Jonathan Bilyk News
Republicans, Latino advocates file proposed map to 'correct constitutional defects' of Dems' state districts
The proposed new map, filed with federal judges, would nearly triple the number of majority Latino state House and Senate districts, compared to plan approved by Democrats and signed by Gov. JB Pritzker in September
Devore sues Pritzker for defamation for calling him a 'grifter' for suing Pritzker over COVID mandates
Attorney Tom Devore has represented clients in a string of lawsuits vs Gov. JB Pritzker since May 2020 over Pritzker's use of executive powers and COVID-related mandates
Challenges incoming to Dems' COVID vax-related changes to IL Right of Conscience Law?
Unusual bid by the current Democratic majority in Springfield to not only strip away conscience protections from COVID vaccine mandate objectors, but declare what lawmakers meant decades earlier when the IL Conscience Act was approved, may open those changes to the law up to legal challenges.
IL Dems revise Conscience Act, but say they're not, in 'implicit recognition' law protected vax mandate objectors
Courts will ultimately be left to unravel whether the Democrats' "declaration of existing law" should now allow the state and employers to enforce vaccine mandates against religious objectors, when courts have been skeptical, at best.
'Trying to thread a needle': Changes to IL Right of Conscience law intended to 'provide cover' for Pritzker administration, lawyer says
Downstate attorney Tom Devore, who is behind a barrage of lawsuits vs Gov. JB Pritzker and others, says proposed changes to the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act are an 'absurd' attempt to legally justify past actions by Pritzker related to COVID vaccine mandates and COVID-related restrictions.
IL Dems to strip any potential for vax mandate protection from IL Health Care Right of Conscience law
Gov. JB Pritzker and others have argued the law was never intended to protect anyone other than doctors, and certainly not people objecting to being forced to take COVID vaccines
Massive parents' class action says Pritzker, schools overstepped authority by imposing mask, COVID quarantine rules
The lawsuit targets Gov. JB Pritzker, as well as nearly 150 school districts statewide, including at least 69 districts from throughout the Chicago area.
Judges: Democrats' June state district maps unconstitutional; New September maps still under review
A panel of federal judges said Democrats' decision to use "population estimates," rather than Census data resulted in unbalanced districts, under a plan rushed through simply to retain firm grip on power
'Loud and furious debate': IL Right of Conscience lawsuits to test limits of COVID, vax mandate authority
NorthShore University Health System is just the latest in a mounting number of Illinois employers that should expect to be threatened with lawsuits under Illinois state law for denying religious exemptions to vaccine mandates.
Does IL workers' comp trump biometric privacy law? IL Supreme Court considers, with 'financial fate of IL employers at stake'
Employers argue "injuries" suffered by workers whose privacy rights may have been violated in the workplace should be sent to Illinois' workers' comp system. Plaintiffs say the cases belong in court, with potentially billions of dollars on the line.
IL biometrics class actions over worker fingerprint scans can have 5-year statute of limitations, appeals court rules
Illinois employers seeking to limit the reach of the law that has spawned thousands of potentially ruinous class action lawsuits had sought to restrict class actions under the state's biometrics law to a one year time limit for reckoning violations. Justices said that limit only applies to certain sections of the law.
Judge: COVID gathering limits not likely to return, so IL GOP can't sue Pritzker over earlier shutdowns
Republicans had argued Gov. JB Pritzker's COVID-related limits on the size of political gatherings were unconstitutional, because he selectively enforced them, allowing huge Black Lives Matter protests, while shutting down GOP gatherings in 2020.
Taking the Shot: As COVID vax mandate momentum builds, employers risk lawsuits, labor shortage
More than half of employers could require worker vaccinations by the end of 2021, potentially setting the stage for a surge of lawsuits, should requests for exemptions be ignored or denied.
Schools buckling under Pritzker threats to yank funds, invalidate student diplomas, but challenges may be brewing
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker facing renewed challenges to his pandemic authority, as school officials and others question his power under Illinois law to override local control and use legally questionable threats against schools and students to compel compliance with public health mandates.
New lawsuit: Pritzker has no authority to impose statewide school mask mandate, trampling the will of local school boards
The lawsuit notes Illinois state lawmakers are considering whether to pass new legislation that would specifically give the governor such public health powers over school districts, signalling lawmakers don't back Pritzker's assertion he already has such powers.
Pritzker, Foxfire restaurant continue tussle over limits of guv's COVID powers to shut down restaurants
In new filings in a Springfield court, Gov. JB Pritzker argued the constitution is no impediment to his public health emergency powers. Foxfire restaurant argues the governor can't just trample their rights and wave away their claims, 16 months into a "temporary" public health emergency.
Appeals court: Fired gay music minister can't claim 'hostile work environment' to sue Archdiocese for discrimination
A divided 10-judge en banc panel of the U.S. Seventh Circuit Appeals Court said the former music minister can't use hostile work environment claims to sidestep the Catholic Church's First Amendment protection in church ministerial employment decisions.
'Why risk it?' Steep hikes in penalties under new IL law could prompt employers to reevaluate policies, perks
New legislation would increase penalties Illinois employers face in certain employment lawsuits by 150%
SCOTUS decision could spur more religious freedom-based challenges to LGBTQ anti-discrimination rules, perhaps in IL
A U.S. Supreme Court decision declared Philadelphia violated a Catholic foster care agency's rights by demanding it certify same-sex couples for foster care placement, but that decision will likely only lead to more cases, the court's conservatives warned.
Appeals panel: 'Stateless' law firm partners means ex-Trump advisor Carter Page can't sue over Steele dossier in federal court
Former Trump 2016 campaign advisor Carter Page can't use federal courts in Chicago, or anywhere, to sue the law firm of Perkins Coie for pushing Russian collusion story.