The Madison County government building in Edwardsville.  (Photo courtesy of Madison County)

Yearly changes in state legislation can bring significant impacts to communities throughout Illinois. To help local officials understand expectations and prepare for potential budget changes, University of Illinois Extension hosts presenters from Illinois Association of County Board Members in a free online webinar Jan. 12, beginning at noon.

“Legislative updates kick off every new year of programming with Illinois Extension’s Local Government Education webinar series. The previous year’s legislation has made its way into local budgets by December in many Illinois counties,” says Nancy Ouedraogo, community and economic development specialist at University of Illinois Extension. “The goal of our annual state legislative update is to help officials plan for operation and implementation of policy changes at departmental levels.”

Presenters Kelly Murray and Taylor Anderson from Illinois Association of County Board Members cover recent and potential changes in state legislation and implications for local governments. Participants will have an opportunity to ask questions during a Q&A session at the end of each presentation.

In addition to handling major grant and program administration with Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Murray serves as executive director for the Illinois Association of County Board Members and is a registered lobbyist, serving on several state boards and commissions that legislate Illinois policy. She is a founder of the Institute for Excellence in County Governance, in partnership with the University of Illinois, and a contributing author of Tomorrow’s Leaders civic curriculum, aimed at teaching high school students about local government.

Anderson is a full-time, registered, contractual lobbyist in the State of Illinois who has spent nearly a decade working with the Illinois General Assembly. He has lobbied on behalf of wide and diverse groups of clients, including various COG’s and local governments, as well as numerous business entities and corporations. As legislative consultant, Anderson works with the Illinois Association of County Board Members and commissioners to organize seminars for county officials and provide education and discussion about legislation which impacts Illinois counties.

The online webinar is free to attend, but registration is required. Learn more and register at go.illinois.edu/LGEStateUpdateJan21.