Legislative Committee: Butler Lone No as Committee Advances 2027 Federal Legislative Agenda

Will County Legislative Committee | October 6, 2026

Article Summary: The Will County Board’s Legislative Committee voted 6-1 on Oct. 6, 2026, to recommend the county’s 2027 Federal Legislative Agenda to the full County Board, after a single wording change to the document’s renewable natural gas plank. District 3 board member Daniel J. Butler cast the only no vote.

2027 Federal Agenda Key Points:

The only amendment changed “The County should further support” to “The county further supports” in the Energy and Environment section on page 15, which deals with the federal Renewable Fuel Standard.

The roll call was 6-1: Ogalla, Berkowicz, Brooks, Bullock, Hickey and Winfrey in favor; Butler opposed.

The draft, dated 09.25.2026, runs nine policy sections from General Government to Veterans Affairs plus a directory of county elected officials.

The agenda is a recommendation; it takes effect only if the full County Board adopts the accompanying resolution.

WILL COUNTY — The Will County Board’s Legislative Committee on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, recommended the county’s 2027 Federal Legislative Agenda for adoption by the full County Board, approving the document with one wording change on a 6-1 roll call.

The item appeared on the agenda as 26-5596, “Final Review and Approval of the 2027 Federal Legislative Agenda.” Chair Denise Winfrey told members she had asked them to review the draft well in advance so that the committee could act unless there were final amendments.

The only change came from board member Dawn Bullock, who pointed to the red-lettered paragraph on page 15 headed “SUPPORTS: Stabilization or Enhancement of RNG Market Demand and Pricing.” The paragraph states that a significant portion of the county Renewable Natural Gas plant’s revenue is generated because of the federal Renewable Fuel Standard, and that the board supports the standard and legislation that secures, reinforces or enhances it.

Bullock objected to the next sentence, which began “The County should further support any legislation that promotes robust annual volume requirements (RVOs) issued as part of the RFS.”

“We’re the county. We wrote this,” Bullock said. “It should be the county further supports, not should.” Winfrey reread the paragraph with the change and asked whether members were satisfied. No one objected.

On the motion to approve as amended, Winfrey asked for a roll call. Judy Ogalla, Julie Berkowicz, Herbert Brooks Jr., Bullock, Kelly Hickey and Winfrey voted yes. Butler voted no. Winfrey declared the motion carried. Butler gave no stated reason for his vote at that point in the meeting, though he raised objections to two items in the separate state agenda later in the session.

What the Federal Agenda Contains

The draft’s largest section is Health and Human Services, which runs eight planks. It urges Congress to “fully fund and protect essential federal programs” including Head Start and Early Head Start, Medicaid, SNAP, childcare subsidies, public housing, rental assistance, afterschool programs, English as a Second Language education, Title I and Pell Grants. It supports increased WIC funding for breastfeeding assistance, expanded vaccine access for uninsured adults, increased HIV prevention and treatment funding, dedicated funding for public health IT modernization, and amendment of the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion Policy through the Due Process Continuity of Care Act, cited as SB.1720/H.R.1510. It opposes Medicaid coverage losses tied to H.R. 1.

Under Infrastructure and Land Use, the agenda supports the Bridges and Safety Infrastructure for Community Success Act, H.R. 7437, which the document says is endorsed by the National Association of Counties and the National Association of County Engineers; H.R. 6775, the New Markets for Farmers and Families Act; and H.R. 6776, the Farmers to Families Act.

The Public Safety section supports S.3315, the Health Care Cybersecurity and Resiliency Act of 2025, noting it passed the Senate HELP Committee 22-1 in February 2026; disaster management cost reforms including H.R. 744; FEMA independence legislation; and sustained or increased Emergency Management Performance Grant funding.

Other sections cover general government, voting and elections, energy and environment, immigration, economic and workforce development, and veterans affairs, where the county would oppose HR 3132, the Veterans Choice Act, on the grounds it would allow for-profit companies to charge for claims assistance now provided free.

The attached draft resolution recites that the Legislative Committee recommends the agenda’s adoption and that “federal lobbyists engaged by the Will County Board will use the 2027 Federal Legislative Agenda as a guide.” Until the full board adopts it, the agenda commits the county to nothing.