April 19, 2019

ISACo News and Views

This Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) weekly News and Views newsletter includes a link to the Illinois Channel's interview of Executive Director Joe McCoy about ISACo, provides a status update about ISACo's tracked legislation service, includes a call for legislative proposals in preparation for the 2020 legislative session, provides links to ISACo's social media platforms, looks at key upcoming dates on the legislative calendar and invites counties to join ISACo. Previously published News and Views newsletters are available via this link. Please visit our website (www.isacoil.org) for additional resources and information.

ISACo Illinois Channel Interview ISACo Executive Director Joe McCoy was interviewed by the Illinois Channel. During the brief interview, he discussed the vision of ISACo and general issues of importance to counties such as local control, revenue, public safety, public infrastructure and the need for a capital infrastructure bill. The video of the interview is available via this link.

Tracked Legislation Update The General Assembly adjourned for a two-week period and will resume legislative activity on April 30. Prior to the break the House and Senate advanced legislation ahead of the deadline to move bills out of their chamber of origin and over to the opposite chamber. ISACo reviewed each bill approved by the House and/or Senate and updated our tracked bill categories to ensure that our lists of legislation are current and reflect the most recent amendments placed on bills that affect or are of interest to counties. Our tracked bill categories can be viewed via this link and are always available on ISACo's website for consultation at any time. The lists of ISACo tracked legislation by category are comprehensive and include each bill of interest introduced or later amended to contain provisions of interest to counties. To differentiate between bills that are "alive" versus "dead," we have highlighted bills that remain viable in yellow. It must be noted that a "dead" bill or issue can always return to life later during the legislative process. If and when this occurs, ISACo will update our tracked bill lists to reflect that the issue is viable. Conversely, bills that do not advance beyond forthcoming deadlines will not remain highlighted in yellow. ISACo intends for county officials and staff to find value in our bill tracking system and we are pleased to offer it as a service.

ISACo Seeking Ideas for 2020 Legislative Agenda There is a month and a half remaining before the scheduled May 31 spring legislative session adjournment date, but it's not too early to begin planning for 2020! ISACo is requesting legislative proposal ideas from county officials and staff. Ideas submitted to ISACo will be considered by the Legislative Committee and Board of Directors for introduction in 2020. If your county is aware of an issue or problem that can be solved with legislation, please share this information with ISACo. Legislative proposal ideas can be submitted to Executive Director Joe McCoy by email (jmccoy@isacoil.org) or by calling ISACo's Office (217-679-3368). We look forward to receiving your proposals.

Follow ISACo on Social Media ISACo is getting social! We've established a presence on Facebook and Twitter to provide another tool for communication with Illinois county officials and other interested parties. 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

Looking Ahead... Following adjournment on April 12, the General Assembly will not convene again until April 30. The deadline to move House bills out of Senate committees and Senate bills out of House committees is May 10. The deadline to move House bills out of the Senate and Senate bills out of the House is May 24. Both chambers are scheduled to adjourn on May 31.

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.