January 18, 2019

ISACo News and Views

This Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) weekly News and Views newsletter highlights the inauguration of Governor J.B. Pritzker and Illinois' other constitutional officers, the convening of the 101st General Assembly, the launch of ISACo's website, an ISACo office update and a call for membership.

Pritzker Assumes Office as 43rd Governor On Monday, January 14, J.B. Pritzker was inaugurated as the 43rd Governor of Illinois in Springfield. The Governor's speech emphasized bipartisanship, economic development, the need to make difficult choices to secure the state's fiscal future, finding ways to make government more efficient and effective, an overhaul of Illinois' tax system, an investment in the state's deteriorating infrastructure and greater investments in downstate Illinois. A transcript of his speech is  available via this link . A video of the speech is available via this link . Following the Governor’s speech, Julianna Stratton took the oath of office to become Illinois' new Lieutenant Governor. The remaining constitutional officers inaugurated on Monday were as follows: Attorney General Kwame Raoul Secretary of State Jesse White Comptroller Susana Mendoza Treasurer Michael Frerichs The Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) looks forward to working with the Pritzker Administration on initiatives intended to benefit county government.

101st General Assembly Convenes Members of the 101st General Assembly were inaugurated into office on Wednesday, January 9. There are several new faces who will undoubtedly contribute a renewed sense of focus and energy into the legislative process. Democrats hold supermajorities in both the House (72-44) and Senate (40-19). House and Senate membership rosters are available via the links below: House Members Senate Members ISACo is a nonpartisan organization and looks forward to working with members of both parties to advance and shape legislation favorable to counties. As a service to Illinois county officials, ISACo is identifying and tracking legislation of interest to counties. New legislative introductions will be continuously updated and available by category on our website. Both chambers will return to Springfield to resume legislative session activity on January 29. The Illinois House of Representative meeting schedule is available here . The Illinois Senate meeting schedule is available here .

ISACo Launches Website ISACo recently launched a website. It can be viewed at www.isacoil.org . We intend for the website to be easy to navigate and to serve as a helpful resource for county officials and their staff. The website will continue to evolve with additional pages and new information. The following information is presently included on the website: information about ISACo roster of the Board of Directors and staff current member counties legislative information including new laws and ISACo's tracked bill lists by category ISACo Board meeting dates and adopted meeting minutes a news and events blog As public bodies, counties are required to operate with openness and transparency. ISACo aspires to these same objectives and our website will be a key source for information about the organization.

ISACo Office Update ISACo assumed office space at 828 South Second Street in Springfield, IL on October 22, 2018. Our office occupies a suite on the first floor. ISACo's office is conveniently located within a few minutes walk of the Illinois' Capitol Building and other important state offices. Since moving in we have set-up the office, successfully navigated the 2018 Veto Session, expanded our staff and hosted November and December meetings of the ISACo Board of Directors. Please let us know when you will be in Springfield. It would be our privilege to visit with you and make our office available for any business you need to conduct. Our contact information is available at the end of this newsletter.

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.