This Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) weekly
News and Views
e-newsletter highlights several bills of interest to counties, provides an update on the status of ISACo's Illinois County Action Program (ICAP), makes counties aware of an opportunity to obtain broadband expansion funding, points to a new state website with information about preventing sexual harassment in the workplace, provides information about federal efforts to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus, urges county officials to save the date for ISACo's 2020 Lobby Day, asks county officials to follow ISACo on social media, highlights ISACo corporate partner Wight & Company and invites counties to join ISACo.
ISACo is pleased to announce that we have created the position of policy analyst and hired Blair Egan to fill the position. ISACo staff information is
available via this link.
Information about our legislative advocacy team is
available via this link.
2020 ISACo Legislative Agenda
COUNTIES COUNT!
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County Legislation Spotlight
ISACo
maintains an updated list of legislation of interest to counties. This list is organized by category and available within the legislative section of our website and
via this link.
ISACo has taken positions on several bills. A list of these bills, along with ISACo's position, is available
via this link.
ISACo will frequently highlight bills of interest to counties. This week's highlighted bills are below. In some cases ISACo has a position. In other cases, ISACo does not have a position or the position has not yet been determined. ISACo positions on legislation are informed by our
County Platform
(available via this link).
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ISACo Legislative Agenda
ISACo continues to secure sponsorship for our 2020 Illinois County Action Program (ICAP). The following ISACo bills have been introduced to date:
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Broadband Expansion Matching Funds Announced
On Wednesday, February 5, 2020, Governor JB Pritzker announced that the state is releasing $50 million in funding for the first round of matching grants of Connect Illinois, the state's $420 million statewide broadband expansion.
Applicants are required to provide at least 50% of non-state funding, effectively doubling the size of the nation's largest state competitive grant program to expand high-speed internet.
Applicants are anticipated to include internet service providers, rural cooperatives, nonprofits and local governments. Grant responses for the initial $50 million round of funding can be submitted through Friday, April 3, 2020. Up to $5 million per project will be available during the first round, and subsequent rounds will follow over the course of the next several years. The Notice of Funding Opportunity is
available online via this link.
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IDHR Creates Sexual Harassment Information Website
On Wednesday, February 5, 2020, the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) launched an information-based webpage concerning Public Act 101-0221 (commonly referred to as the Workplace Transparency Act), a law that requires all Illinois employers to provide sexual harassment prevention training to their employees on an annual basis.
Public Act 101-0221 was signed into law by Governor Pritzker in
August 2019. Under this Act, Illinois employers have until December 31, 2020 to train employees on sexual harassment prevention. The Act provides minimum standards that must be included in the training, with additional supplemental training and policy requirements for restaurants and bars.
The Act also mandates that IDHR provide a training module at no cost to Illinois employers and the general public. In addition to the webpage, IDHR is in the process of developing a model sexual harassment prevention training program for use by employers. Employers may develop their own sexual harassment prevention training program that meets or exceeds the minimum
training standards outlined in Section 2-109(B) and/or Section 2-110(C) of the Illinois Human Rights Act (IHRA). IDHR’s model training program will be available to the public by the end of February.
For more information, please visit IDHR’s Training Institute webpage
using this link.
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ISACo Receives Coronavirus Update from White House
On Monday, February 3, 2020, ISACo staff participated in a conference call where senior White House and federal agency officials provided an update about the United States' response to the Coronavirus.
During the briefing it was conveyed that China had experienced over 10,000 confirmed cases resulting in 350 confirmed deaths as of February 3. The vast majority of these deaths occurred in the Hubei province. Recent news reports indicate the death of an American citizen in Hubei province over the weekend.
Administration officials reported that the risk to the United States remains low. As of the date of the briefing there were 11 confirmed cases in the United States. As a proactive and precautionary measure, customs and border protection began funneling air-traffic from China to 11 airports as well as land ports on the northern and southern borders. Travelers will undergo three levels of screening at these ports applicable only to American citizens and legal permanent residents and their families.
Anyone returning to the United States from Hubei province will be subject to 14 days of mandatory
quarantine to ensure they are provided proper medical care and health screening.
Travelers returning to the United States from the rest of mainland China who exhibit no symptoms will undergo 14 days of monitored self-quarantine to ensure they have not contracted the virus and do not pose a public health risk. These individuals will be mandated to check in daily with their local health department.
The goal for the current policy it to slow the spread of the disease through early diagnosis and isolation while treatment and prevention solutions are developed.
Additional Resources:
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Save the Date! ISACo Lobby Day Scheduled for April 29, 2020
ISACo will host its first Lobby Day event on Wednesday, April 29, 2020, in Springfield.
The day will begin at the Wyndham City Centre in Springfield with breakfast at 9 a.m followed by a legislative briefing at 10 a.m.
Following the briefing, county officials will head to the Statehouse to lobby their legislators. There will be an early evening reception to conclude the day's activities.
The event is designed to allow people to drive to Springfield and return home the same day. Some may opt to seek hotel accommodations on the evening of April 28 or 29. Attendees wishing to seek lodging are encouraged to reserve a hotel room as soon as possible.
Please RSVP to Brenna Metrow at bmetrow@isacoil.org or at 217-679-3368. We look forward to seeing you there!
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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!
@Isacoil
@IsacoTweets
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Corporate Partner Spotlight
This week's corporate partner spotlight highlights ISACo's partnership with Wight & Company.
For more than 80 years, Wight & Company has helped clients create exceptional, enduring buildings and spaces that enrich people's lives. Wight also specializes in providing professional services for transportation and infrastructure projects for counties, municipalities, state agencies and private landowners.
Click on this link
to learn more about the benefits and opportunities available through ISACo's Corporate Partner Program.
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The Key to ISACo's Success is YOU!
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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.
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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.
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