by Joseph S. Davidson The cost of defending cases in Illinois continues to rise. Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker signed House Bill 0219 into law on August 11, 2023, effective immediately. The statutory change will allow heirs of decedents to recover punitive damages in wrongful death actions filed on or after August 11, 2023. For years, Illinois law has “consistently held …
by Meganne Trela and Nicholas DeConcilis Effective January 1, 2024, the Illinois General Assembly is changing the way municipalities contract for building schools in an effort to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of delivering public projects in Public Act 103-491. This new law changes the delivery system for construction projects to a design-build process from a design-bid-build process. Municipalities and …
by Adam Hudoba Pension fund trustees have a fiduciary duty to act in their fund’s best interest. If they do not, there can be adverse consequences. As illustrated by the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in a case arising out of a private pension fund, that may include losing one’s seat on the Board of Trustees. …
by Ericka J. Thomas The Illinois General Assembly recently updated the definition of “private information” for certain public bodies under the Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”), and in so doing created a new exception for what must be produced in response to a FOIA request. Public bodies are generally required to make public records available for inspection and copying to …
by Ryan R. Morton Among the many advantages of forming a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization is the freedom to collect income without paying federal or state taxes. That tax-exempt status is not guaranteed, however. Not-for-Profits (NFPs) must be wary of certain activities that could result in losing that financially beneficial status. Private Benefit Since the 501(c)(3) designation often attaches to churches, …
by Michael Castaldo, Jr. and Megan Lamb The massive Police Reform Bill (P.A. 101-0652) that was adopted in the waning hours of the last legislative session involves numerous changes to the way policing is handled in Illinois. One of the most significant provisions is the mandatory use of body cameras by all law enforcement officers. That change could become a …
by Maureen A. Lemon and Megan Lamb In the waning days of the Trump administration, the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) issued a memo stating that Title IX anti-discrimination protections do not apply to gender identity or LGBTQ status. President Biden immediately reversed course, issuing an executive order requiring government agencies to apply all anti-sex discrimination laws …
by Michael B. Weinstein In the year since Public Act 101-0610 (S. B. 1300) became effective, much has been accomplished, at least with respect to downstate firefighter pension funds.1 The Firefighters Pension Investment Fund (FPIF) transition board set three priorities for its first year of existence. First, was the hiring of an Executive Director and other important staff. Thus, William …
