Lake County Legislative Committee met May 4.
Here is the agenda provided by the committee:
1. Call to Order
2. Pledge of Allegiance
3. Roll Call of Members
4. Addenda to the Agenda
5. Public Comment (Items not on the agenda)
6. Chair's Remarks
7. Unfinished Business
8. New Business
CONSENT AGENDA (Item 8.1)
*Approval of Minutes*
8.1 21-0686
Minutes from April 6, 2021.
Attachments: Leg 4.6.21 Final Minutes
REGULAR AGENDA
8.2 21-0687
Update and discussion on the State of Illinois 2021 Spring Legislative Session.
8.3 21-0688
Committee discussion on active legislation and bills of interest.
8.4 21-0689
Resolution supporting the “Presumptive Benefits for War Fighters Exposed to Burn Pits and Other Toxins Act of 2021” or other similar legislation that ensures veterans who served near burn pits receive VA health coverage and disability benefits.
· Approximately 3.5 million veterans have been exposed to burn pits that spewed toxic fumes and carcinogens into the air.
· Veterans subject to exposure are struggling to prove direct service connection necessary to be eligible for Veteran Affairs benefits to cover associated diseases.
· The delay in benefit coverage results in a delay in much needed critical medical care and other support for former service members, an increase in workload for County Veteran Service Officers tasked with connecting veterans to federal benefits, and the potential to shift the responsibility of providing healthcare and other services to county systems.
· The “Presumptive Benefits for War Fighters Exposed to Burn Pits and Other ToxinsAct of 2021” was introduced in April 2021, and provides for a presumption of service connection for certain diseases associated with exposure to toxins commonly associated with burn pits.
8.5 21-0690
Resolution supporting S.479 or other similar legislation that restores state and local governments’ ability to use advanced refunding to manage bond debt and reduce borrowing costs for public projects.
· Lake County has utilized the tax-exempt bond market to fund capital improvement projects for both transportation and facility infrastructure.
· The ability to “advance refund” or refinance tax exempt bonds one time prior to the call date during the life of a tax exempt bond was eliminated in 2017.
· This financing tool of advance refunding can be effectively used to save significant debt service dollars nationwide and specifically at Lake County when there is a favorable interest rate market.
· Senate Bill 479 has been introduced in the 177th Congress, which is known as the “Lifting Our Communities through Advance Liquidity for Infrastructure Act” or the “LOCAL Infrastructure Act,” which repeals the amendments made by section 13532of Public Law 115-97, thereby restoring state and local governments’ ability to use advance refunding to manage bond debt and reduce borrowing costs for public projects.
· Lake County would benefit from the passage of this bill.
9. County Administrator's Report
10. Executive Session
11. Members' Remarks
12. Adjournment
https://lakecounty.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=A&ID=828537&GUID=D6E06652-CE30-4DFE-B2CA-3E2977CF0937
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