Illinois State Senate
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Recent News About Illinois State Senate
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Seventh Circuit hears arguments over IL 'fair share' union fees; case may be headed to SCOTUS
A challenge to the power of state worker labor unions to extract so-called “fair share” fees from non-union workers could be ticketed for the U.S. Supreme Court, where opponents of the fees hope a conservative-majority court could overturn a longstanding legal precedent used by unions to justify their forcible collection of fees from public employees who refuse to pay formal union dues. -
CPS lawsuit: IL pension funding rules + lower relative funding = discriminatory ed funding imbalance
Saying Illinois state government has created a funding imbalance, in part, by requiring the Chicago Public Schools to divert money from education to fund worker pensions, when it places no similar demands on the state’s other school districts, CPS has now asked the courts to step in and force the state to rewrite its school funding rules. -
Social service agencies seek to replicate state workers' success, sue IL to compel payment
A group of state human and social service agencies and companies filed suit today in St. Clair County against Gov. Bruce Rauner and other state officials to force timely payments for services performed. -
Pension payments likely to continue even in case of Illinois government shutdown
What could happen with pension payments in the aftermath of a government shutdown is the “law school hypothetical from hell,” said one labor lawyer in the wake of the Illinois attorney general's legal play to break the budget impasse. -
Trump appointments could reshape NLRB, but effects may not be felt for a few months
With the White House now in the hands of Republicans, the majority on the National Labor Relations Board is also expected to soon change hands. But what impact that could have on the NLRB's proceedings and agenda, at least in the short term, remains to be seen. -
Reform or distraction: Chicago sports teams seek workers comp changes for athletes in budget deal
With the state's financial situation hinging in part on a deal to reform some state worker's compensation rules, Chicago's major pro sports franchises have jumped in, seeking a measure allowing them to stop paying workers comp to athletes at age 35. The teams say it's necessary to change rules that bear no resemblance to the realities of their business, and allow athletes who play for teams in other states with less generous workers comp systems the chance to "forum shop." -
Chamber's Donohue urges lawmakers to make economic growth a priority
At a meeting today of Chicago area business owners and leaders, U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue said the country needs to "restart the growth engine" with capital and other financial products and services that businesses and consumers need. -
IL Atty. Gen. Madigan steps in, asks court to order IL to stop paying state workers til budget deal reached
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan seeks to break a protracted budget stalemate by putting pressure on Gov. Bruce Rauner and legislators in St. Clair County Circuit Court. -
Online college claims accreditation agency made it a ‘sacrificial lamb’ to appease Congress
Ivy Bridge, a defunct online college, has brought to Chicago federal court its lawsuit against an accreditation agency it says made the college a “sacrificial lamb” to prove to Congress that the agency had not become lax in accrediting nontraditional institutions. -
Automatic voter registration bill dies in Illinois House after veto, but similar legislation could follow
Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of a bill that would automatically register voters across Illinois has held up in the General Assembly, leaving unclear whether such a bill can secure enough votes to become law amid the current political environment. -
'Trump sold himself as a wild card:' Incoming president's impact on labor law could be a mystery
CHICAGO – To many, the results of this year’s presidential election came as a surprise. That surprise could be the first of many in terms of labor and employment policies when the Donald Trump administration takes over in January. -
Legislators may override governor's veto of plan to automatically sign up voters
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois legislators are looking to make voting even easier by overriding the governor’s veto of a bill designed to register voters when they apply for driver’s licenses. -
Pro-life pregnancy centers, doctors challenge IL mandatory abortion referral rules
A group of Illinois’ pro-life pregnancy centers and an obstetrical practice have filed a complaint about the state’s new mandatory referral rules, arguing the law forces “them to speak a message contrary to their mission.” -
IL high court's remap rehearing denial erects 'roadblock that seems insurmountable' to reform: Dissent
Saying the Illinois Supreme Court missed out on an opportunity to provide helpful guidance to citizens seeking to exercise their constitutional rights, as well as to more fully explain its decision in light of longstanding precedent, the man who will serve as the court’s next chief justice, together with two of his colleagues on the state high court, teed off on the court majority’s decision to simply deny a request to rehear arguments over a proposed amendment intended to rewrite the ways Illin -
Report: Political donations from trial lawyers topped $35 million in 15 years
A new study published by the Illinois Civil Justice League shows that campaign contributions from trial lawyers to Illinois politicians and judges topped $35.25 million during the past 15 years. The courts in Cook County, along with those in downstate Madison and St. Clair counties, near St. Louis, host the state’s highest concentrations of civil litigation, factor prominently in "Justice for Sale III," a report analyzing campaign contributions made by the plaintiffs' bar and the profound impact -
Logging In: Trial lawyers, privacy advocates vow to fight rewrite of IL biometrics law, seek more like it
Privacy advocates, trial lawyers and other supporters of an Illinois biometrics privacy law fueling lawsuits around the country have pledged to fight any attempt to rewrite the 2008 law, and say they believe the law should be "mimicked around the country." -
IL legislation to update disability access laws not likely to harm businesses, chamber says
Updates to accessibility guidelines won’t have much of an effect on businesses but will bring regulations up to date with federal law, said a spokesperson from the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. -
New federal law gives companies a case in federal court against those sharing trade secrets
With overwhelming bipartisan support, the Defend Trade Secrets Act is now law, giving manufacturers and others the ability to bring a civil case in federal court against those they accuse of improperly sharing their trade secrets, potentially giving them more leverage than is allowed under existing Illinois state law. -
Despite Garlock settlement, asbestos lawyers can't shake racketeering claims yet
CHICAGO - A company that frequently finds itself targeted by asbestos attorneys is taking the reins on racketeering claims that allege those lawyers manipulated the system to unfairly drive up the costs of settlements and verdicts. -
No movement on bill to reinstate lawsuit protections for paramedics, police, firefighters
With just days left in the Illinois General Assembly's spring legislative session, there has been almost no movement on a bill that would reinstate the so-called public duty rule, a legal principle protecting police, firefighters, paramedics and other emergency responders from lawsuits brought by people who may believe those responders didn't provide the level of care the accusers thought was appropriate.