This week's Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) News and Views e-newsletter links to letters sent by ISACo to the Governor requesting support for legislation, includes an update on actions taken by the Governor on legislation last week, announces the extension of the state's disaster declaration and re-issuance of previous executive orders, shares the most recent quarterly newsletter from the Illinois Department of Revenue's (IDOR) Local Tax Allocation Division (LTAD), provides information about a recent Commonwealth Edison rate filing and possible General Assembly hearings about how the war between Russian and Ukraine might impact energy costs, announces two upcoming General Assembly committee hearings concerning environmental issues, makes county officials and staff aware of National Association of Counties (NACo) Leadership Academy opportunities and upcoming NACo webinar offerings, highlights ISACo corporate partner Nationwide and invites counties to join ISACo.
ISACo Letters to the Governor
ISACo sent letters to the Governor last week requesting action on the following bills:
HB 4132 - Exemption from Parking Excise Tax (Support)
HB 4489 - Exemption of Transportation Project Funds from GATA (Support)
HB 4772 - County Design-Build Authorization Act (Support)
Please note that ISACo documents and reports about the 2022 spring legislative session can be found on our website at www.isacoil.org in a new section entitled "2022 Post-Session Information." We will continue to add informative materials to this page.
Governor Bill Actions
The General Assembly has 30 days to transmit a bill approved by both chambers to the Governor. The Governor has 60 days from that point to review and act on the legislation. The following ISACo tracked bill was signed into law by the Governor last week:
HB 4604 - Occupational Safety - Notice to Employers via Email (P.A. 102-0705)
Disaster Declaration Extended
On April 29, 2022, Governor JB Pritzker signed a new Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamation that extends the state's disaster declaration through May 28, 2022.
The Governor also issued Executive Order (EO) 2022-12. This EO re-issues several previous EOs.
Per P.A. 101-0640 (available via this link), remote meetings remain a permissible option for local governments as long as certain criteria are met. Additional information about this authority is available via this link.
IDOR Publishes Quarterly LTAD Newsletter
The Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) published the April edition of it's Local Tax Allocation Division (LTAD) newsletter. The newsletter is available via this link.
Commonwealth Edison Files Rates with ICC; Ukraine Impact on Energy Costs
Commonwealth Edison filed rates with the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) that will provide direct credits of more than $1 billion to customers as a result of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA). Additional information is available via this link.
State Representative Ann Williams indicated she is interested in holding subject matter hearings to explore how the increase in energy prices caused by the invasion of Ukraine may affect Illinois consumers. Williams specifically is interested in short-term and long-term solutions to keep costs down and ensure reliability, particularly in Ameren territory downstate.
Upcoming Legislative Hearings - Environmental Issues
Subject matter hearings may be scheduled to discuss specific subjects despite the General Assembly not being in session.
The House Public Utilities Committee will hold a subject matter hearing on May 4 at 2:00 pm in Room 114 of the Capitol Building to discuss House Amendment 8 to SB 3866. The amendment pertains to clean and renewable energy. SB 3866 was approved by both chambers but House Amendment 8 was tabled on April 4, 2022, and therefore not adopted and incorporated into the bill.
The House Transportation: Regulation, Roads & Bridges Committee will hold a subject matter hearing on May 18 at 11:00 am in the Bilandic Building in Chicago to discuss Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Implementation and Infrastructure and HB 4389, which would requires the Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) to establish a fleet electrification voucher program to promote the use of electric trucks by fleet owners.
NACo Leadership Academy Announcement
More information about how the NACo Leadership Academy can benefit your county is available via this link.
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.
Prenatal-to-Three Suburban Peer Learning Network: Using Data to Inform Local PN-3 Efforts
(Tuesday, May 3, 2022, 1:00-2:00pm CDT)
By assessing local systems that support prenatal to three, counties can increase their understanding of the opportunities, experiences, and challenges faced by families. Collecting and centralizing data can help counties set metrics and identify which programs and services are most successful. Join this conversation with national experts and county leaders to learn approaches for mitigating data challenges and using data to inform policies, programs, and services affecting young children.
Please click on this link to register for this event.
Prenatal-to-Three Rural Peer Learning Network Using Data to Inform Local PN-3 Efforts
(Wednesday, May 4, 2022, 1:00-2:00pm CDT)
By assessing local systems that support prenatal to three, counties can increase their understanding of the opportunities, experiences, and challenges faced by families. Collecting and centralizing data can help counties set metrics and identify which programs and services are most successful. Join this conversation with national experts and county leaders to learn approaches for mitigating data challenges and using data to inform policies, programs, and services affecting young children.
Please click on this link to register for this event.
Strengthening America's Workforce with Recovery Funds
(Wednesday, May 4, 2022, 2:00-3:00pm CDT)
Join us to learn how counties are using ARPA dollars to tackle the labor shortage, connecting people to good jobs, expanding childcare services and fostering a strong national workforce that meets the needs of residents through local government service.
Please click on this link to register for this event.
Evolving to AWS Cloud
(Thursday, May 5, 2022, 1:00-2:00pm CDT)
Digital transformation has shown that traditional methods of delivering services and managing data need reimagination. When considering a move to the cloud, county governments need a resilient strategy that will drive real value and adapt to evolving community needs. Join this session hosted by Amazon Web Services (AWS) to learn how cloud computing can help government organizations enhance mission-critical operations, improve access to data, and meet increasing community demands for digital services.
Please click on this link to register for this event.
Prenatal-to-Three Urban Peer Learning Network: Using Data to Inform Local PN-3 Efforts
(Thursday, May 5, 2022, 1:00-2:00pm CDT)
By assessing local systems that support prenatal to three, counties can increase their understanding of the opportunities, experiences, and challenges faced by families. Collecting and centralizing data can help counties set metrics and identify which programs and services are most successful. Join this conversation with national experts and county leaders to learn approaches for mitigating data challenges and using data to inform policies, programs, and services affecting young children.
Please click on this link to register for this event.
Corporate Partner Spotlight
This week's corporate partner spotlight highlights ISACo's partnership with Nationwide.
Over the past 85 years, focusing on customers and valuing people have helped Nationwide become one of the largest insurance and financial services companies in the world.
Even though Nationwide has dozens of affiliated companies, people are its biggest resource – and its greatest asset in providing excellent customer service to its customers. That's why its Supply Management Services group makes sure agents and associates get the best quality products and services, at the best possible cost. It's also why Nationwide has an Office of Customer Advocacy.
More information about the services provided by Nationwide 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.