March 13, 2020

ISACo News and Views

This Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) weekly News and Views e-newsletter reports on the cancellation of next week's legislative session, announces an opportunity to join a conference call organized by Governor Pritzker's administration to share information about the state's coordinated response to the Coronavirus, reports on the launch of ISACo's Coronavirus information webpage, links to a press release announcing the availability of $80 million in Rebuild Illinois funds for local governments, provides a county news round-up, discusses the likely cancellation of ISACo's 2020 Lobby Day as a result of a large gathering restriction at the Statehouse, asks county officials to follow ISACo on social media, spotlights ISACo corporate partner Nationwide and invites counties to join ISACo. ISACo is pleased to welcome Clark County as our newest member! 2020 ISACo Legislative Agenda ISACo's 2020 Illinois County Action Program (ICAP) is available via this link. ISACo's 2020 County Platform is available via this link. ISACo's 2020 Policy Resolutions are available via this link. Please visit our website (www.isacoil.org) for additional resources and information. COUNTIES COUNT!

General Assembly Cancels Session for Week of March 16-20 Due to concerns over the spread of the Coronavirus, both the Illinois House and Senate have cancelled session for next week. It remains a distinct possibility that additional future session days will be cancelled depending on the status of public health concerns. ISACo will keep counties apprised of future developments. Plans and strategies to reduce the spread of the Coronavirus will likely affect ISACo's April 29, 2020, Lobby Day. More information is available in another section of this e-newsletter. Despite the cancellation of House and Senate session dates next week and any potential future cancellations, ISACo will continue to actively work in pursuit of our legislative agenda and to advocate for counties on other legislation of interest.

Pritzker Administration Hosting Conference Call on Coronavirus Mitigation Effort The administration of Governor JB Pritzker is inviting local officials to listen in on a conference call where staff from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and the Governor's Office will provide an update on the coordinated effort to address the spread of the Coronavirus. The conference call is scheduled for Friday, March 13, 2020 from 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. To join the call as a listener, please dial:    312-535-8110  Access code: 802418785

ISACo Launches Coronavirus Information Webpage In an effort to make quality information accessible to county officials and other interested parties, ISACo has created a webpage that serves as a clearinghouse for up-to-date and factual information about the Coronavirus. The website also links to sources that provide best practices to reduce the risk of contracting and spreading the virus. ISACo's webpage is available via this link. Among the useful information on the webpage is the Governor's Disaster Proclamation ( available via this link ) and information about how the Coronavirus may impact the 2020 Census ( available via this link ). ISACo staff participated in conference calls with White House staff and federal agency officials on Wednesday, March 11, 202o and Thursday, March 12, 2020. The calls focused on the federal response to date and identified resources available to help combat the spread of the virus. Some of these resources are available on ISACo's Coronavirus website.

Economic Development and Infrastructure Funds Available Governor JB Pritzker and the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced that $80 million in Rebuild Illinois funds is now available to invest in public infrastructure and economic development. These funds will support local governments as well as other entities on projects that will help create jobs, expand economic opportunity and improve the infrastructure communities rely on to thrive. More information is included within the press release available via this link.

Counties in the News McHenry County Sheriff, 3 Others Sue Illinois Attorney General Over ICE Enforcement (Northwest Herald) Central Illinois Jails Preparing for Cornovirus (CIProud.com) Pre-Trial Detainees to Vote at First Polling Place in Cook County Jail (Chicago Sun-Times) Census 2020 Count Begins Thursday: Illinois Officials Say a Lot is at Stake in Getting Accurate Count (Capitol News Illinois)

ISACo Lobby Day Update ISACo scheduled our first ever Lobby Day for Wednesday, April 29, 2020, in Springfield. Based upon ongoing public health concerns, the Illinois Secretary of State's Office issued a directive on Wednesday, March 11, 2020, cancelling any large Statehouse gatherings (including lobby days) until further notice. At this point it appears likely our Lobby Day event will not occur, but we will provide updates about the status of the event over the coming weeks. Please contact Brenna Metrow at bmetrow@isacoil.org or at 217-679-3368 with any questions.

Follow ISACo on Social Media  A great way to stay current on issues affecting or of interest to counties is by following ISACo on social media. Please follow our Facebook page and Twitter feed and join the conversation! Click here to visit our Facebook page. @Isacoil Click here to visit our Twitter feed. @IsacoTweets

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.

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.