Illinois Code § 1

§ 1.

(a) Any elected official of a unit of local government or school district on the day and time of an official meeting of the public body to which the official has been elected, shall be entitled to absent himself from any services or employment in which he is then engaged or employed, for a period of time in which the official meeting is held and shall be entitled to necessary traveling time to and from the meeting. Such elected official shall not because of so absenting himself from employment be liable to any penalty; except that the employer may deduct an amount of compensation from the elected official's wages for the period of absence. The elected official must inform the employer in advance of his intent to absent himself from employment for attendance at the official meeting. No employer shall refuse to an elected official of a unit of local government or school district who is employed by him the privilege conferred by this Section; nor shall such employer subject the employee to a penalty for exercising such privilege, except as otherwise provided by this Section. No employer shall directly or indirectly violate the provisions of this Section. (b) For the purposes of this Section, "official meeting" means any gathering of the public body in which a quorum of the members are expected to attend and which is to be held for the purpose of discussing public business. (Source: P.A. 84-599.)