Under a just-passed and signed law in Illinois, any Constitutional-based challenge to a State law can be filed only in two counties: Cook and Sangamon. These are the counties that house the failed “city” of Chicago and the State’s government town of Springfield. The rationalization is that inconsistent court decisions about important public issues have repeatedly caused confusion. We can’t have actual court discussions and disagreements in a variety of lower courts, with the differences resolved on appeal—which usually leads to clarity at least; although it takes judges who hew to the text of the statute and of the Constitution to provide legitimate clarity. Those cross-court differences also produce, usually, better discussions of the principles at hand for the appellate courts to consider.
But wait, there’s more. And the more illustrates just how in thrall to public unions is the State’s governing Progressive-Democratic Party:
The venue changes don’t apply to “claims arising out of collective bargaining disputes” between Illinois and the unions.
…that means it’s legal. The courts—and the citizens of Illinois—can just sit down and shut up.