This week's Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) News and Views e-newsletter includes ISACo's October County Quarterly, provides a 2025 Fall Veto Session recap and update, shares a new energy bill amendment that includes an ICC review process for siting decisions, informs county officials and staff that the Next Gen Capacity Building Initiative Applications are now open, links to articles ISACo staff is reading to stay informed, shares information about upcoming National Association of Counties (NACo) webinar opportunities, highlights ISACo corporate partner SAVI and invites counties to join ISACo.

Lawmakers Divided on Progress as Fall Veto Session Reaches Midpoint

Illinois lawmakers concluded the first half of the 2025 Fall Veto Session, with differing opinions about what has been accomplished and what remains to be done when they return to Springfield October 28–30.

Republican legislators criticized Democratic leadership for failing to confront the state’s most pressing fiscal and policy issues, such as the $267 million budget gap, energy taxes, and mass transit funding shortfalls.

Democrats, however, pointed to efforts consistent with their priorities, emphasizing the protection of civil rights and democratic institutions. 

So far, two bills have advanced: one modernizing regulations for the brewery industry, and another increasing the allowable weight for electric vehicles on Illinois roadways.

As lawmakers prepare for the second half of the session, Governor JB Pritzker outlined his priorities during a fireside chat at the Economic Club of Chicago. The governor said he wants lawmakers to address both immigration enforcement and transportation investment before adjournment.

Governor Pritzker highlighted the need to support not only Chicago but also communities throughout Illinois.

“I know that a lot of people who live here in Chicago don’t often think about Central Illinois or Southern Illinois, but they are vital to the future and success of our state,” he said.

Democrats are expected to consider legislation to limit Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from detaining individuals in courthouses and to expand restrictions on local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Another proposal would prohibit officers from wearing masks or neck gaiters while on duty to improve transparency and accountability.

“We don’t want a country where you’ve got people getting stopped and asked for their proof of citizenship because of the color of their skin,” Pritzker said.

Governor Pritzker also emphasized that transit reform and funding will be major themes of the final three days of the session. He said Illinois must make investments not only in the Chicagoland area but also in regional transportation systems statewide.

“There are transportation systems all across the state of Illinois that need to be upgraded, and that should be part of this,” he said. “I have insisted upon that from the very beginning, and it will be.”

The Governor also sought to clarify speculation about potential state support for a new Chicago Bears stadium in Arlington Heights. Pritzker said taxpayers should not bear the cost of private construction projects.

“We should help private businesses and public businesses grow in the state of Illinois,” Pritzker said. “What I’m not for is that we’re responsible for building your factory or your new headquarters. We’re not.”

An amendment to the energy omnibus bill was also filed and may be considered. More information about that issue is available below.

Finally, Governor Pritzker said he does not support redrawing the state’s political maps, despite comments from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries suggesting Illinois could gain another Democratic seat in Congress. 

Quotes by the Governor attributed to WAND News.

New Amendment Filed to Energy Bill

A new amendment was filed to the energy omnibus bill on October 21. Amendment 3 to SB 25 (Representative Hoffman, D-Swansea) includes many provisions found within previous versions of the bill in addition to new language. One of the new provisions would create a Siting Appeals Board within the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) to resolve disputes between counties and industry over siting authority. ISACo's analysis is available via this link.

ISACo's analysis of a previous energy bill amendment to HB 4116, also sponsored by Representative Hoffman, is available via this link.

ISACo October County Quarterly

The October County Quarterly includes an Executive Director's Report, includes a look ahead at the 2025 Veto Session, welcomes new board members to the ISACo Board of Directors, reports on DuPage County opening a crisis recovery center, includes information on the Illinois Solar Industry, celebrates America's 250th Anniversary, discusses civility in public service, congratulates McHenry County Administrator, Peter Austin, for his retirement, includes information about the newly passed federal reconciliation package and its impact on counties, and shares ISACo's Corporate Sponsors and their services. 

The ISACo October County Quarterly is available by clicking on the image below.

Open Applications to Grow the Next Generation of Housing Developers

The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) announced on Wednesday, October 22, that individuals may now apply to be part of the 2026 class of the Next Gen Capacity Building Initiative (Next Gen), a program designed to expand the talent pipeline for emerging developers to gain knowledge in the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) industry. Next Gen equips for-profit and nonprofit developers with critical training, technical assistance, and understanding of financial resources to bring affordable housing to life in communities across Illinois.

The press release is available via this link. 

What We're Reading

States Worry About How to Fill the Gap in Food Aid Ahead of a Federal Benefits Halt (ChicagoTribune)

Domestic Violence Investigator Coming to Macon County State’s Attorney’s Office (WCIA)

New Teachers Union Leaders in Illinois Call for Tax Shift to Fund K-12, Higher Education (CapitolNewsIllinois)

ISACo Partners with Savi to Help County Employees Reduce or Eliminate Student Loan Debt

With over 1,600,000 borrowers in the state of Illinois amassing a whopping $71.4 billion in student loan debt, the Illinois State Association of Counties has partnered with Savi through NACo to help members and their employees navigate the complexity of repayment and forgiveness programs. The good news is, many local government workers may qualify for federal student loan forgiveness programs.

Savi is a social impact technology company dedicated to tackling the student debt crisis affecting more than 46 million borrowers nationwide. Founded by experienced loan advocates, Savi works with employers and membership organizations to identify opportunities to significantly reduce or even erase student loan balances. By streamlining applications and being an advocate for the borrower throughout the process, Savi has been able to find a 99.7% acceptance rate for Public Service Loan Forgiveness versus the 2.3% rate that borrowers face on their own.

Savi’s platform has already identified nearly $5 billion in projected loan forgiveness and has helped borrowers save an annual average of $2,244. Through the ISACo partnership, members and county employees will have access to three levels of service, including a no-cost option as well as discounted premium plans. With hands-on service and a library of educational tools, county employees can enhance their financial security and feel comfortable staying at a job they love.
ISACo members can explore this new benefit to learn how it works, read borrower success stories, and review answers to common questions.
 

For more information on offering this service to your county employees, email johnnelson@bysavi.com.

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. 

Cyber Resilience In Action: County Leaders Share Their Strategies

(Monday, October 27, 2025 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. CST)

Join county IT leaders to hear how they are defending local government systems, staff, and constituents from ever-increasing cyber-attacks. The panelists will discuss specific examples of cyber-attacks they are experiencing, how elected officials are integral to the defense, as well as monitoring, education and interactive staff activities they provided during October Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

Click on this link to register for this webinar. 

GoFundMe’s Crisis Response Playbook: Trusted Solutions for Counties

(Wednesday, October 29, 2025 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. CST)

​​​​​​This webinar will showcase how GoFundMe serves as a trusted partner for counties and communities in times of crisis. We will highlight GoFundMe’s proven ability to deliver fast, reliable support when urgent needs arise, and share how our commitment to safety, efficiency, and collaboration strengthens local response efforts. County officials will learn about partnership opportunities to enhance disaster readiness, provide timely relief, and foster long-term community resilience.

Click on this link to register for this webinar. 

Document Management solutions for Public Agencies through NACo Public Promise Procurement

(Friday, October 31, 2025 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. CST)

​​​​​​Explore the newest solutions for managing government documents and content with NACo, Maricopa County and Iron Mountain. Join us for an informative webinar unveiling NACo Public Promise Procurement's newest national contract for Offsite Document Management Services. This session will explore the full scope of services – from secure storage to shredding to digital transformation and cloud-native content platforms. You’ll hear from Lead Public Agency Maricopa County, Ariz. about the procurement process. Learn how your agency can leverage this competitively solicited agreement to enhance compliance, reduce costs and modernize records management. 

Click on this link to register for this webinar. 

Grant Management Success: Quality, Consistency, and Cost Control

(Thursday, November 6, 2025 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. CST)

Join a panel of Authorium’s alums of public service – having served in county, state, and federal offices – as they share their experience providing oversight and direction to departments awarding, managing, and leveraging grants. The panel will discuss strategies to support every step of the grant management process, from pre-award (for grantmakers) to project administration and budget tracking (for grantees).

Participants will explore: 

• How to stop software sprawl
• Techniques for tackling document-heavy, approval-stalled workflows
• Considerations for leveraging responsible AI to support grant management

Click on this link to register for this webinar. 

Modern Networks, Smarter Budgets: A County Leader’s Perspective

(Thursday, November 6, 2025 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. CT)

Join us for a fireside chat with Orleans County, NY, as they share how their team successfully transitioned from a traditional capital expense (CapEx) model to an operational expense (OpEx) model for network services.

When faced with rising maintenance costs and an expiring carrier contract, the county seized the opportunity to modernize its network and lock in predictable monthly costs. By bundling connectivity services with unified communications, they achieved immediate savings of over $124,000, eliminated recurring charges such as long-distance fees and third-party integration costs, and gained access to operational upgrades like call analytics and auto-attendants.

This shift not only strengthened financial planning through fixed monthly expenses but also freed up IT staff to focus on strategic initiatives.

Key takeaway: Rethinking your budget model can be just as impactful as upgrading your technology — delivering fiscal stability and enhanced services for your community.

Click on this link to register for this webinar.  

CORPORATE PARTNER SPOTLIGHT  

IPBC is a partnership of Illinois local government entities who are committed to the philosophy of risk pooling and working together to provide cost-effective health and related benefits to their employees and their families.

Click here to learn more about IPBC.

Become an ISACo Member! 

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