This week's Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) News and Views e-newsletter includes information about legislative session schedules and bill filings, provides an update about ISACo-tracked bills approved by House and Senate committees last week, reports on a judicial facility funding bill, links to an Executive Order (EO) proposing to change the name and expand the scope of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA), conveys information about unsewered community construction and gun violence prevention grants, delivers an update concerning SAFE-T Act litigation, invites County Treasurers to attend a lunch and learn organized by ISACo corporate partner PMA/IPRIME, shares an upcoming National Association of Counties (NACo) webinar opportunity, highlights ISACo corporate partner Mahoney, Silverman & Cross, LLC and invites counties to join ISACo.
Session Schedule and Bill Filings
The Illinois House and Senate were in session Tuesday through Thursday of last week, primarily considering legislation at the committee level. The Illinois House reconvenes on February 28 to begin three days of session. The Senate is off this week and will reconvene on March 7.
Bill introduction deadlines have passed in both chambers. In total, 2,442 Senate Bills and 3,974 House Bills were filed prior to the deadline. Of those, 1,901 Senate Bills remain in the Senate Assignments Committee while 2,150 House Bills remain in the House Rules Committee.
March 10 is the deadline to pass substantive Senate Bills and House Bills out of Committee in their chamber of origin. The Senate has one session week left prior to the committee deadline while the House has two session weeks remaining prior to the committee deadline.
Bills Approved by Committee Last Week
The following ISACo-tracked bills were approved by House or Senate Committees during the week of February 20-24 and will next be considered by the full House or Senate.
HB 1076 - Counties Code - Lease of Farmland (Support)
HB 1286 - Equitable Restrooms - All Gender (Under Review)
SB 46 - Illinois Waterway Ports Commission (No Position)
SB 69 - Hospital Licensing - Vaccination (No Position)
SB 185 - Property Tax - Senior Freeze (No Position)
SB 317 - Property Tax - Taxing Districts (No Position)
SB 326 - Emergency Telephone Systems (No Position)
SB 1225 - Property Tax - Common Area (No Position)
SB 1393 - Office of County Auditor (No Position)
SB 1397 - Local Government Bonds - Ordinance (No Position)
SB 1424 - Counties Judicial Facilities Fee (Support)
SB 1438 - Illinois Dig Once Act (Under Review)
SB 1445 - Counties - Autopsy Report Fee (No Position)
SB 1504 - Video Gaming and Criminal Code - Gambling Device (Under Review)
SB 1534 - Property Tax - Veterans (No Position)
SB 1637 - RUUPA - Local Government/State Agency Moneys (Under Review)
SB 1653 - Highway Code - Underpass Hazard Bar (Oppose)
***Please visit our bill tracking service for a comprehensive (and growing) list of bills of interest to counties.
General questions about ISACo's Legislative Program are answered in our updated Legislative Program FAQs resource.
Tazewell and Kankakee County Chairpersons Testify in Support of Judicial Facility Funding Bill
Tazewell County Board Chair and ISACo Board Member David Zimmerman along with Kankakee County Board Chair Andy Wheeler attended the February 21 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in support of SB 1424 (Senator Joyce, D-Kankakee). This ISACo-supported legislation would provide a funding source for judicial facilities in their counties. SB 1424 was approved by the Committee 9-0 and will next be considered by the full Senate.
Tazewell County Board Chair David Zimmerman and Kankakee County Board Chair Andy Wheeler advocating in support of SB 1424 during the February 21 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.
Executive Order Seeks Changes for Illinois Emergency Management Agency
In order to allow the state to better mobilize and coordinate response efforts during any future disasters and emergencies, the Governor is proposing to change the name and scope of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (IEMA-OHS).
Executive Order (EO) 2023-03 will include review and discussion by both the Illinois House and Senate and will go into law 60 days after submission unless affirmatively disapproved by one of the chambers. If there is no objection, the transition will be phased over the next one to two years with the intent of providing IEMA-OHS with administrative capabilities to help respond to disasters, threats or emergencies more effectively.
Unsewered Communities Construction Grants
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) awarded more than $21 million in grants to six communities across the State through EPA’s Unsewered Communities Construction Grant Program (UCCGP). This is the second of five planned funding rounds for this program, which provides funding to areas currently without wastewater collection and/or treatment facilities.
Additional information about the February 17 announcement is available via this link.
Cook County Gun Violence Grants
In response to high levels of gun violence experienced since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) Office of Firearm Violence Prevention (OFVP), together with Cook County’s Justice Advisory Council (JAC), announced $25 million in grants to fund 74 service providers focused on supporting residents at risk of experiencing gun violence in Chicago and Suburban Cook County.
Additional information about the February 21 announcement is available via this link.
SAFE-T Act Litigation Update
The Illinois Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments regarding the elimination of cash bail under the SAFE-T Act on March 14.
PMA/IPRIME Lunch and Learn Events for County Treasurers
Join the PMA and IPRIME team for lunch, learning and networking with Illinois County Treasurers on March 22 in Champaign and March 23 in Springfield! During these two-hour events, PMA/IPRIME will provide a 30 minute presentation to enhance knowledge about the Illinois Public Funds Investment Act (30 ILCS 235). Additional information and registration information is available via this link.
Upcoming NACo Webinars
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.
Reducing Jail Populations: Decreasing Bookings and/or Arrests Through Diversion, Citations and Warrant Avoidance and Resolution
(Thursday, March 2, 2023, 1:00pm-2:00pm CDT)
Reducing the number of people arrested and booked into jails for low-level offenses and misdemeanors through diversion and citations, as well as outstanding warrants for failing to appear in court or not paying fines and fees, can help decrease jail populations by reserving detention beds for people who are a risk to public safety or a serious flight risk. This can also improve outcomes for individuals by keeping them connected to their communities.
Click on this link to register for the webinar.
CORPORATE PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
This week's corporate partner spotlight highlights ISACo's partnership with Mahoney, Silverman and Cross, LLC.
The Law Firm of Mahoney, Silverman and Cross, LLC strives to provide superior legal representation with the objective of exceeding their clients’ expectations. Each member of the firm is committed to utilizing critical analysis and innovative approaches to achieve timely resolutions with the best possible results for their clients.
More information about the services provided by Mahoney, Silverman and Cross, LLC is available via this link.
Click on this link to learn more about the benefits and opportunities available through ISACo's Corporate Partner Program.
Become an ISACo Member!
Is your county a member of ISACo? If not, why not?
ISACo is a statewide association whose mission is to empower county officials to provide excellent service to their residents.
ISACo member counties are comprised of forward-thinking public servants who recognize that the challenges confronting county governments require new and innovative ideas, collaborative solutions and collective advocacy at the state and federal levels of government.
Members of the association will benefit from education and training opportunities, peer-to-peer networking, shared resources and robust representation before policymakers at various levels of government. ISACo creates and connects county officials to these opportunities and successfully equips them to make counties ideal places to live, work and play.
If your county is interested in discussing membership in ISACo, please contact Executive Director Joe McCoy at (217) 679-3368 or jmccoy@isacoil.org. ISACo member counties are listed here. Thank you for your consideration.