and AdvaMed both warn EPA against tightening the screws too tightly on facilities that use EtO to sterilize medical devices and keep spices free from Salmonella and other pathogens.

Judge: Ex-Pritzker campaign workers can't question Pritzker under oath about alleged discrmination in his campaign

By Jonathan Bilyk |
Gov. Pritzker doesn't know enough about the alleged discrimination, and his schedule is too "demanding" to allow him to be questioned under oath, the judge said.

Female public defenders could get $9.5M, lawyers $4.2M, under deal to end class action over masturbating jail inmates

By Jonathan Bilyk |
The payout for the lawyers is equivalent to 44% of what the alleged victims would receive.

Does IL workers' comp law trump biometrics class actions over fingerprint scans? Appeals court poised to answer

By Jonathan Bilyk |
Employers across state watching to see if courts will award relief from 'massive, potentially ruinous' class action lawsuits over technical violations of the IL BIPA law, in which no one was actually harmed.

Binny's Beverage Depot targeted by class action over worker fingerprint scans

By Jonathan Bilyk |
Class action against popular Chicago area liquor store chain one of the latest to be filed under the Illinois BIPA law against employers

Appeals panel hangs up on some class actions over 'robo' text messages, dials up potential Supreme Court call

By Jonathan Bilyk |
Seventh Circuit Appeals Court in Chicago says some automated dialers acceptable under federal law if they only dial numbers stored in customer databases.

Class action: Tech firm Clarifai scanned OKCupid pics to train face recognition A.I., broke IL privacy law

By Jonathan Bilyk |
Complaint asks for court to order Clarifai to 'disgorge profits' earned from alleged illegal photo scans

EPA data reveals EtO in air, far from targeted emissions sources; Med device makers urge EPA to pump brakes on rules

By Jonathan Bilyk |
Industry warns acting on stringent public risk assessment levels 'pose increased risk to public health'

Jury awards Motorola Solutions $764M in copyright, stolen secrets lawsuit vs Hytera

By Jonathan Bilyk |
After receiving maximum award from jury, Chicago-based Motorola Solutions will next seek injunction vs Hytera to block continued use of allegedly pilfered products

Brief: Fingerpint scan 'megasuit' vs timeclock vendor NovaTime covers too many different workers, employers

By Jonathan Bilyk |
NovaTime says the court should pull the plug on the class action under the Illinois BIPA law because the class members' claims would be too varied to allow NovaTime to fairly defend itself.

IL Atty. Gen., others, ask EPA to make national EtO regulations mirror those in Illinois

By Jonathan Bilyk |
Illinois' Attorney General has asked the EPA to tighten EtO emissions standards, even after the attorney general had argued those emissions standards had no bearing on the ability of the state to shut down a medical device sterilization plant for emitting EtO.

Court filing: 'Mere fact' a Gurnee factory used EtO shouldn't allow personal injury emissions lawsuits to continue

By Jonathan Bilyk |
Vantage Chemical says federal, state emissions rules should thwart the lawsuits' 'public nuisance' and 'negligence' claims.

Pritzker: 'Facts do not support' IL government hiring monitor's accusations Pritzker moves slowed reforms

By Jonathan Bilyk |
New court filing accuses special master of ambushing governor's office with accusations in report to federal judge

Harvey stip clubs sue city over liquor license changes, slow walking of renewal applications

By Jonathan Bilyk |
The clubs say the city can't change liquor license rules to force them to close at midnight, and has dragged its feet on renewing licenses

Justice Thomas, former kicker for Chicago Bears, to retire from IL Supreme Court; 'Great loss for the Court, for the People of Illinois,' colleague says

By Jonathan Bilyk |
Voters in most of Chicago’s suburban collar counties and elsewhere in Illinois’ northwest region will have the chance to select a new Illinois Supreme Court justice in 2022, after Justice Robert R. “Bob” Thomas announced his retirement from the state's high court.

Court filing: IL government hiring monitor says Pritzker moves have 'impeded' state government hiring reform progress

By Jonathan Bilyk |
A court-appointed monitor of Illinois' government hiring practices says Gov. Pritzker has 'diminished' her ability to communicate with state personnel, harming efforts to complete a reform plan.

Texas public health findings question EPA's findings over cancer risk from EtO, as controversy rages in Lake County

By Jonathan Bilyk |
Texas state officials say cancer incidence lower than U.S. average in county with EtO emissions 300 times higher than U.S. average

Biometrics class action accuses pallet supplier 48Forty over employee punch clock fingerprint scans

By Jonathan Bilyk |
Class action, like many others, accuses 48Forty of not securing written authorization from employees for fingerprint scans, or supplying notices.