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Election reform, homeland
security top leg. agenda

By Beverly A. Schlotterbeck
executive editor

Legislative Priorities Homeland Security Authorize a Local Anti-Terrorism Block Grant Congress should enact a new local anti-terrorism block grant at a minimum of $3 billion to comprehensively fund county and municipal law enforcement and public safety agencies and programs. Improve Public Health Infrastructure Improve public health infrastructure to increase counties’ bio-chemical terrorism preparedness and response capability. Improve Security for Infrastructure Support legislation and funding aimed at improving security for county-owned infrastructure, including buildings, airports, transit systems, highways, ports and water resources and facilities. Improve Public Safety and Emergency Management Communications Increase inter- operability for both voice and data, release additional spectrum in the 700 MHz band for public safety and emergency management use, and eliminate interference problems in public safety communications. Expanding Democracy Election Reform Support election legislation that provides adequate federal funding for states and counties to: Improve election administration Improve voter education Provide provisional voting Provide training for poll workers Improve access for the disabled Establish statewide voter registration systems Replace and improve voting equipment Cover the costs of replacing or improving equipment meeting federal standards Provide for a reduced postal rate for mailing elections material, and Maintain the secrecy of the ballot. Key Priorities Oppose Unfunded Mandates and Preemption Oppose unfunded mandates from Congress, and the Administration, and oppose legislation or regulations that preempt county authority, such as land-use regulatory authorities and other locally-based functions. Remote Sales Taxes Support the collection and distribution to counties of current sales taxes due on purchases made by mail order or over the Internet. Support the Streamlined Sales Tax System for collecting taxes from Internet and other remote sellers. States are urged to pass necessary enabling legislation to join the new plan. Welfare Reform Reauthorize the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Block Grant and related programs at current funding levels, plus inflation. Enhance flexibility to ensure child well-being and progressive family income stability after leaving welfare. Advanced telecommunications Support the deployment of advanced telecommunications services/broadband for rural and inner city communities to respond to digital divide concerns.

Steering Committees Legislative Agendas Agriculture and Rural Affairs Priorities Push for implementation of rural development block grant based on a formula to aid America’s persistent poverty counties. Streamline the application process for programs within USDA and the federal government to help rural officials apply for federal dollars. Critical Funding Issues Actively work on the reauthorization of the Farm Bill to maintain or increase funding in those areas that have a direct impact on rural communities and economies, such as, but not limited to, commodity support, rural development, rural health and transportation. Community and Economic Development Priorities Support authorization of a federal housing production program to increase the supply of affordable housing stock. Critical Funding Issues Increase appropriations for the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) and the HOME Investment Partnerships Program. Increase funding for the assessment, cleanup and redevelopment of brownfields sites. Environment, Energy and Land Use Priorities Ensure that implementation of new ozone and particulate matter standards under the Clean Air Act is reasonable and does not lead to a loss in transportation funding for counties. Support funding of the stateside Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), and delivery of those funds to county governments. Critical Funding Issues Support financial assistance to counties for watershed protection and drinking water, sewer and storm water infrastructure, and for the security of water resources and facilities. Finance and Intergovernmental Affairs Priorities Election Reform: Support election legislation that encourages states and counties to improve election administration and voting equipment, and provides adequate funding to implement such improvements. Remote Sales Tax: Support the collection and distribution to counties of current sales taxes due on purchases made by mail order and over the Internet. Support the Streamlined Sales Tax System for collecting taxes from Internet and other remote sellers. States are urged to pass necessary enabling legislation to join the new plan Bankruptcy Reform: Support enactment of bankruptcy reform legislation that conforms to state and local law regarding liens in bankruptcy proceedings. Critical Funding Issues Oppose unfunded mandates from Congress and the Administration. Health Steering Committee Priorities Access to Health Care: Improve access to all health services, including those funded by Medicare and Medicaid and those related to bio-terrorism preparedness, for all persons without increasing the burden on county government. Human Services and Education Priorities Welfare Reform: Reauthorize the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant and related programs at current levels plus inflationary increases, and enhance program flexibility to ensure child and family well-being and continued economic success for families leaving the welfare rolls. Critical Funding Issues Increase the Social Services Block Grant to at least the level authorized in the 1996 welfare reform law, and maintain the flexibility to transfer 10% of TANF funds to the SSBG (Social Services Block Grant), and fully fund the Older Americans Act programs. Justice and Public Safety Priorities Authorize Local Anti-Terrorism Block Grant: Congress should enact a new local anti-terrorism block grant at a minimum of $3 billion to comprehensively fund county and municipal law enforcement, and public safety agencies and programs. Funding decisions under the block grant should be made countywide as an outgrowth of the existing “all hazards” emergency management planning process. Juvenile Accountability Block Grant: Expand the use of expenditure data in the juvenile accountability block grant formula to better reflect county responsibilities in the juvenile justice system and with special emphasis given to primary prevention. Inmate Reentry Programs: Congress should expand the Justice Department’s “reentry” program initiative by specifically allocating funds for the creation of reentry programs for current and former jail inmates. Diversion of Mentally Ill: Support legislation that facilitates the diversion of non-violent mentally ill offenders from county jails to community intervention programs. Labor and Employment Priorities Support legislation that would promote coordination between workforce development and economic development programs at the county level. Critical Funding Issues Support adequate funding for workforce programs through a system of block grants that gives counties and local workforce boards sufficient flexibility to meet local needs. Public Lands Priorities Reform the Endangered Species Act. Improve forest and range land health. Maintain and increase access to public lands. Critical Funding Issues Fund the Payment-in-Lieu-of-Taxes Program at its fully authorized level. Telecommunications and Technology Priorities Oppose legislation that preempts county authority such as land-use authorities, franchising of cable and telecommunications services, siting of facilities and other regulatory functions. Improving public safety and emergency management communications interoperability for both voice and data. Releasing additional spectrum in the 700 MHz band for public safety and emergency management use. Enhance utilization of geographic data systems for planning, preparedness and response. Advanced Telecommunications: Support the deployment of advanced telecommunications services/broadband for rural and inner city communities to respond to digital divide concerns. NACo supports legislative and regulatory policies, at every level of government, that facilitate and promote the utilization of e-governance to provide governmental services to citizens. Transportation Priorities TEA-21 Reauthorization: Undertake a multi-year legislative effort to reauthorize the highway, transit and safety programs in TEA-21 [Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century], with a particular emphasis on improving local government input in the planning and programming of federal funds and on implementing a workable environmental streamlining process. Security for Transportation Facilities: Support legislation and funding aimed at improving security for county-owned transportation facilities, including airports, transit systems, highways, and ports, and other significant non-county facilities, where county government has been called upon to provide security or where enhanced security of such a facility is a high priority for county residents. Critical Funding Issue Transportation Funding: Support enhanced funding for highways, transit systems, airports, rail service and ports and advocate for any changes in current law that will target federal funding to counties and other local governments.

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