State and Local Government Law Commons^™

New York City Rules! Regulatory Models For Environmental And Public Health, Jason J. Czarnezki

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

Scholars have become increasingly interested in facilitating improvement in environmental and public health at the local level. Over the last few years, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the New York City Council have proposed and adopted numerous environmental and public health initiatives, providing a useful case study for analyzing the development and success (or failure) of various regulatory tools, and offering larger lessons about regulation that can be extrapolated to other substantive areas. This Article, first, seeks to categorize and evaluate these “New York Rules,” creating a new taxonomy to understand different types of regulation. These “New …

Michigan Craft Beer Legislation, Kincaid C. Brown

Law Librarian Scholarship

Michigan is currently in the midst of a craft beer boom. The Michigan Brewers Guild’s member list includes more than 150 breweries and brewpubs brewing craft beer. Michigan’s craft beer industry is boosting the state’s economy. According to an analysis by the Brewers Association customized by the Michigan Brewers Guild, the craft beer industry is directly responsible for more than 5,000 Michigan jobs and contributes more than $277 million to the state’s economy and more than $144 million in wages.

Disrupting Education Federalism, Kimberly J. Robinson

Law Faculty Publications

The ongoing expansion of federal influence over education in the United States provides a particularly salient time to consider how education federalism should be structured to achieve the nation's education goals. One ofthe nation's unfulfilled and yet essential education goals is to ensure that all students receive equal access to an excellent education. A variety of scholars and, most recently, the federal Equity and Excellence Commission have offered proposals for advancing this goal. By building on this growing momentum for reform,I argue that disrupting the nation's longstanding approach to education federalism-which I define as the balance of power between federal, …

Marriage Equality Comes To Virginia, Carl W. Tobias

Law Faculty Publications

Part I of this article chronicles marriage equality's rise and development nationally. It ascertains that challenges, which fos- tered the invalidation of marriage prohibitions that essentially govern nearly all jurisdictions, including Virginia, have triggered some controversy. Part II scrutinizes Judge Wright Allen's resolu- tion of the Virginia litigation and the United States Court of Ap- peals for the Fourth Circuit determination, which affirmed her ruling. This portion finds that the district jurist comprehensively assessed the relevant legal and factual issues when striking down the proscription while the Fourth Circuit appropriately upheld her opinion. Part III then derives lessons from the …

The Implications Of Csx And Dma, David Gamage, Darien Shanske

Articles by Maurer Faculty

This essay analyzes the implications of two recent Supreme Court cases on state and local taxation: Alabama Department of Revenue v. CSX Transportation Inc. and Direct Marketing Association v. Brohl. We argue that both of these decisions not only fail to resolve major issues in state and local taxation, but actually unsettle these issues.

Changing Residency For Illinois Tax Purposes, 40 S. Ill. U. L.J. 11 (2015), Ronald Z. Domsky

UIC Law Open Access Faculty Scholarship

Currently, Illinois is in a financial crisis. Amidst this crisis, the First District Appellate Court of Illinois, in 2012, decided Cain v Hamer. In Cain, the issue was whether a pair of snowbirds (retirees spending the winter months in a warmer climate and returning to Illinois each year) were residents of Illinois for income tax purposes when they spent roughly an equal amount of time in Illinois as in Florida. The court narrowed the issue of residency down to two important issues; namely, whether the taxpayers (the “Cains”) changed domicile, and if so, whether their visits to Illinois were temporary …

What’S Law Got To Do With It? Confronting Judicial Nullification Of Domestic Violence Remedies, 10 Nw. J. L. & Soc. Pol'y. 130 (2015), Debra Pogrund Stark

UIC Law Open Access Faculty Scholarship

In 1982, the Illinois legislature passed the Illinois Domestic Violence Act (the Act) and most recently passed an updated version in 2012. This Article examines how the specialized domestic violence courthouse in Chicago implements these laws.

Where the courthouse falls short, this Article will explore why, what can be done, and consider implications for other jurisdictions seeking to implement similar resources for survivors of domestic violence. The results from this empirical study are mixed. On the positive side, the data reflect that judges are properly applying many important aspects of the new order of protection laws and granting a high …

Free, But Still Behind Bars: Reading The Illinois Post-Conviction Hearing Act To Allow Any Person Convicted Of A Crime To Raise A Claim Of Actual Innocence, 35 B.C. J. L. & Soc. Just. 1 (2015), Hugh Mundy

UIC Law Open Access Faculty Scholarship

As the number of wrongfully convicted prisoners who are subsequently exonerated continues to rise, the importance of access to post-conviction relief also increases. Under the Illinois Post-Conviction Hearing Act, this access is restricted to petitioners who are currently imprisoned or otherwise facing a restraint on their liberty. Persons convicted of a crime who have completed their sentence are barred from pursuing post-conviction relief under the Act, regardless of the existence of exculpatory evidence that supports their innocence. Removing this procedural roadblock and interpreting the Act broadly to allow any person convicted of a crime to raise a claim of actual …

Why Illinois Should Adopt Federal Rule Of Evidence 803(18) To Allow The Learned Treatise Exception To The Hearsay Rule, 39 S. Ill. U. L.J. 275 (2015), Ralph Ruebner, Katarina Durcova, Amy Taylor

UIC Law Open Access Faculty Scholarship

Illinois still adheres to a rigid and outdated common law principle that treats a learned treatise as hearsay. This principle stands at odds with the adoption of Federal Rules of Evidence 703 ("FRE 703")' and 705 ("FRE 705") by the Illinois Supreme Court. Illinois courts have developed clever ways to get around the common law prohibition thereby creating an incoherent and inconsistent jurisprudence that at times yields bizarre outcomes.

Adopting the federal learned treatise exception to the hearsay rule would set out a consistent standard in Illinois for admitting learned treatises and allowing them as substantive evidence. Now that Illinois …

Exemption From The Common Fate: Refuge For Individual Debtors Trapped By Structured Settlements, Factoring Companies, And The Bankruptcy Code In Georgia, Michael C. Sullivan

Georgia Law Review

While the number of tort filings has been increasing in recent decades, the number of trials resulting from these claims has been steadily declining. Instead of sacrificing time and resources in court, parties choose settlement, frequently in the form of a structured settlement where payments are dispersed over a period of time. These structured settlements provide much-needed security for tort victims, particularly those who unable to work and are especially vulnerable to losing their settlements. But what happens when these victims find that they have expenses that they cannot cover with their deferred payments? Many tort victims wind up facing …

(Don't) Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose: State Law Copyright Protection Of Pre-1972 Sound Recordings In Blank-Slate Jurisdictions Like Georgia, Payton M. Bradford

Georgia Law Review

The issue of pre-1972 sound recordings-devoid of federal copyright protection-has emerged as an important legal issue with changes in how musicians are collecting royalties for music. Sound recordings have a complicated and fragmented history under United States copyright law. While recognized as a separate form of creative work from musical compositions since the early twentieth century, they nonetheless remained unprotected as separate works under federal law until 1972. Any sound recordings fixed prior to February 15, 1972, however, remain unprotected under federal law and are subject to common law copyright or state statutes. A majority of states, including Georgia, lack …

Laissez Fair:The Case For Alternative Litigation Funding And Assignment Of Lawsuit Proceeds In Georgia, David T. Adams

Georgia Law Review

This Note discusses the value of alternative litigation funding (ALF) and the legal challenges affecting the ALF industry in Georgia. More specifically, it identifies a way to maximize ALF's benefits for plaintiffs with personal tort and employment discrimination claims. Tort victims who are rendered incapable of working, and employees who have lost jobs because of workplace discrimination or retaliation,face immediate financial burdens-they may be unable to afford food, housing, health care, transportation, and other necessities. This economic pressure often forces plaintiffs to settle quickly for less than the value of the harm inflicted. But ALF companies offer a workable solution …

Dangers In Justifying A Means For An End: U.S. Supreme Court Faces Risky Interpretation Question With Ppaca, Exchanges, And Premium Tax Credits, Erin M. Peterson

Georgia Law Review

This Note examines the text of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to determine whether Congress intended for premium tax credits to be available on only state Exchanges, or on both state and federal Exchanges. This Note argues that strict textualism reveals that Congress clearly intended to limit premium tax credits to what the text defines as "an Exchange established by the State under section 1311 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act," which does not include federal Exchanges. However, this interpretation of the text nearly eliminates an essential function of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act …

Profiles - Chicago Literacenter, James Hagy

Rooftops Project

Business news is often filled with stories about incubator spaces and entrepreneurial hubs in which start-up companies can hang out, network, and grow. What might result when these concepts are adapted to bring together diverse not-for-profit organizations focused on similar missions? Professor James Hagy visits Stacy Ratner, Co-Founder and Creative Director of the Chicago Literacy Alliance, and Transwestern’s Larry Serota at the grand opening of Literacenter in downtown Chicago.

Patently Preempted, 14 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 268 (2015), Nick Vogel

UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law

Small and medium size businesses often take advantage of the latest advancements in technology. Doing so, however, now seems to carry the risk of patent infringement. In 2012, so called patent trolls, also known as Non Practicing Entities, began sending letters to small and medium sized businesses demanding money in exchange for a license to use allegedly patented technology. Many saw the demands as an abuse of the patent system. In response, states have passed or are considering statutes that outlaw patent holders from delivering a bad faith notice of infringement. The State of Vermont was the first to address …

Will Uncooperative Federalism Survive Nfib?, Abigail R. Moncrieff, Jonathan Dinerstein

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

In the end, the Supreme Court's federalism jurisprudence seems to run contrary to its stated goals. The New Federalism era, up to and including NFIB, creates an incentive for the national government to flex its own muscles more, not less. Maybe that result will be good for voters' clarity and for uniformity of national policy, but it is not good for uncooperative federalism or for states' autonomy—the values that the Supreme Court seems to be trying to protect.

Kids, Leave The Guns At Home: Why Maryland's 'Good And Substantial Reason' Requirement Comports With Constitutional Aims In The Post-Heller Era, Julia Johnson

Criminal Law Practitioner

No abstract provided.

Are Indiana’S Newly Expunged Convictions Still Available For Impeachment?, Graham Polando

Indiana Law Journal

During trial, a litigant can, of course, impeach a witness with certain criminal convictions. However, Indiana Evidence Rule 609(c), like its federal counterpart, prohibits parties from introducing such evidence when “the conviction has been the subject of a pardon, annulment, certificate of rehabilitation, or other equivalent procedure based on a finding that the person has been rehabilitated . . . .” Indiana, however, has no procedure for annulment or certificates of rehabilitation—and, until recently, had nothing resembling one.

To some fanfare, the General Assembly has recently enacted an expungement provision. As courts begin to grant these expungements, it is only …

Call To The Texas Legislature: The Franchise Tax Needs Substansive Changes, Not Just Rate Reductions., Alyson Outenreath

St. Mary's Law Journal

Abstract Forthcoming.

Who Wins Residential Property Tax Appeals?, Randall K. Johnson

Faculty Works

This article explains who wins residential property tax appeals in Cook County, Illinois. It does so by collecting and combining public sector data, which has been recently released by the Cook County Assessor. The article then uses this data to compute three statistics. Lastly, it contextualizes each statistic in order to determine if some townships, or groups of townships, win more appeals than expected.

Ohio's Home-Rule Amendment: Why Ohio's General Assembly Creating Regional Governments Would Combat The Regional Race To The Bottom Under Current Home-Rule Principles, Jonathon Angarola

Cleveland State Law Review

This Note argues that Ohio’s home-rule principles foster a regional “race to the bottom and proposes that the Ohio General Assembly pass legislation creating regional governments to combat the absence of coordination among regional localities".

Implementing Marriage Equality In America, Carl W. Tobias

Law Faculty Publications

In June, the Supreme Court held that state proscriptions on same-sex marriage violate the Fourteenth Amendment. Obergefell v. Hodges declared that same-sex couples possess a fundamental right to marry but left implementation’s daily particulars to federal, state, and local officials. Because formal recognition of marriage equality is a valuable first step but realizing actual marriage equality will necessitate careful implementation of the Justices’ mandate, this effectuation deserves analysis.

Part I principally reviews Obergefell’s rationale for formal marriage equality. Part II assesses implementation of the Court’s mandate. Detecting that a few states and numerous localities have yet to provide comprehensive marriage …

State Court Protection Of Reproductive Rights: The Past, The Perils, And The Promise, Dawn E. Johnsen

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Legislating Labors Of Love: Revisiting Commercial Surrogacy In New York, Deborah Machalow

Indiana Law Journal

After over twenty years of status quo, the New York Legislature has an opportunity to liberalize its surrogacy laws whether during this legislative session or the next. By adopting the proposals with the suggested changes, the Legislature would simultaneously bring the law into conformity with the desires of many New Yorkers and recognize important technological developments. The proposals are marked improvements on the present prohibitory regime; however, they are not perfect. The legislature should consider further protections for the parties to surrogacy arrangements and amend the proposals accordingly. The legislature’s renewed interest in the topic is refreshing; this interest should …

Legislative Study: Massachusetts Municipal Conflict Resolution Needs Assessment, Interim Report, Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

All across Massachusetts, municipal officials are at the front line of dealing with today’s complex problems in such areas as budgets, education, land use, environment, economic development, public works, public safety and public health. In addressing these complex problems, local public officials tackle public conflicts head-on and bring many to resolution. However, officials also face public conflicts that persist and impair their ability to move forward. This study documents specific needs that municipal officials identified as important for dealing with public conflict and for obtaining the societal results they desired. These ran the gamut from resource and process-oriented needs to …

Federal Sentencing In The States: Some Thoughts On Federal Grants And State Imprisonment, John F. Pfaff

Faculty Scholarship

As the movement to reduce the outsized scale of US incarceration rates gains momentum, there has been increased attention on what federal sentencing reform can accomplish. Since nearly 90% of prisoners are held in state, not federal, institutions, an important aspect of federal reform should be trying to alter how the states behave. Criminal justice, however, is a distinctly state and local job over which the federal government has next to no direct control. In this paper, I examine one way in which the federal government may be driving up state incarceration rates, and thus one way it can try …

Local Judges And Local Government, Ethan J. Leib

Faculty Scholarship

This interview-based empirical study explores how local judges view themselves and their crosscutting roles in local and state government. In particular, it considers local judges’ relationships with the public that elects them, the executive and legislative branches of their localities, and the larger statewide judicial bureaucracy of which they are a very large but somewhat disconnected part. The Article reports on the results of interviews with local judges at the county, town, and village levels — and suggests some broader lessons for scholars, officials, and policymakers interested and active in local government law and politics. Those who study local government …

Correcting A False Step: Rethinking Overhead For The "Actual Expenses" Affirmative Defense To The Texas Construction Trust Fund Act, Wayne R. Barnes

Faculty Scholarship

In a typical construction project, an owner contracts with a general contractor to construct improvements or make repairs to real property. The owner agrees to pay a total contract price for the work. Often, the general contractor then contracts with subcontractors, laborers, materialmen, and other suppliers to do aspects of the job. These are part of the contractor’s costs to do the work for owner, and the expectation is that the contractor will pay his subcontractors and laborers from the money received from the owner. All too frequently, unfortunately, contractors receive the payment from the owner and then do not …

California's Foreign Relations, Christopher Gaarder

CMC Senior Theses

Globalization has significantly increased the number of stakeholders in transnational issues in recent decades. The typical list of the new players in global affairs often includes non-state actors like non-governmental organizations, multinational corporations, and international organizations. Sub-national governments, however, have been given relatively little attention even though they, too, have a significant interest and ability to shape the increasing flow of capital, goods, services, people, and ideas that has so profoundly influenced the global political economy in recent decades. California, arguably the most significant among sub-national governments – its economy would be seventh or eighth in the world at $2.2 …

Litigating State Interests: Attorneys General As Amici, Margaret H. Lemos, Kevin M. Quinn

Faculty Articles

An important strain of federalism scholarship locates the primary value of federalism in how it carves up the political landscape, allowing groups that are out of power at the national level to flourish—and, significantly, to govern—in the states. On that account, partisanship, rather than a commitment to state authority as such, motivates state actors to act as checks on federal power. Our study examines partisan motivation in one area where state actors can, and do, advocate on behalf of state power: the Supreme Court. We compiled data on state amicus filings in Supreme Court cases from the 1979–2013 Terms and …