This week's Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) News and Views e-newsletter includes a recap and photos from last week's ISACo and UCCI Illinois County Lobby Day event, links to ISACo-tracked bills scheduled for committee hearings this week, lists tracked bills approved by House and Senate Committees last week, shares a university study analyzing the efficacy of the proposed elimination of the 1 percent state sales tax on groceries, reports on grant money awarded for Public Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure, makes county officials aware of a new grocery initiative grant opportunity, announces upcoming personnel transitions at the Illinois Department of Insurance (IDOI), shares what ISACo staff is reading to stay informed, provides current CD and Treasury Rates via ISACo corporate partner IPRIME, announces upcoming National Association of Counties (NACo) webinar opportunities, highlights ISACo corporate partner Constellation Telecom and invites counties to join ISACo.

ISACo and UCCI Host Successful Illinois County Lobby Day

ISACo and UCCI hosted the first annual Illinois County Lobby Day on April 10, 2024, in Springfield.

County officials attended the event to discuss key policy issues and advocate on behalf of their constituents.

The day began with a Legislative Briefing at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library. Attendees at the Briefing heard presentations from Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, Senate President Don Harmon, House Republican Leader Tony McCombie and Senate Republican Leader John Curran.

Following the Briefing attendees visited the Illinois Statehouse to advocate in support of issues beneficial to counties and their residents.

A reception was held for county officials and state legislators that evening and provided additional opportunities to network and build important relationships among county officials from all regions of the state.

ISACo and UCCI thank all of those that were able to attend the event. 

Photos from the event are available for viewing by clicking the image below.

List of Tracked Bills in Committee

The following ISACo-tracked bills are posted for possible committee hearings this week. If there is no position listed then the bill is still under review by staff. In some cases, initial ISACo positions may be changed in the future. A complete list of ISACo tracked bills is available via this link.

HB 4502 - Conservation-Open Space Fund (Support)

HB 4753 - Case Review-Homicide Victims (Oppose)

HB 5050 - Loc Gov Reduction & Efficiency (Oppose)

HB 5138 - IDOT-Studies-Local Governments (Support)

HB 5315 - Solar Energy-Video Doorbell (Oppose)

HB 5431 - Pregnant Prisoners-Restraints (Support)

HB 5432 - Crime-Free Housing Ordinances (Oppose)

SB 2719 - Liquor-Commission-Appeals (Oppose)

*An ISACo tracked bill includes bills that directly or tangentially impact county finances and operations, bills that may be of interest to county officials for the performance of their duties and legislation presented "for your information." ISACo positions of "support" or "oppose" are usually reserved for bills that directly or tangentially impact county finances and operations. ISACo also supports member county initiatives that are consistent with ISACo's County Platform. 

Tracked Bills Approved by Committees Last Week

HB 1389 - Obstruct Justice-Body Cameras (Support)

HB 4179 - Emergency Service Dist-Various (Support)

HB 4502 - Conservation-Open Space Fund (Support)

SB 426 - Juvenile Justice-Emerging Adult Programs (Under Review)

SB 692 - Task Force on Interjurisdictional Industrial Zoning Impacts (No Position)

SB 771 - Wetlands Protection Act (Under Review) 

SB 2371 - Labor-Crim Justice Atty (No Position)

Study Questions Benefits of Eliminating Sales Tax on Groceries

An April 11, 2024, study published by the Institute of Government and Public Affairs at the University of Illinois examining the efficacy of Governor Pritzker's proposed elimination of the 1 percent state sales tax on groceries. The loss of revenue to counties and municipalities is estimated at $360 million based upon State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2023 numbers. From the study:

"While the savings to an individual household of lifting the grocery tax is very modest, the loss of tax revenue to municipalities is consequential, and the timetable caused by eliminating the tax on July 1, 2024 may lead to delays in implementing a local replacement."

The study went on to find that:

Because the state grocery tax is just 1%, a family would have to spend at least $30,000 on FAH grocery items to obtain the “few hundred bucks” in savings mentioned by the Governor in the course of one year."

"It would take a low-income family over 8 years to accumulate several hundred dollars in tax savings from
the elimination of the grocery tax."

ISACo has not taken a position in opposition to the elimination of the 1 percent state sales tax on groceries. Instead, the Association is advocating that, if the tax is eliminated, then the General Assembly and Governor replace the lost revenue to counties and municipalities through an appropriation of state funds. The state previously reimbursed local governments for revenue lost when the tax was suspended during SFY 2023.

ISACo asks that counties contact their legislators and advocate for a reimbursement of lost revenue should the 1 percent sales tax on groceries be eliminated. 

$25.1 Million in Grant Awards for Public Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure

On April 10, 2024, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) Director John J. Kim announced $25.1 million is being awarded to 20 applicants for electric vehicle charging infrastructure under the Driving a Cleaner Illinois program. The grants will fund 643 new Direct Current Fast Charging (DCFC) ports at 141 locations throughout the state. The awards are based on a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) issued in late 2023, seeking publicly accessible locations statewide. These grants were made possible through Governor Pritzker’s bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital plan and authorized under the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA). In 2023, Illinois EPA awarded $12.6 million in Volkswagen Settlement funding for more than 300 new EV fast charging ports.

The press release is available via this link. 

New Grocery Initiative Grant Opportunity

On April 9, 2024, Governor JB Pritzker and Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton joined food justice advocates and local stakeholders to announce a new grant program from the Illinois Grocery Initiative. The New Stores in Food Deserts Program will offer competitive grants to encourage the establishment of new grocery stores in USDA-defined food deserts. Paired with the Equipment Upgrades Program, the initiatives are a $20 million effort to address food deserts and prevent grocery store closures in Illinois.

The press release is available via this link. 

Upcoming Personnel Transitions at Illinois Department of Insurance

On April 8, 2024, Governor JB Pritzker announced that Illinois Department of Insurance (DOI) Director Dana Popish Severinghaus will step down from her role on April 15, 2024. Popish Severinghaus has served as Director of DOI since January of 2021. Governor Pritzker has appointed State Senator Ann Gillespie as new Acting Director of DOI, pending Senate confirmation.

The press release is available via this link. 

What We're Reading

As State Continues to Inventory Lead Pipes, Full Replacement Deadlines are Decades Away (Capitol News Illinois)

Memorial Arrangements for Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough Announced (WTTW)

Rural Mortality Rates Far Higher Than for City Dwellers (Governing)

Current CD and Treasury Rates Provided by IPRIME

The following rates provided by ISACo corporate partner IPRIME are current as of April 15, 2024. Please click on the image below to review the rates.

Upcoming NACo Webinars

NACo has announced the following upcoming webinar opportunities. ISACo is a proud partner with NACo and encourages counties to participate in NACo membership and activities. 

Counties Securing the Nation’s Elections: Handling The Rise of Generative Artificial Intelligence

(Monday, April 15, 2024, 12:00pm-1:30pm CST)

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems have catapulted the use of advanced computer technologies within society at unprecedented scale. This new presence of generative AI has already presented a new set of challenges for county election administrators as we begin this 2024 election year. During this tabletop webinar, NACo members will hear from experts on these new challenges and how counties can be proactive in addressing them this election cycle and beyond. Speakers and webinar attendees will also have the opportunity to engage in a discussion on how AI can be of benefit to county election officials, especially smaller, often rural, election offices.

Click on this link to register for the webinar. 

Counties and the Inflation Reduction Act: Elective Pay Update

(Tuesday, April 16, 2024, 2:00pm-3:00pm CST)

On March 5, the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) issued final regulations for the elective pay mechanism established in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Using elective pay, also known as direct pay, counties and other tax-exempt entities can monetize certain clean energy tax credits that they have previously been unable to access due to their lack of tax liability. On March 5, Treasury also unveiled a new proposed rule to provide criteria regarding the eligibility of certain ownership structures to claim elective pay. During this webinar, counties will hear from Treasury and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on these new regulations and other funding opportunities available under IRA.

Click on this link to register for the webinar. 

Global Connections for Your Local Economy Virtual Training #2: Crash Course on the Site Selection

(Wednesday, April 17, 2024, 1:00pm-2:00pm CST)

Ever wonder why multinational companies invest billions in some counties, but pass by others? Or what makes the difference between a successful business interaction which results in hundreds or thousands of new jobs, and one that falls flat? If you’re ready to take your county’s economic development to the next level, join the International Economic Development Task Force throughout this Spring for a special virtual training series on how to bring jobs and capital to your community through foreign investment. In this second training, we will receive an overview of the site selection process and discuss key characteristics for which multinational companies look throughout this process.

Click on this link to register for the webinar. 

Financial Aide Awareness Month: Help Your County Employees Understand and Access Student Debt Forgiveness

(Wednesday, April 24, 2024, 11:30am-12:30pm CST)

As a county leader you have likely seen an uptick in questions/interest around student debt forgiveness programs coming in from your employees. While there is heavy media attention around student debt relief programs it is still very confusing for NY county employees to determine if they qualify and how they access these relief programs. Please join us for an overview of the main federal debt relief programs available, who qualifies, and information on a student debt relief support tool that every county in NY should consider promoting as an employee benefit.

Click on this link to register for the webinar. 

Modernizing County Finance with Digital Disbursements

(Tuesday, April 30, 2024, 1:00pm-2:00pm CST)

Join NACo for their upcoming webinar, Modernizing County Finance with Digital Disbursements, to discover how incorporating digital payments can increase constituents’ satisfaction and improve government efficiency. This session will provide an in-depth overview of the successful pilot project by Knox County, Ill., the National Association of Counties (NACo), and Visa, sharing how they delivered fast and secure payments to county election judges and jurors.

Click on this link to register for the webinar. 

Global Connections for Your Local Economy Virtual Training #3: “Nailing It” at the 2024 SelectUSA Investment Summit

(Wednesday, May 1, 2024, 1:00pm-2:00pm CST)

Ever wonder why multinational companies invest billions in some counties, but pass by others? Or what makes the difference between a successful business interaction which results in hundreds or thousands of new jobs, and one that falls flat? If you’re ready to take your county’s economic development to the next level, join the International Economic Development Task Force throughout this Spring for a special virtual training series on how to bring jobs and capital to your community through foreign investment. In this third training, learn how you can apply the strategies discussed so far and make real-time connections with global businesses at the 2024 SelectUSA Investment Summit (Jun. 23-26) near Washington, D.C.

Click on this link to register for the webinar.  

CORPORATE PARTNER SPOTLIGHT 

Constellation Telecom

Constellation Telecom is comprised of business telecom leaders who bring over 100 years of combined experience and knowledge – and no ties to any telecom provider or agency.

Constellation Telecom is able to obtain vendor quotes from hundreds of vendors for Phone Service, Phone Systems, both on Premises and also Cloud based, as well for Internet circuits, Cabling and IT support. The company will offer special pricing to ISACo members that will result in cost savings for participating counties.

Additional information about Constellation Telecom is available via this link.

Become an ISACo Member!