Dupage Policy Journal

DuPage County Legislative Committee met Feb. 13

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

1. CALL TO ORDER 

Meeting was called to order by Chair Dawn DeSart at 11:45 AM. 

2. ROLL CALL 

Member Galassi joined the meeting five minutes after the meeting started, missing the approval of the minutes, 24-0397. 

Additional Board Members present: Member Rutledge and Member Evans. 

Staff Present: Sheryl Markay (Chief Policy & Program Officer), Jason Blumenthal (Policy & Program Manager), Conor McCarthy (State's Attorney's Office) and Dennis Brennan (DuPage Health Department Legislative Manager). 

PRESENT Chaplin, Childress, DeSart, Eckhoff, Galassi, and Zay 

3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 

3.A. 24-0397 

Member Galassi entered the meeting at 11:50 AM and was not available for this vote. 

RESULT: ACCEPTED 

MOVER: Dawn DeSart 

SECONDER: Liz Chaplin 

4. PUBLIC COMMENT 

No public comments were offered. 

5. CHAIR'S REMARKS - CHAIR DESART 

Chair Dawn DeSart gave an update on the legislative action in Washington, D.C. and in Springfield. 

6. LEGISLATIVE PROGRAMS 

6.A. LEG-R-0002-24 

Resolution Adopting the County's 2024 Federal Legislative Program 

Chair DeSart welcomed discussion and questions regarding the Federal Legislative Program.  

Member Liz Chaplin requested an item be added to the Federal Legislative Program for noise reduction relief funds for those communities surrounding O'Hare airport. The committee agreed. Sheryl Markay stated she will make that addition to the Federal Legislative Program. 

Member Chaplin requested an item be placed on the Federal Legislative Program regarding upgrading local infrastructure. Ms. Markay mentioned our current Capital Improvement Plan and suggested the committee visit our website https://dupagecapitalplan.com/ to view all projects by district. 

Vice Chair Jim Zay had questions regarding the "Keeping our Communities Safe" section of the Federal Legislative Program. After discussing if this section should be pulled, kept in, or undergo a title change, the committee came to a consensus that there should be a title change. Member Chaplin, Member Galassi and Member Evans will work with Sheryl Markay to make appropriate changes. 

Member Eckhoff asked for the first sentence to be struck under the "Immigration  Reform" section of the Federal Legislative Program. Vice Chair Zay requested that the number of buses and/or the number of migrants that have been dropped off in DuPage be added to the same section. The committee agreed to both requests.  

Member Eckhoff asked for verbage to be added to the mental health section of the Federal Legislative Program similar to the state agenda. Example: DuPage County also supports legislation that examines the root causes of mental illness.  

It was agreed that Sheryl Markay will make the requested changes and a revised Federal Legislative Program will be drafted. The vote will be tabled until the next meeting on  2/27/24. 

RESULT: TABLED 

MOVER: Dawn DeSart 

SECONDER: Liz Chaplin 

7 OLD BUSINESS 

No old business was discussed. 

8. NEW BUSINESS 

Member Eckhoff mentioned HB4339, see synopsis below, and asked Sheryl Markay to keep an eye on this bill and stated his opposition to it. Ms. Markay assured Member Eckhoff that HB4339 is on her list of bills to watch and she will update the committee if it there is any movement on the bill. 

Amends the Local Records Act. Provides that a law enforcement agency that encrypts police scanner transmissions must provide, by license or otherwise, real-time access to those transmissions to broadcast stations, broadcasting stations, radio broadcast stations, and newspapers. Effective January 1, 2025. 

9. ADJOURNMENT 

With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 12:29 PM. 

https://dupage.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=M&ID=1165831&GUID=80AEE2E6-7D7D-4636-9EDD-E11694BAF743