This week's Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) News and Views e-newsletter highlights Illinois county officials advocating for Illinois counties in Washington D.C., includes a link to all ISACo-tracked legislation, invites county officials and staff to register for County Lobby Day event happening next week, reports on a decline in drug overdose deaths in the state, links to articles ISACo staff is reading to stay informed, announces upcoming NACo webinar opportunities, highlights ISACo corporate partner ClearGov and invites counties to join ISACo.

ISACo Advocates for Counties in Washington, DC

On Tuesday, March 4, several Illinois county officials and staff attended a joint meeting with Senators Durbin and Duckworth at the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The meeting was organized by ISACo and coincided with the National Association of Counties (NACo) Legislative Conference in Washington, DC.

Several counties had previously arranged for and attended meetings with their members of Congress.

Each of these meetings presented opportunities to raise and discuss issues of general importance for all counties and more localized issues for individual counties. Among issues that arose during the meeting with the Senators were the preservation of the federal tax exemption for municipal bonds and opposition to Medicaid cuts. 

ISACo extends our appreciation to Senators Durbin and Duckworth for spending time to listen to the concerns of our delegation. 

ISACo Tracked Legislation 

The deadline for moving bills out of their chamber or origin is March 21. House and Senate staff have completed their initial review of introduced legislation. Only two weeks remain for each chamber to schedule and hold hearings on a voluminous number of bills ahead of the deadline. To date, there is no indication that committee deadlines will be extended.

A complete list of ISACo-tracked bills is available via this link. These bills are searchable by number, category, key words, or whether they would create a mandate or reduce revenues. ISACo has taken positions on many of these bills in accordance with our County Platform. 

A resource to assist with filing witness slips on legislation is available via this link.

County Lobby Day - Save the Date!

We are pleased to announce that the United Counties Council of Illinois (UCCI) and ISACo will co-host County Lobby Day on March 19, 2025. Planned activities include a Legislative Briefing, an opportunity to advocate for county issues at the Statehouse, and a Legislative Reception that evening at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum.

When: March 19, 2025 (County Lobby Day Events)

• Breakfast Buffet (8:45 am), Presidential Library- First Floor
• Legislative Briefing (10 am – 12:00 pm) – Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
• Lunch Buffet, Presidential Library- First Floor
• Capitol Visit Opportunity (Meeting Scheduling Up to County)
• Legislative Reception (6:30 pm- 8:00 pm) – Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum

Location: The Abraham Presidential Library and Museum
           212/ 211 N 6th Street
           Springfield, IL 62701

To Register: Please email Member Services and Communications Manager, Tiffani Homer, at thomer@isacoil.org to register for the event.

*Please also indicate if you also plan to attend the breakfast buffet gathering on the first floor of the Presidential Library that will be held before the legislative briefing.

We look forward to seeing you!

Drug Overdose Deaths Declined Eight Percent in Illinois in 2023

The Pritzker administration announced that Illinois recorded an eight percent drop in overall drug overdose deaths in 2023, exceeding a nationwide decline of four percent. Specifically, opioid overdose deaths declined nine percent in the state, compared to three percent nationally. The new data shows 3,502 overdose deaths in Illinois from all causes in 2023, 317 fewer than in 2022.

The press release is available via this link. 

What We're Reading

Sangamon County Veterans Assistance Commission Sues for Property Tax Funds (WICS)

What to Know About the 24 Federal Facilities DOGE Says Will Close in Illinois (PJ-Star)

Labor Has a Solid Plan for Public Transit, but Lawmakers Must Address Funding (Sun-Times)

Illinois Residents Had the Chance to Pick a New Flag - They Chose the Old One  (Saint Louis NPR)

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.  

Banking on Experience: Takeaways From Three+One’s Recent Banking RFPs and Client Insights

(Tuesday, March 11, 2025, 12:00pm-1:00pm CST)

Join Mike Ablowich of three+one for a practical webinar on the latest trends shaping banking RFPs nationwide. With decades of public finance experience, Mike will share actionable takeaways from three+one’s recent work with counties—focusing on what’s changing and how it can benefit your operations. This session offers real-world strategies to strengthen banking relationships and optimize taxpayer funds.

Click on this link to register for the webinar. 

Connected and Protected: The Importance of Regional Cyber Tabletop Exercises

(Thursday, March 13, 2025, 1:00pm-2:00pm CST)

Join NACo for an interactive webinar on the importance of regional tabletop exercises in enhancing cybersecurity defenses for county governments. Learn how these exercises can help bridge connections between different local government agencies and departments, improve cybersecurity measures, and foster effective collaboration. Discover practical steps to initiate and conduct regional tabletop exercises, ensuring a coordinated and resilient response to potential cyber threats.

Key takeaways:

* Understand the concept and significance of regional tabletop exercises for county governments
* Recognize the benefits of including special districts, other counties, and government contractors in these exercises
* Gain insights from real-life examples of successful regional tabletop exercises
* Learn practical steps and best practices for planning and executing a regional tabletop exercise

Click on this link to register for the webinar. 

Saving Millions: How Counties Are Cutting Employee Health Plan Rx Costs with the NACo Public Promise

(Monday, March 24, 2025, 1:00pm-2:00pm CST)

Join NACo for an educational webinar on how NACo’s Public Promise Pharmacy Benefit Management (PBM) Coalition is helping counties save millions on employee health plan prescription drug costs. Learn more about how Mecklenburg County, N.C. is projected to save $7-8 million by joining the NACo PBM coalition. This offering, through NACo’s Public Promise Insurance, in partnership with CVS Caremark, provides counties with powerful cost-savings and multi-year pricing guarantees to combat rising Rx costs.

Click on this link to register for the webinar.  

Bridging the Generational Divide in the County Workforce, a NACo EDGE Webinar

(Wednesday, March 26, 2025, 12:00pm-1:00pm CST)

Leading multiple generations in the county workforce can be quite challenging. Even the most experienced leaders in local government are realizing anew the importance of situational awareness and individualized consideration and applying strategies that bridge generational divides to provide value across all generations.

Join your peers in this webinar in which Dr. Tim Rahschulte will explain the challenges of managing a multi-generational workforce and provide practical strategies for bridging the divide and creating increased collaboration among your team. Dr. Tim will outline the characteristics and values of each generation represented in our workforce today, share common stereotypes associated with each generation and detail how they can impact workforce dynamics. Importantly, strategies will be shared for building a culture of inclusion and understanding, techniques for promoting open communication, creating opportunities for cross-generational collaboration and leveraging the strengths of each generation for the benefit of each person in your workforce and each customer they serve in your community. As part of this conversation, we will explore together ways to address conflicts that arise due to generational differences and how to foster a workplace culture that values individual contribution and collaboration.

Click on this link to register for the webinar.  

AI & The Workplace Transformation: How to Enhance Staff Efficiency and Well Being in the Public Sector

(Wednesday, April 16, 2025, 1:00pm-2:00pm CST)

Join Grace White, Deputy Chief of System of Care Network at MHMR of Tarrant County, TX and Chris Yakscoe, Director & GM of AI at Netsmart, for a deep dive into the transformative power of automation and AI in the workplace. This session will explore how these technologies simplify daily tasks, reduce administrative burdens and improve staff well-being by fostering a healthier work environment. Learn from real-life examples of AI-driven tools that enhance recruitment, engagement and patient care while also supporting operational excellence. Key takeaways will include strategies for successful AI and automation initiatives to boost staff retention, reduce burnout and optimize workflows, with a look into future innovations in workforce management and patient care. Don’t miss this opportunity to empower your team and elevate your agency’s potential!

Click on this link to register for the webinar. 

CORPORATE PARTNER SPOTLIGHT 

ClearGov® is the leading planning, budgeting, and reporting solutions provider for local governments. ClearGov helps local agencies modernize and streamline their financial processes to enhance transparency and efficiency. These solutions are utilized successfully by more than 1,200 agencies across all 50 states and are both powerful and affordable enough to support local agencies of every shape and size. ClearGov is proudly endorsed by the National Association of Counties (NACo) and is a Corporate Partner with the Illinois State Association of Counties.

For more information, visit www.cleargov.com.

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