In mid-February, the Governor
delivered his State of the State address
and budget proposal for the 2027 State Fiscal Year. During his presentation,
Governor Pritzker shared his concerns about the availability and cost of
housing across Illinois, noting that “local regulations have made it too
difficult and costly to build new housing” and citing “bureaucratic red tape”
as an impediment to residential development activity. To combat these issues,
the Governor announced the Building Up Illinois Development (BUILD Plan), an
initiative to lower housing costs by making it more efficient and cost effect
to build housing in Illinois. This initiative includes…
Continue Reading Introduction of BUILD Plan Legislation Proposes Statewide Housing Development Reform

Ancel Glink’s Quorum Forum Podcast just released Episode 102: Web Accessibility. In this episode, Jamie Wilkey, a Partner at
Lauterbach & Amen, joins Ancel Glink’s Katie Nagy to
discuss the Department of Justice’s final rule on web accessibility under Title
II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). They explore the new
requirements for state and local governments to ensure their web content and
mobile applications are accessible to individuals with disabilities, and offer
practical advice on implementation, technical standards, and compliance
deadlines (starting on April 24, 2026 for some larger governments). 
Highlights:

…
Continue Reading Quorum Forum Podcast Ep. 102: Web Accessibility

In 2004, a village in Illinois
established a tax-increment financing district (TIF #1) to revitalize its town
center. In 2021 (6 years before the expiration of TIF #1), the village passed
several ordinances to create a new TIF district comprised entirely of parcels
of land that were previously included in the original TIF district’s
redevelopment area (TIF #2). The majority of the parcels in TIF #2 are owned by
a local hospital network, which entered into a redevelopment agreement with the
village to increase parking for its facilities and facilitate the development
of a mixed-use commercial building. Due to delays…
Continue Reading In the Zone: Appellate Court Rules in Favor of Village in TIF Dispute with Schools

In Hill v. Cook County, an Illinois Appellate Court upheld a circuit court’s ruling in favor of government defendants in a malicious prosecution
claim.
An arrestee sued the county, the county sheriff, and a municipality and various police
officers for claims arising from an arrest in connection with an alleged armed
robbery. The arrestee claimed that upon his arrest, he
entered into an agreement with police that he would not be rearrested or
charged in connection with the incident if he passed a polygraph test.
At his criminal trial, the court found
the agreement unenforceable because a prosecutor was…
Continue Reading Appellate Court Rules in Favor of Government in Malicious Prosecution Case

An Illinois Appellate Court dismissed most of the claims in a lawsuit filed by a vendor against a municipality, although it allowed an unjust enrichment claim and a fradulent misrepresentation claim to move forward in the circuit court. Johns Pro-Tree Service v. Village of Dolton.A mayor and two village public works employees reached out to the president of a tree service company for emergency tree
trimming and removal service related to a storm in June
2023. After the parties agreed to a price, the tree company completed the work. Subsequently, the parties agreed to continue the services to the…
Continue Reading Appellate Court Addresses Claims Against Municipality by Tree Vendor

In County of DuPage v. Arjmand,
an Illinois Appellate Court upheld a demolition order issued by a circuit court in favor of
a county, but
reversed portions of the circuit court’s order imposing fines on the property
owner.A property owner owned a
partially constructed and vacant property. According to the county, the
property contained numerous unsafe and hazardous conditions, including
broken windows, graffiti, mold, and structural issues, and became a site for trespassing and other illicit
activities. After the owner failed to address all of the code issues, the county filed a complaint against the owner alleging that the…
Continue Reading Appellate Court Upholds Demolition Order But Limits Municipal Fines

A
reporter submitted a FOIA request to a State’s Attorney’s Office (SAO) seeking
records about a former SAO employee who was terminated and criminally charged
for alleged misconduct while working at the SAO. The SAO withheld a responsive termination letter on the basis that the letter, if disclosed, would interfere with a pending criminal prosecution and picking of a jury.After
the requester submitted a request for review with the Illinois Attorney
General’s Public Access Counselor (PAC), the PAC issued its second binding opinion of
2026 concluding that the SAO improperly withheld the termination letter. PAC
Op. 26-002.First,
the PAC…
Continue Reading PAC Finds FOIA Violation in Response to Request for Termination Letter

Ancel Glink’s Quorum Forum Podcast just released Episode 101 featuring Mysi Hall’s recent ILCMA presentation, “Digital Decisions: Navigating AI’s Impact on the Modern Workplace.” In this podcast, Mysi examines the current legal landscape surrounding the use of artificial intelligence in labor relations and employment practices.Highlights:

• The
  Legal Landscape: Overview of federal and state regulations, including EEOC
  guidelines on Title VII and the ADA.
• Illinois
  Specifics: A look at the AI Video Interview Act (AIVIA) and the 2026
  amendments to the Illinois Human Rights Act.
• Bias
  and Mitigation: Understanding automation bias, selective adherence, and
  real-world examples of algorithmic discrimination.
• Labor
  Relations:

…
Continue Reading Quorum Forum Podcast Ep. 101 – Navigating AI’s Impact on the Modern Workplace

On January 20th, we reported on a number of bills introduced in the Illinois General Assembly this term that would, if approved, amend various provisions of FOIA. Since that post, the General Assembly has been quite busy and has introduced many more bills that propose to amend FOIA, many of which appear to be designed to address the recent proliferation of “mass” requests submitted by organizations that seek the same records from numerous numerous public bodies. HB 4597: If approved, this bill would amend FOIA to authorize a public body to impose a fee on a requester for staff…
Continue Reading More Bills Introduced in General Assembly to Amend FOIA