This week's Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) News and Views e-newsletter includes an upcoming session schedule and list of bills approved by the House during the week of March 13-17, links to a report with newly-filed amendments pertinent to counties, urges county officials to contact their legislators in support of legislation to increase state income tax revenue shared with counties, announces the signing of a law mandating paid leave in the workplace, shares an update on oral arguments concerning the constitutionality of the Pre-Trial Fairness Act, conveys a leadership change at the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC), makes counties aware of a federal initiative to fund hazardous mitigation projects, invites County Treasurers to attend a lunch and learn organized by ISACo corporate partner PMA/IPRIME, shares upcoming National Association of Counties (NACo) webinar opportunities, highlights ISACo corporate partner Mahoney, Silverman and Cross, LLC and invites counties to join ISACo.
Upcoming Session Schedule
The House was in session from March 14-16. The Senate did not convene this week. Both chambers will be in session during the week of March 20-24. The deadline to move House bills out of the House is March 24. The deadline for moving Senate bills out of the Senate is March 31.
Bills Approved by the House
The following ISACo tracked bills* were approved by the House during the week of March 13-17:
HB 995 - Higher Education-Election Judge Credit (No Position)
HB 1016 - Pretrial Detention-Innocence (No Position)
HB 1131 - Southwestern Illinois Development Authority (No Position)
HB 1397 - Criminal Code-Coercive Control (No Position)
HB 2033 - Local Government Bonds - Ordinance (No Position)
HB 2067 - DOC and DJJ - Transfer Request (No Position)
HB 2223 - Juvenile Court - Jurisdiction and Venue (No Position)
*An ISACo tracked bill includes bills that directly or tangentially impact county finances and operations, bills that may be of interest to county officials for the performance of their duties and legislation presented "for your information." ISACo positions of "support" or "oppose" are usually reserved for bills that directly or tangentially impact county finances and operations. ISACo also supports member county initiatives that are consistent with ISACo's County Platform.
Amendments Filed This Week
A list of amendments filed for ISACo tracked bills during the week of March 13-17 is available via this link.
LGDF Increase Legislation - Contact Your Legislators!
ISACo is partnering with municipal associations in a formal coalition that is pursuing an increase to county and municipal income tax revenue distributed through the Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF). ISACo and our coalition partners will be involved in media outreach and the launch of a website dedicated to the LGDF campaign. The following ISACo-supported bills have been introduced to increase LGDF revenue for counties and municipalities:
- HB 1116 (DeLuca) – LGDF to 10% with tiered restoration
- HB 2087 (DeLuca) – LGDF to 8%
- SB 180 (Murphy) – LGDF to 10% with tiered restoration
- SB 2206 (DeWitte) – LGDF to 10%
ISACo requests that county officials reach out to their state legislators and ask the House members to co-sponsor the House bills and the Senate members to co-sponsor the Senate bills.
Our coalition fact sheet on LGDF is available here.
Paid Leave Legislation Signed into Law
On March 13, Governor Pritzker signed the Paid Leave for All Workers Act into law which will grant employees the ability to accrue one hour of paid leave for every 40 hours worked (up to 40 hours of total earned time). Employees can start using the accrued time beginning March 1, 2024, or once they have worked 90 days.
This new law applies to every employee working for an employer in Illinois but excludes independent contractors. The City of Chicago and Cook County have an existing paid sick leave ordinance in place and employees and employers in those jurisdictions will be subject to their ordinances. The law also exempts employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement in the construction and parcel delivery industries.
Additional information is available via this link.
Pre-Trial Fairness Act Litigation Update
On March 14, the Illinois Supreme Court heard oral arguments on the constitutionality of the Pretrial Fairness Act. Additional information is available via this link.
Illinois Commerce Commission Leadership Change
Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) Chair Carrie Zalewski will step down from her position in June. Governor Pritzker will nominate former ICC Chair Doug Scott to replace Zalewski. Conrad Reddick and Stacey Paradis were appointed to the ICC Board.
Federal Hazardous Mitigation Funding
Addressing hazardous mitigation projects at the local level is the goal of the new Safeguarding Tomorrow Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) program announced by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
While federal funding is not yet available, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) must document program interest among communities in order to be considered for the grant. IEMA is requesting communities to register their interest via this link. Eligible projects and other information is provided by clicking on the link.
The deadline is April 10, 2023. As noted, the collection and submission of this information triggers the starting point for Illinois’ possible participation in the Safeguarding Tomorrow Revolving Loan Fund.
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.
NACo High Performance Leadership Academy
The NACo High Performance Leadership Academy is an innovative, completely online 12-week program created to equip frontline county government professionals with practical leadership skills to deliver results for counties and communities. (Click here to learn about NACo's Enterprise Cybersecurity Leadership Academy.)
With a robust curriculum developed by the Professional Development Academy in partnership with Fortune 1000 executives, public sector leaders, world-renowned academics and thought leaders, including General Colin Powell and Dr. Marshall Goldsmith, HPLA was designed specifically for the unique challenges and opportunities of serving in county government.
Don't miss out on this opportunity for leadership growth!
Upcoming NACo Webinars
NACo has announced the following upcoming webinar opportunities. ISACo is a proud partner with NACo and encourages counties to participate in NACo membership and activities.
Long-Term Strategies for Strengthening the Child Care Workforce (Rural/Smaller Counties)
(Tuesday, March 21, 2023, 1:00pm-2:00pm CDT)
Since February 2020, the child care sector has lost nearly 60,000 educators. Because of low pay and poor benefits in the field, it can be difficult to recruit and retain qualified child care providers. Counties have allocated COVID-19 relief funding to invest in new and existing child care providers, but much of this funding will run out in the next few years. Join this interactive discussion to hear from county leaders about long-term strategies to finance and sustain investments in the early childhood workforce. The March 21st convening will focus on rural and smaller suburban counties.
Click on this link to register for the webinar.
Long-Term Strategies for Strengthening the Child Care Workforce (Urban/Larger Counties)
(Wednesday, March 22, 2023, 1:00pm-2:00pm CDT)
Since February 2020, the child care sector has lost nearly 60,000 educators. Because of low pay and poor benefits in the field, it can be difficult to recruit and retain qualified child care providers. Counties have allocated COVID-19 relief funding to invest in new and existing child care providers, but much of this funding will run out in the next few years. Join this interactive discussion to hear from county leaders about long-term strategies to finance and sustain investments in the early childhood workforce. The March 22nd convening will focus on urban and larger suburban counties.
Click on this link to register for the webinar.
BRECC National Network #2: Shaping your Coal Community’s Approach to Economic Diversification
(Thursday, March 23, 2023, 2:00pm-3:00pm CDT)
Join the BRECC National Network’s second virtual learning session. All coal community stakeholders are invited to participate, learn and connect with their peers. This learning session will outline a Place Value framework for place-based and locally driven economic diversification. A local case study will showcase a coal community’s asset-based strategies for economic development. This session will also feature timely resources for economic revitalization available to coal communities.
The BRECC National Network will convene bi-monthly virtual learning sessions each featuring issue-specific presentations, peer breakout discussions, community case examples, and critical funding and resources available to coal communities. National Network sessions will cover topics including economic diversification and strategic planning, place-based economic revitalization, infrastructure investments, workforce solutions, entrepreneurial ecosystems and business development and sustainability and funding planning.
Click on this link to register for the webinar.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: FY 2023 Open Funding Opportunities for County Governments
(Friday, March 24, 2023, 10:00am-11:00am CDT)
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) continues to provide funding opportunities for counties into FY 2023 and looking forward into FY 2024. Counties are eligible for billions available now through a range of competitive grant opportunities that will support counties’ vast public infrastructure responsibilities. Join NACo staff to learn more about programs that can help improve your local infrastructure today!
Click on this link to register for the webinar.
CORPORATE SPONSOR 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.