ordinance
Panel Hears Allergic Woman’s Battle Over Grass Mandate
An attorney for a Missouri woman allergic to grass argued before the Eighth Circuit on Wednesday that her city’s ordinance requiring her to have grass on her property is unconstitutional.
Read moreDrivers’ Fight of Red-Light Cameras Likely Headed Into Skid
An 11th Circuit panel appeared highly unsympathetic Tuesday to Alabama drivers who argue a city ordinance unlawfully imposes fines on motorists caught by automated red-light cameras without giving them the right to confront their accuser.
Read moreMissouri City Rule on Yard Signs Lands in Eighth Circuit
An attorney for a St. Louis County homeowner argued before an Eighth Circuit panel Tuesday that his municipality’s limit on the number of signs residents can have on their property hinders his free speech.
Read moreNJ Residents Accuse Mayor of Power Grab
A former New Jersey alderman and a group of residents sued the mayor of Dover, claiming a recently enacted ordinance removing authority from aldermen is nothing more than a “dictatorial” power grab.
Read morePanel Rules Against Airbnb Hosts Fighting Chicago Ordinance
Opponents of what they call Chicago’s “draconian” ordinance regulating Airbnb rentals must start from scratch because none of the individual hosts bringing the case have standing to challenge the law, the Seventh Circuit ruled Monday.
Read moreMichigan Residents Lose Fight Over Sewage Rule
A Sixth Circuit panel declined Thursday to revive federal takings claims brought by Ann Arbor residents who were required to install sump pumps in their homes after the city experienced sewage overflow problems.
Read moreRetailers Blast San Antonio for Raising Tobacco Age
Trade groups representing convenience stores, gas stations and small grocers filed a federal lawsuit Thursday challenging San Antonio’s new ordinance raising the minimum age to buy tobacco products to 21, claiming it unfairly targets them.
Read morePanel Offers Little Hope to Michigan Residents in Sewage Case
A Michigan city’s ordinance that required some residents to connect their home’s drainage systems to the municipal storm-sewer system and install sump pumps was challenged Wednesday as unconstitutional before a Sixth Circuit panel that appeared unlikely to rule in their favor.
Read moreChicago Drivers Challenge Duplicate Vehicle Tickets
A class action filed Thursday accuses Chicago of refusing to repay residents money it collected from illegally issued duplicate vehicle-related tickets.
Read moreAirbnb Hosts Face Uphill Battle Against Chicago Ordinance
Opponents of what they call Chicago’s “draconian” ordinance regulating Airbnb rentals faced an unsympathetic Seventh Circuit panel at oral arguments Monday morning.
Read moreNapa Wine Copters
The owners of several vineyards claim in a federal class action that Napa County’s restrictions on helicopters are unconstitutional and will severely hamper their business.
Read moreHouston Halts Opening of First US Robot Brothel
The Houston City Council on Wednesday revised city law to prevent a Canadian purveyor of sex robots that plans to open its first U.S. shop from offering customers, as one councilman put it, a “try-it-before-you-buy” option.
Read moreSeventh Circuit Nixes Local Right-to-Work Law
Creating a circuit split, the Seventh Circuit ruled Friday that the National Labor Relations Act does not allow local municipalities to pass right-to-work laws.
Read morePipeline Loses Challenge to City Oil Ordinance
A federal judge upheld a Maine city’s ban on the bulk loading of crude oil onto tankers in its harbor Friday, derailing a pipeline operator’s plan to reverse the flow of oil along its conduit.
Read moreJudge Blocks San Diego RV Parking Restriction
A federal judge has blocked San Diego from enforcing a municipal code outlawing living in vehicles, a win for disabled residents who have been ticketed and had their vehicles impounded because they are homeless.
Read moreJudge OKs Local Fireworks Restrictions in Iowa
A federal judge in Des Moines dismissed a lawsuit by a Nebraska fireworks retailer that claimed four Iowa cities put too many restrictions on fireworks sales in their communities.
Read moreTexas High Court Strikes Down Local Bag Bans
The Texas Supreme Court on Friday upheld an appeals court ruling that disallows local governments from banning single-use plastic bags, finding that state law bars ordinances restricting the sale or use of containers.
Read moreNJ Cap on Sewage Costs Drives Constitutional Challenge
A New Jersey sewage company claims in a federal complaint Wednesday that it will be bankrupted by a new law that caps how much it can bill towns and villages.
Read moreResidents Sue SoCal City for Bucking Sanctuary State Law
Residents sued the Orange County city of Los Alamitos on Wednesday, fighting the City Council’s new ordinance exempting the town from California’s sanctuary state law.
Read more