Mark Your Calendar April 9, 1991
And Plan To Be In Springfield For The
Illinois Municipal League Legislative Day
By THOMAS G. FITZSIMMONS
The Illinois Municipal League encourages all municipal officials to be in Springfield on April 9, 1991. The
League will be hosting a Legislative Day for local officials to meet with their state legislators. The day will
begin at 10: 00 a.m. with a legislative briefing at the
League headquarters, 500 East Capitol. The briefing
will highlight key topics in the upcoming legislative
session.
After the briefing there will be time for a personal
visit with your legislators at the Capitol. I would suggest
you call ahead and schedule an appointment for around
noon. The General Assembly will be in session that
afternoon, you may wish to spend some time observing
the session.
The League will host a Legislative Reception at
Baur's Opera House, 625 South First Street, from 5: 00 to
7: 00 p.m. Please plan to attend. Your legislator will
receive an invitation from the League. If you have the
time, invite your legislator to dinner in Springfield and
further discuss municipal issues.
Please call the League office (217) 525-1220 if you
plan to attend the Legislative Day Briefing and/or Reception so we are able to finalize our plans.
Whether you are able to come to Springfield or not,
remember, the League needs your help year round.
The Illinois Municipal League is your League. It
speaks on your behalf and to be effective it needs you to
take an active part. Here are some of the things you can
do to help the League help you and influence the legislative process.
— Read the Legislative Bulletin and be aware of
the issues being considered. If you receive the
bulletin make sure copies are made for others
then file the bulletin for future reference.
— Establish a dialogue on issues with your own
senator and representative. Express your viewpoints and back them up with facts.
— Talk with your legislators or write them during
session about bills that will be good and bad for
your municipality.
— Strongly oppose bills which:
• mandate new or increased services at the local level without providing state funding to
support them. ...
• decrease local tax revenue sources.
— Don't forget that you are part of the League; our
most important lobbying effort is you. When
you receive a bulletin or special alert, follow
through on it. Let the League's efforts be multiplied and enforced by your actions.
— In addition to your efforts, enlist the citizens of
your municipality. As taxpayers, they are the
ones who will bear the burden of costly programs mandated by the state. Encourage them
to support the League position.
REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENS IN SPRINGFIELD ... has a direct bearing on your municipality . . .
your programs . . . your ability to pay for costs . . . and
your ability to serve your citizens. It is vitally important
that the legislature and the Governor be kept informed
of the local viewpoint. There is a lot to be done. Work
with your League and through your League so we can
get the job done together. Thanks for your continued
support and the League looks forward to working with
you in the upcoming legislative session. •
March 1991 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 5