ISACo News and Views Newsletter for October 21, 2019

October 21, 2019

ISACo News and Views

This Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) weekly News and Views e-newsletter discusses the upcoming Veto Session, shares information about the awarding of $20 million in Census grants, provides information about an executive order from the White House concerning local governments and refugee placement, links to the most recent newsletter from the Illinois Liquor Control Commission, announces registration is open for the National Association of Counties (NACo) 2020 Legislative Conference and invites counties to join ISACo.

2019 Spring Session Resources

ISACo's summary of the major legislative issues addressed during the 2019 Spring legislative session is available via this link.

ISACo's 2019 Public Acts - 2019 report is available via this link.

Prior News and Views e-newsletters are available via this link.

Please visit our website (www.isacoil.org) for additional resources and information.

COUNTIES COUNT!

Potential Veto Session Issues

The first week of the 2019 Veto Session is right around the corner (October 28-30). ISACo is monitoring what issues may be considered when legislators return to Springfield since adjourning in early June.

There continue to be indications the General Assembly will consider some technical clean-up language for the recently enacted recreational cannabis law. At this point it appears more substantive changes to the law will be deferred until 2020.

Another issue likely to be taken up is municipal police and firefighter pension fund asset consolidation. A press release about the recommendation by the Pension Consolidation Feasibility Task Force to consolidate fund assets is available via this link.

Some legislators have identified capping out-of-pocket insulin costs at $100 per month as an issue that may advance during the Veto Session. A press release from the Governor's Office about the issue is available via this link.

Advocates in support of additional regulations on vaping have indicated a desire to advance legislation to that effect as early as the Veto Session.

ISACo will continue to track emerging issues and will aggressively advocate our position on legislation that benefits or harms county interests.

Census Funding Awarded to Community and Government Organizations

Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) announced that 30 local community and government organizations across the state will receive a combined $20 million to maximize Illinois’ success in the 2020 Census. The grants are the largest Census investment made by any state in 2019.

The 30 organizations will serve as Regional Intermediaries for the 2020 Census. Over the next several weeks, Regional Intermediaries will select local organizations within their region and make additional grants. This will ensure funding goes directly to organizations that are on the front lines and best equipped to connect with Illinoisans in urban, rural and other hard-to-reach communities.

A press release with additional information is available via this link.

Executive Order Confers Authority to Local Governments Regarding Refugee Placement

NACo Update:

On September 26, 2019, the White House issued an executive order (EO) delegating states and localities the authority to reject or accept refugees from settling in areas based on the availability of local resources.

Under the directive, the U.S. Secretaries of State and Health and Human Services (HHS) have 90 days to implement a process to determine whether states and localities consent to the resettlement of refugees in jurisdictions before relocating refugees to those communities. If the state or local government does not provide consent, then the refugees would be resettled in a state or locality agreeing to receive those individuals.

More information is available via this link.

Illinois Liquor Control Commission Newsletter

The Illinois Liquor Control Commission published its 2019 Third Quarter Newsletter. The newsletter is available via this link.

Registration Open for NACo Legislative Conference

The 2020 National Association of Counties (NACo) Legislative Conference will be held in Washington, D.C. from February 29-March 4. County officials and staff desiring to attend can view the conference itinerary and register for the conference via this link.

The NACo Legislative Conference brings together nearly 2,000 elected and appointed county officials to focus on federal policy issues that impact counties and their residents. Attendees have the opportunity to engage in second-to-none policy sessions, interact with federal officials and participate in congressional briefings and meetings. This is a one-of-a-kind advocacy opportunity you will not want to miss.

The Key to ISACo's Success is YOU!

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. Thank you for your consideration.

News and Views is a service provided by ISACo for county officials and staff. Please feel welcome to share with interested parties. You can contact ISACo Executive Director Joe McCoy at jmccoy@isacoil.org or (217) 679-3368 if we can be of service. Thank you for your support of ISACo.