Chicago Tribune: "Big box" legally suspect

All of the hooting and hollering, not to mention the threats made against Chicago alderman made by unions may not matter at all once the courts get involved in the Chicago "big box living wage" ordinance.

The bill cleared the Chicago City Council by a 35-14 vote on Wednesday.

From the Tribune, free registration may be required:

Before the Chicago City Council voted to pass the "big-box" living-wage ordinance, the city Law Department advised that there would be "significant risk" of a court overturning the law.

Legal opionions are all over the map on this issue. Supporters of the bill obviously don't agree with the city Law Department.

I feel compelled to conclude with my comment from my "big box" post from yesterday:

Sure it'd be illegal, but it would be a fair ending to this tale if the 35 alderman who voted for the "big box" wage bill were forced to pay the legal bills resulting from "big box" out of their own salaries. After all, they just voted themselves a raise.

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