This week's Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) News and Views e-newsletter provides an update about a federal hold of childcare and family assistance funding to Illinois and four other states, reports on Governor Pritzker's signing of the energy bill, shares ISACo's updated Public Acts Report: Legislation of Interest to Counties in 2025, links to a list of new laws affecting or of interest to counties taking effect in 2026, shares an update about Illinois' November employment rate, includes a "Save the Date" for the 2026 ISACo/UCCI Legislative Conference, invites county officials and staff to contribute an article to ISACo's County Quarterly Newsletter, encourages county officials to attend the February 2026 National Association of Counties (NACo) Legislative Conference, links to articles ISACo staff is reading to stay informed, conveys information about upcoming NACo webinar opportunities, highlights ISACo corporate partner AT&T and invites counties to join ISACo.
Illinois Among States Facing Federal Hold on Child Care and Family Assistance Funding
Illinois is facing the potential loss of nearly $1 billion in federal childcare and family assistance funding after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services froze access to several major programs amid concerns about fraud and misuse. The decision effects funding that supports childcare assistance for working families, childcare providers, and human service organizations statewide, with state officials warning that tens of thousands of families could be impacted. Governor JB Pritzker has sharply criticized the move, while federal officials say the freeze will remain in place until the Administration for Children and Families completes a compliance review. The funding hold has been temporarily suspended by a federal judge.
More information is available via this link.
Governor Pritzker Signs Energy Legislation into Law
Governor Pritzker signed SB 25 into law on January 8, 2026, enacting a sweeping overhaul of Illinois’ energy planning, utility regulation, and clean energy programs. The new law affects counties in several important ways, including changes to renewable energy and storage siting, property tax treatment, utility planning requirements, and expanded electrification. ISACo has prepared a detailed analysis of the new law, highlighting key provisions and county impacts, which is linked within the story.
More information is available via this link.
Public Acts Report: Legislation of Interest to Counties in 2025
ISACo has updated our Public Acts Report: Legislation of Interest to Counties in 2025 report. The report organizes approved bills by category, includes a synopsis and ISACo's position. The report will be updated as the Governor signs legislation into law. Please click on the image for our most updated comprehensive report on bills approved by both chambers of interest to counties.
*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-Tracked New Laws Taking Effect in 2026
Illinois Employment Rate for November
The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced on Tuesday, January 5, that the unemployment rate was 4.4 percent in November, unchanged from September, and down -0.5 percentage point from the same month, one year ago, based on data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The revised September unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.4 percent. There are no October unemployment rates for Illinois or the nation as labor force data for the month of October could not be collected from households during the federal government shutdown.
The press release is available via this link.
2026 ISACo/UCCI Legislative Conference - Save the Date!
For the third consecutive year, ISACo and our friends at the United Counties Council of Illinois (UCCI) will hold a legislative conference for county officials and staff on April 14-15, 2026. ISACo members are invited to attend the April 14 events that will include a breakfast buffet and legislative briefing at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and an evening legislative reception at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum. State officials will also be invited to attend the reception. Activities on April 15 are reserved for UCCI members. Registration information and additional details will be available soon.
Call for Articles: Share Your County’s Story in ISACo’s County Quarterly Newsletter
ISACo invites county officials and staff to contribute articles for upcoming editions of our County Quarterly Newsletter. This publication is strengthened by the insights, innovations, and real-world experiences shared by counties across Illinois—and we’d love to feature your work.
Whether you want to highlight a successful initiative, reflect on a policy issue, share best practices, or showcase a community partnership making a difference, your perspective helps inform and inspire colleagues statewide.
If you’re interested in submitting, please take a moment to review our publication guidelines available via this link.
We look forward to featuring your county’s accomplishments and ideas in a future issue!
If you need help shaping an idea or want to talk through a potential topic, feel free to reach out—we’re always glad to collaborate.
NACo Legislative Conference Registration Open
The NACo Legislative Conference brings together nearly 2,000 elected and appointed county officials to focus on federal policy issues that impact counties and our residents. The conference will be held in Washington, D.C. from February 21-24, 2026. Registration information is available via this link. We look forward to seeing you there!
What We're Reading
The Stories That Defined the Year in State and Local Government (Governing)
Illinois Trains Therapy Canine Teams for Law Enforcement (WCIA)
Pritzker, Illinois House Speaker Welch Open to Tweaking SAFE-T Act (Sun-Times)
Learn more about IPRIME
Founded in 2019, the Illinois Public Reserves Investment Management Trust™ (IPRIME™) referred to as “the Fund” is an investment pool for Municipal Treasurers acting on behalf of counties, townships, cities, towns, villages, libraries, park districts, water supply districts, fire protection districts, sanitary districts, housing authorities and other subdivisions of the State of Illinois.
The IPRIME Investment Shares Series is rated AAAm by Standard & Poor’s.
The Investment Shares Series is comprised of money market instruments having a maximum remaining maturity of one year (except U.S. government obligations that may have remaining maturities of up to two years).
The primary objectives of the Investment Shares Series are to offer the highest possible investment yield, protect principal, preserve liquidity and maintain Standard & Poor’s highest local government investment pool rating of AAAm. In addition, the Fund offers access to PMA Financial Network, LLC’s Fixed Income and Deposit Programs. With the experience and expertise of PMA, the Investment Shares Series grants investors access to a powerful investment management team that functions with a high standard of vision, synergy, and quality.
Click on the image below to learn more about IPRIME!
Please contact Member Services and Communications Manager Tiffani Homer at thomer@isacoil.org if you have additional questions.
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.
Modern Networks, Smarter Budgets: A County Leader’s Perspective
(Tuesday, January 13, 2025, 1 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. CST)
Join NACo 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.
Social Security: The Choice of a Lifetime
(Wednesday, January 14, 2025, 12 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. CST)
The Nationwide Retirement Institute is here to provide county staff and retirees clarity regarding key retirement topics. As we start to think about our retirement, questions come up -- which is why Nationwide has created a range of helpful presentations to provide some answers.
One of the most important decisions you'll make regarding your retirement income is when to file for Social Security benefits. Get informed about your options; doing so could mean a difference of hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years.
Click on this link to register for this webinar.
NACo Policy Insider Webinar Series: Understanding the Federal Landscape for Counties
(Thursday, January 15, 2025, 1 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. CST)
Last year's Inside Washington series is now NACo Policy Insider, a bi-weekly webinar offering an overview of the full federal policy landscape impacting counties, as well as deeper dives into specific policy areas, equipping county leaders with insights, context, and strategies to engage effectively on key issues from transportation and infrastructure, to public lands, to disasters, to health and human services, and more.
Click on this link to register for this webinar.
Aligning Arts and Culture with County Policy Priorities
(Friday, January 16, 2025, 1 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. CST)
Arts and culture serve as powerful pathways for advancing county policy goals. Whether seeking improvements in downtown revitalization, economic and workforce development, public health or tourism, creative strategies can help counties achieve tangible results.
This webinar will explore ways counties can effectively connect arts and culture investments to key policy priorities. Participants will hear from national leaders at Americans for the Arts and examples from Pennsylvania and New Mexico, highlighting how local governments are leveraging the arts to drive community impact.
Hosted by NACo’s Arts & Culture Innovation Council, this session is open to all interested NACo members and is designed for county leaders, staff and partners seeking practical insights and replicable models.
Click on this link to register for this webinar.
Advocacy 101 for Counties: Maximizing Your Impact During the NACo Legislative Conference
(Thursday, January 22, 2025, 1 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. CST)
Heading to Washington, D.C. for the NACo Legislative Conference? This webinar provides a practical introduction to lobbying tailored specifically for county leaders. Attendees will learn how to prepare for Hill meetings, effectively advocate for NACo priorities, and translate county experiences into clear federal policy asks—ensuring every meeting counts while you’re in town.
Click on this link to register for this webinar.
What to Know Before You Go to NACo’s Legislative Conference
(Thursday, January 29, 2025, 2 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. CST)
If this is your first time attending NACo’s Legislative Conference, this webinar is for you! Join NACo’s Membership Chair and staff to learn ways to maximize your experience at the NACo Legislative Conference. This conference is the premier opportunity for county leaders to exchange cutting-edge practices, engage with members of Congress, and collaborate on policy solutions. You’ll leave this brief webinar prepared to navigate the conference schedule and participate in sessions, including policy meetings, a federal agency expo, and summits on pressing topics.
Click on this link to register for this webinar.
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Become an ISACo Member!
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 Member Services and Communications Manager Tiffani Homer at (217) 679-3368 or thomer@isacoil.org. ISACo member counties are listed here. Thank you for your consideration.