Challenged bird-safe glass ordinance legal

A city ordinance challenged in court by groups represented by the firm Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty has been deemed legal, according to a Wisconsin State Journalreport. The group sued the city of Madison last year claiming that the ordinance designed to keep birds from flying into windows was against a 2014 state law that prevents cities from adopting building safety requirements that go beyond the minimum standards adopted by the Department of Safety and Professional Services. Judge Nia Trammell ruled in favor of the city and rejected the challenge. The 2020 ordinance requires that buildings over 10,000 square feet and other large structures include safety features — such as dots, lines, or other patterns — in some windows to reduce bird collisions.