ISACo News and Views Newsletter for November 11, 2019

November 11, 2019

ISACo News and Views

Today is Veterans Day. The Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) honors the service of our men and women in uniform, past and present.

Legislators return to Springfield this week for the second half of the Veto Session (November 12-14).

This ISACo weekly News and Views e-newsletter provides information about an ISACo legislative initiative concerning property tax abatements, provides an overview of issues of interest to counties likely to be considered during the second week of Veto Session, announces that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has denied Illinois' request for Individual Assistance for flood victims, includes information about registration for the National Association of Counties (NACo) 2020 Legislative Conference, asks county officials to follow ISACo on social media 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!

ISACo Property Tax Abatement Initiative Posted for Committee Hearing

ISACo is working to advance legislation that will allow local governments under property tax caps to choose to abate property taxes without losing out on the abated revenue the following year.

House Amendment 2 to Senate Bill 1043 (Representative Wehrli, R-Naperville) includes ISACo's property tax abatement language among other provisions within the bill. The property tax abatement provision would provide local governments with another tool in the toolbox when crafting local tax policy. Many local governments could use this provision to provide property tax relief without losing the amount of the abatement from future property tax collections.

SB 1043 was approved by the Senate in the spring and has been posted for a hearing in the House Revenue and Finance Committee for Tuesday, November 12, 2019. We anticipate the committee will consider our amendment at that time. ISACo SUPPORTS

An ISACo Position Statement is available via this link.

Week Two of Veto Session

The following issues of interest to counties are scheduled for consideration this week:

House Labor and Commerce Committee

Tuesday, November 12 at 3 p.m.

Senate Bill 471 (Representative Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria) would mandate that all employers provide at least 40 hours of paid sick leave to their employees. The mandate would apply to full and part-time employees. ISACo previously opposed this unfunded state mandate in the Senate based upon our policy position that state legislation increasing public employee benefits must include revenue from the state to offset the added costs to counties. SB 471 would increase personnel costs for counties not presently offering the paid sick leave with the new costs being the sole responsibility of these counties and their taxpayers. ISACo OPPOSES THIS UNFUNDED MANDATE

House Drug Affordability and Accessibility Committee

Tuesday, November 12 at 3 p.m.

Senate Bill 667 (Representative Guzzardi, D-Chicago) would provide that insurers offering prescription insulin drugs must limit the total cost to $100 per 30-day supply of insulin regardless of the type and amount of insulin needed by the insured. The bill was previously approved by the Senate.

House Human Services Committee

Tuesday, November 12 at 3 p.m.

Senate Bill 1864 (Representative Williams, D-Chicago) would include e-cigarettes and alternative nicotine products within the Smoke Free Illinois Act to prohibit vaping in a public place. The bill was previously approved by the Senate.

House Counties & Townships Committee

Wednesday, November 13 at 9 a.m.

House Bill 2497 (Representative Greenwood, D-East St. Louis) would amend the Criminal and Traffic Assessment Act to allow certain fees and fines to be collected and distributed to a Court Appointed Special Advocates Fund to pay for relevant activities and services offered by the 31 counties with a Court Appointed Special Advocates program. The House Counties and Townships Committee will consider whether to concur with two amendments approved by the Senate. The legislation is an initiative of the Illinois Association of Court Appointed Special Advocates.

Senate Public Health Committee

Tuesday, November 12 at 2 p.m.

House Bill 597 (Senator Villivalam, D-Chicago) would amend the Equitable Restrooms Act to provide that whether a restaurant meets occupancy criteria is to be determined by the local fire department, fire protection district, building permitting entity or building inspector instead of the State Fire Marshal. The bill was previously approved by the House.

Senate Floor

Senate Bill 1698 (Senator Martinez, D-Chicago) concerns the reduction of an elected official's compensation when the elected official is also receiving pension benefits from the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF). The bill would make the reduction non-applicable to a unit of local government that has adopted an ordinance or resolution effective prior to January 1, 2019, that: (i) reduces the compensation of an official of the unit of local government who is receiving specified pension benefits from IMRF; and (ii) changes the official's position to part-time status. The bill was previously approved by the House.

FEMA Denies State Request for Individual Assistance; Help Sought from SBA for Flooding Relief

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) denied the state’s appeal for federal assistance to help residents in 22 counties recover from 2019’s severe storms and historic flooding along the Illinois and Mississippi rivers. In light of these new developments, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency will seek a disaster declaration from the U.S. Small Business Administration. If approved, an SBA disaster declaration would enable residents and business owners in the approved counties, and its contiguous counties, to apply for grants as well as low-interest, long-term loans.

Additional information is available via this press release.

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.

ISACo is planning an event for Illinois attendees. Registrants from Illinois will receive information about this event at a later date.

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

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.