Ordinance

Scottrade Center Lawsuit Withdrawn Hours After Filing; Opponents Say Options Remain

A lawsuit to force a public vote on the city’s $64 million bond for Scottrade Center renovations was unceremoniously withdrawn Tuesday just hours after it was filed. The lawsuit sought to revive a 2002 voter-approved ordinance that was struck down by a circuit court judge in 2015. But the ordinance exempted professional sports facilities built before 2004, and Scottrade Center …


Lawsuit Challenges Public Funding of Scottrade Center Renovations

A lawsuit filed Tuesday alleges the city can’t spend taxpayer money to renovate Scottrade Center without voters deciding at the polls. The lawsuit seeks to revive a 2002 voter-approved ordinance that was struck down by a circuit court judge in 2015. One of the attorneys, John Ammann, says a different circuit court judge wouldn’t be bound by the other judge’s previous ruling.


$8.2 Million Settlement Approved in SeaTac Minimum-Wage Case

A federal judge on Wednesday approved a court settlement in which Menzies Aviation must pay nearly $8.2 million to resolve the claims of thousands of workers who said they were paid less than $15 an hour after SeaTac’s minimum-wage law went into effect. U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik in Seattle approved the class-action settlement, which had been reached in September . That means checks to …


Lawsuit Seeks to Overturn Chicago’s Home-Sharing Ordinance

Chicago crossed the line into the privacy of people’s homes — and violated constitutional protections — by imposing sweeping regulations governing Airbnb and other home-sharing services, a federal lawsuit contends. Constitutional rights to “communicate freely and anonymously on the internet,” use your own property, be guaranteed due process and protected against illegal search and seizure are …


Texas Pastoral Group Upset Over Request for Sermons in Lawsuit

A Texas-based group that once called Houston’s first openly-gay mayor a “sodomite” has decided to get involved with a Georgia preacher and doctor suing over religious discrimination. Eric Walsh’s sometimes fiery sermons came to the attention of Georgia public health officials after he was conditionally offered a job in May 2014. During his time there, one of Walsh’s supervisors asked for links to a few sermons. That’s what outraged …


City of Columbus to Argue for Dismissal of Human Rights Ordinance Lawsuit

Columbus will ask a Hamilton County judge to rule in its favor later this month and dismiss a lawsuit challenging the city’s human rights ordinance and its protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents. A hearing on a summary judgment sought by the defendants is scheduled for 9 a.m. Aug. 16 in Hamilton Superior Court 1 in Noblesville, court records state. City attorney Alan …


Encinitas City Council Settles Housing Lawsuit

The city of Encinitas announced Tuesday that a settlement agreement was reached Monday in a lawsuit brought against the city regarding local housing needs, including the Encinitas Housing Element and residential developments requesting density bonuses. Developer DCM Properties, Inc. filed the lawsuit against the city in January. DCM’s suit challenged the city’s failure to update …


Lawsuit Fears Force Small Texas Towns to Drop Sex Offender Laws

Small Texas towns struggled with sex offender laws RHOME, Texas — At least 23 Texas towns have now repealed local sex offender ordinances after the threat of legal action forced many to strip their laws, or end up in court. Earlier this year, the small Wise County town of Rhome repealed its ordinance. Mayor Michelle Pittman says as a “general law” community of less than 5,000 people, they were …


U.S. Chamber Sues Seattle to Prevent Uber Drivers From Unionizing

Uber has a natural enemy of government agencies threatening to impose labor regulations. But the ride-sharing company now has a big ally in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (USCC), which sued the city of Seattle for passing a law that allows ride-sharing and taxi drivers to unionize. “The ordinance will burden innovation, increase prices, and reduce quality and services for consumers,” the agency …