Legislative Counseling

"We believe that participation in the process is the best assurance of impacting the outcome of future events." --Stuart L. Whitt

Legislative counseling involves advocating a position on behalf of clients before legislators in an effort to enact a policy or position into law. We are proud to engage in legislative counseling when it promotes public education.

At Whitt Law LLC, we believe that participation in the process is the best assurance of impacting the outcome of future events. We understand the people and the process involved in enacting legislation and have been successful in advocating the interests of our school clients before the General Assembly, including:

• In the Fall 1997, the Illinois General Assembly enacted landmark legislation providing for deregulation of the electric utility industry in Illinois. In its representation of the Fair Assessment Information Resource Committee (FAIRCOM), Whitt Law LLC worked very closely with the legislative leadership to secure passage of Public Act 90-562 which assured continued financial stability for local taxing bodies. Public Act 90-562 also called for the appointment of the State's Electric Utility Property Assessment Task Force, to which Stuart Whitt was appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
   
• In February 2001, the voters of a large unit school district in DuPage and Will Counties approved two separate propositions, one calling for an increase in the district's education fund tax rate and the other authorizing an extensive building program. As the district was preparing to issue its school building bonds, it discovered that the local election authority had failed to timely publish notice of the election. Within three weeks Whitt Law LLC succeeded in securing passage and the Governor's approval of Public Act 92-6 validating the results of both elections.
   
• In November 2002, the voters of a southwest suburban school district approved a $155,000,000 building program to accommodate its rapidly growing pupil population. Under Whitt Law LLC's guidance and counsel, the district secured passage of Public Act 93-13 which increased its debt limit from 15% to 20% of equalized assessed valuation, enabling the district to construct the buildings on time so that they were ready when students arrived.
   

Again, in November 2006, the voters of that same school district approved a $450 million building program. Under Whitt Law LLC's guidance and counsel, the district secured passage of Public Act 94-1078 which exempted the bonds issued for that program from the statutory debt limit.

Assisting our school district clients in pursuit of legislation that works for the benefit of educating Illinois children is the foundation of our approach to legislative counseling. If your school district is in need of assistance before the General Assembly, please contact us.

Representing School Districts in Illinois, with Experienced Legislative Counseling before the Illinois General Assembly