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2008 Large Urban County Caucus
Lobbying Priorities

The National Association of Counties’ Large Urban County Caucus (LUCC) identifies urban challenges and provides input in developing national solutions to assist metropolitan communities nationwide.  Representing about 130 million people, LUCC elected leaders play a significant role in national policy because they represent nearly one in every two Americans - but also they provide a broad range of services to their citizens.

Each year LUCC establishes key lobbying priorities that have national scope and importance to metropolitan counties.  The Caucus advocates these key lobbying priorities with the assistance of NACo's eleven policy steering committees.   Five Key Focus Areas have been identified by the Large Urban County Caucus (LUCC) Steering Committee for 2007 – 2008.  LUCC will be proactively working with Congress and others to advance these issues and will be keeping these priorities on our radar screen for action as legislation and initiatives are proposed by the federal government.

For more information or fact sheets regarding these issues, please contact Dalen A. Harris, NACo Associate Legislative Director and LUCC staff liaison at 202- 942-4236 or email dharris@naco.org.

Building Urban Communities
• Financing Water and Transportation (Mass Transit, Bridges, Roads) Infrastructure;
• Sustaining Funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Developments’ (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), and reauthorizing the Workforce Investment Act (WIA);
• Combating Gangs and assisting at risk youth by providing sustained funding to the Department of Justice’s Juvenile Accountability Block Grants (JABG) and Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Programs.

Improving Government Operations
• Supporting the Repeal of the Three Percent Withholding Tax on County Purchases (Enact H.R. 1023/S. 777);
• Strengthening Emergency Preparedness, Prevention, Response and Recovery;
• Supporting County Government Access to the General Service Administrations’ Contract Schedule.

Adequately Funding the Cost of Health Care
• Combating the Loss of Federal Entitlement Health Benefits Before Conviction;
• Adequately Funding & Allocating SCHIP and Medicaid Payments;
• Funding Diversionary Programs for the Mentally Ill in Jail;
• Supporting Efforts for Improving Veterans Health Care.

Promoting NACo President Eric Coleman’s Campaign Against Sexual Exploitation (CASE) and Aging Out of Foster Care Initiatives

Raising Awareness and Educating the Public About the Role of County Governments

For more information on each of these topics, please see the Issues and Interest Areas on the NACo website.