The Will County Board spent significant time Jan. 15 debating legislative language on both its state and federal agendas.

On the state agenda, Legislative Chair Denise Winfrey asked the board to resolve an editorial error: two FOIA/body‑worn camera items were published with both "support" and "oppose" noted. State's Attorney counsel compared the draft to the existing body‑cam law and said the proposed change appeared to expand access in some respects. Member Ortiz urged opposing the bill, saying "it's limiting disclosure of body camera footage from news media [and] the general public," and asked the board to oppose the measure. After discussion about flagging, witness access and input from the sheriff's office, the board voted to remove the two FOIA items identified as HB 3,380 and HB 1,740 from the state agenda (motion carried; roll call recorded). The remainder of the state agenda was then approved as amended (22 in the affirmative).

Members also debated housing and mental‑health language. Member Revis successfully moved to add the phrase "such as high property taxes" to a housing passage that lists root causes of eviction and foreclosure; the amendment passed (13 in the affirmative). Separately, Member Bergowitz moved to remove a paragraph supporting expanded mental‑health research for ages birth‑to‑5; several members invoked early‑childhood research and epigenetics in favor of keeping the language, and the motion to remove the item failed (20 in the negative).

On the federal agenda, a sentence referencing HUD subsidies and institutional investors generated confusion. Some members read the sentence as endorsing subsidies that discourage institutional investors, others as ambiguous. Member Berkowitz moved to remove the sentence; after protracted debate about intent and possible rewording, Chair Winfrey moved that the federal agenda be returned to committee so staff can work with department subject matter experts to craft clearer language. The motion to send the federal agenda back to committee carried (22 in the affirmative). Winfrey said the items will be revisited in committee with guidance from staff including Martha Soycutt (land use) to ensure the board's intent is clear.

No final state or federal statutory changes were adopted by the county board at the meeting; the actions were limited to the board's adopted advocacy positions and agenda items.