This week's Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) News and Views e-newsletter provides an update on General Assembly bill filings, identifies several bills of interest to counties, shares House and Senate committee assignments, links to Governor Pritzker's announcement that the COVID-19 public health emergency will end in May, conveys information about the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) sales tax jurisdiction boundary verification map, shares Pritzker Administration reappointments and a resignation, links to an Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) fair housing guide for local governments, announces the award of water infrastructure loans to local governments, delivers an update on litigation involving the assault weapons ban and reports on a lawsuit filed by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul regarding PFAS chemicals, provides another opportunity for county officials and staff to register for the National Association of Counties (NACo) Legislative Conference (February 11-14), shares an upcoming NACo webinar opportunity, highlights ISACo corporate partner PMA-IPRIME and invites counties to join ISACo.

General Assembly Bill Filings

ISACo continues to review each introduced bill, proposed constitutional amendment and resolution ahead of the February 10 (Senate) and February 17 (House) deadlines to introduce new legislation. To date, almost 3,500 hundred bills, proposed constitutional amendments and resolutions have been introduced. Of these filings, ISACo has identified and is tracking more than 200 bills that would affect or be of interest to counties. Each of these county-relevant bills can be found in our bill tracking program. 

In case you missed it, our January 30 News and Views e-newsletter explained how our bill tracking program can be used by county officials and staff to increase awareness about issues relevant to counties.

ISACo will continue to review newly introduced legislation and include county-relevant bills, proposed constitutional amendments and resolutions within our bill tracking program. ISACo recommends that every county utilize this important service we provide. Questions about how to use the bill tracking program can be sent to info@isacoil.org. 

Weekly Bills of Interest 

HB 1458 - Automatic Appropriation by State of Local Funds (Support)

HB 1499 - Local Cannabis Licensing Act (Under Review)

HB 1611 - Option to Store Officer-Worn Body Camera Video with the State (Support)

SB 133 - Caps Retainage at 5% for Public Construction Projects Utilizing Contractor (Under Review)

SB 182 - State Control of Public Health Departments During Statewide Disaster (Oppose)

SB 248 - Prohibits Non-Disclosure Agreements for Tax Incentives (Under Review)

House and Senate Committee Assignments 

Illinois House and Senate committee membership has been set for the 103rd General Assembly. Assignments by legislative caucus are as follows:

House Democrat committee assignments are available here.

House Republican committee assignments are available here.

Senate Democrat committee assignments are available here.

Senate Republican committee assignments are available here.

Governor Pritzker Announces Health Emergency Will Expire in May

Both the federal and state public health emergencies will end on May 11, 2023. Additional information is available via this link.

IDOR Sales Tax Jurisdiction Boundary Verification Map

On February 1, the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) Local Tax Allocation Division (LTAD) made its local taxing jurisdiction boundaries available, which requires annual review for accuracy by local governments. To make this process easier, local governments have the option of providing their boundary file which IDOR will overlay onto its maps to make any necessary corrections. Alternatively, IDOR can provide shape files to local governments which can then be used to determine if any boundary changes are needed.

Local governments may report corrections or request/provide a boundary file using the contact information below. Please note: Changes must be reported by April 1, 2023.  All changes will take effect July 1, 2023. Any updates not reported by April 1, other than boundary changes made by local ordinances, such as annexations or disconnections, will not be made until July 1, 2024.

• Email REV.GIS.Tech@illinois.gov

• Mail    Illinois Department of Revenue

C/O GIS Department MC 1-140

101 W. Jefferson St

Springfield IL 62702-5145

See FY2022-10, Local Government Requirements for Sales Tax Jurisdiction Boundary Verification for additional information.

Additional information is available via this link.

Governor Reappoints Agency Directors

Governor JB Pritzker reappointed the directors of the Department of Children and Family Services (Marc D. Smith); the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (John J. Kim); Department of Juvenile Justice (Heidi Mueller); Department of Labor (Jane R. Flanagan); Department of Insurance (Dana Popish Severinghaus); and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (Theresa Eagleson).

Deputy Governor Leaving Administration

Deputy Governor and former state legislator Christian Mitchell, who has overseen Environment, Infrastructure and Public Safety policy since the beginning of Governor JB Pritzker's first term, is resigning at the beginning of March. Prior to serving as Deputy Governor, Mitchell served for six years in the Illinois House of Representatives and as Interim Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Illinois, the first African American to do so.

Fair Housing Guide for Local Governments

The Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) released the “Fair Housing Implications of Nuisance and Crime-Free Ordinances: A Guide for Units of Local Governments” in partnership with the UIC Law School Fair Housing Legal Support Center and Clinic.

Water Infrastructure Loans Awarded

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) issued more than $75 million in water infrastructure loans to local governments and water districts for the second quarter of Fiscal Year 2023 (October – December 2022). The IEPA State Revolving Fund (SRF) Program provides low-interest loans which fund wastewater, stormwater, and drinking water projects.

Additional information is available via this link.

Assault Weapons Ban Litigation Update  

Last week, Illinois’ Fifth District Appellate Court ruled in a split 2-1 decision that a temporary restraining order regarding the recent assault weapons ban will remain in place.  The court agreed that the plaintiffs made a plausible argument that the new law violates their rights to equal protection. The ruling is available via this link. 

PFAS Lawsuit: Attorney General Kwame Raoul filed a lawsuit against multiple companies that manufacture per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – also known as “forever chemicals” – and PFAS-containing products sold in the state of Illinois as consumer goods and for use in industrial processes.

The suit alleges the PFAS manufacturers have known for decades that PFAS are toxic and pose substantial health and environmental risks yet continue to actively promote the chemicals as safe to manufacture and use. The lawsuit also alleges PFAS manufacturers distort scientific evidence concerning potential harms associated with PFAS, and that PFAS manufacturers have caused widespread contamination and injuries to Illinois’ natural resources. 

The filed lawsuit is available via this link.

Registration Open for NACo Legislative Conference

The National Association of Counties (NACo) Legislative Conference will be held from February 11-14, 2023, in Washington, D.C. The conference brings together nearly 2,000 elected and appointed county officials to focus on federal policy issues that impact counties and our residents.

Attendees have the opportunity to engage in second-to-none policy sessions, meet the members of the 118th Congress and interact with federal agency officials.

This is a one-of-a-kind advocacy opportunity to strengthen our intergovernmental partnerships for years to come.

ISACo is partnering with our friends at the United Counties Council of Illinois (UCCI) to host a dinner for attendees from Illinois on Saturday, February 11. The dinner is being sponsored by ISACo corporate partner PMA-IPRIME. More information about PMA-IPRIME is available within this e-newsletter.

Registration information is available via this link.

Upcoming NACo Webinar

NACo has announced the following upcoming webinar opportunity. ISACo is a proud partner with NACo and encourages counties to participate in NACo membership and activities.

Local Strategies for Reaching Families and Young Children Experiencing Homelessness

(Wednesday, February 8, 2023, 1:00pm-2:00pm CDT)

Experiencing homelessness in early childhood can have long-term impacts on health, education and well-being for both children and parents. Homelessness among young children is often hidden, making it harder to collect accurate data and ensure that these children are connected to the services and resources they need. Join NACoRF and SchoolHouse Connection to learn more about the prevalence of homelessness among infants and toddlers and how counties can reduce barriers and increase families’ connections to health and early learning programs.

Click on this link to register for the webinar.

Corporate Partner Spotlight

This week's corporate partner spotlight highlights ISACo's partnership with Illinois Public Reserves Investment Management Trust™ (IPRIME™), is an investment pool for Municipal Treasurers acting on behalf of counties, townships, cities, towns, villages, libraries, park districts, water supply districts, fire protection districts, sanitary districts, housing authorities and other subdivisions of the State of Illinois.

The IPRIME Investment Shares Series is rated AAAm by Standard & Poor’s.

The Investment Shares Series is comprised of money market instruments having a maximum remaining maturity of one year (except U.S. government obligations that may have remaining maturities of up to two years).

The primary objectives of the Investment Shares Series are to offer the highest possible investment yield, protect principal, preserve liquidity and maintain Standard & Poor’s highest local government investment pool rating of AAAm. In addition, the Fund offers access to PMA Financial Network, LLC’s Fixed Income and Deposit Programs. With the experience and expertise of PMA, the Investment Shares Series grants investors access to a powerful investment management team that functions with a high standard of vision, synergy, and quality.

Click here to visit their website.

Click on this link to learn more about the benefits and opportunities available through ISACo's Corporate Partner Program.

Become an ISACo Member!