November 25, 2019

ISACo News and Views

This Illinois State Association of Counties (ISACo) weekly News and Views e-newsletter includes an ISACo Policy Brief explaining details about legislation granting public employee bargaining units with rights to employee information and engagement in certain workplace activities, provides information about a legislative provision concerning an elected official's compensation when the official is also in receipt of Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) pension benefits, links to a press release about 2020 Census efforts in northwestern Illinois counties, provides an update on bail reform discussions in Congress, 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 Policy Brief Explains Public Employee Bargaining Unit Legislation ISACo published a Policy Brief to explain the details of legislation approved during the Veto Session (SB 1784) that would invest public employee bargaining units with certain statutory rights. The legislation is a response to the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruling in Janus v. AFSCME (2018). Public employers need to be aware of the new mandates included within the bill. SB 1784 would require public employers to provide information about employees to union bargaining representatives, prohibit employers from sharing similar information to bargaining representatives not associated with a union, guarantee employees access to union representatives during work hours and insert a dues collection process into state statute. Having been approved by the General Assembly, the bill will next be considered by the Governor. ISACo's Policy Brief for SB 1784 is available via this link.

Local Government Officer Compensation Act Amendment Senate Bill 1300 (Senator Castro, D-Elgin/Representative Hoffman, D-Belleville) was approved by the General Assembly during the Veto Session. The primary provisions of the bill pertain to the consolidation of municipal police and firefighter pension fund assets for investment purposes. The bill also includes a provision previously found within SB 1698 that amends the Local Government Officer Compensation Act concerning the reduction of an elected official's compensation when the elected official is receiving pension benefits from the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF). The provision included within SB 1300 would make the compensation reduction non-applicable to elected officials in 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. As previously reported, the Governor is expected to enact SB 1300 into law.

Census Count Effort Serves Northwestern Illinois Counties On November 15, 2019, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) announced the Illinois Primary Health Association will serve the Northwest region of Illinois for the state’s 2020 census effort, including JoDaviess, Carroll, Whiteside, Lee, LaSalle, Bureau, Putnam, Henry, Mercer and Rock Island Counties. The organizations serving as Regional Intermediaries for the 2020 Census Grant Program are identifying other local organizations to award additional grants within their regions. This ensures funding directly supports organizations who are best equipped to connect with Illinoisans on the front lines of urban, rural and other hard-to-reach communities. The press release is available via this link.

Congress Discussing Bail Reform NACo Update: On November 14, 2019, the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary held a hearing titled, “ The Administration of Bail by State and Federal Courts: A Call for Reform. ” Click on the link to view a video and materials from the hearing. Throughout the hearing, lawmakers considered policy alternatives and solutions to pre-trial detention financial obligations, stating that such policies can often put individuals at risk of losing their job or home. The alternatives discussed included the expansion of citation use, better risk assessments, increased judicial discretion and the elimination of bail. Lawmakers also highlighted the financial burden placed on taxpayers, as the total cost in 2018 to detain individuals who aren’t convicted reached $14 billion in 2018. Additional information from NACo is available via this link.

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.