DuPage legislative committee hears Springfield briefing from lobbyist Mark Willis on housing, data centers and bills

DuPage County’s legislative committee met April 14 and heard a briefing from lobbyist Mark Willis on activity in the Illinois General Assembly, including a DuPage-focused housing bill, debate over local control of data centers and solar projects, and several consumer- and public-safety measures now pending in Springfield.

Mark Willis told the committee that the session’s dominant theme is housing and affordability. "The theme of this session, is housing, affordability," he said, urging members to review bills for their local impact. Willis gave the scale of activity in Springfield: "11,610 bills have been introduced in the Illinois General Assembly in this hundred and fourth session," and he said only a small share typically reaches the governor’s desk.

Willis highlighted several bills of interest to DuPage. He described House Bill 4571 as a county-backed affordable-housing initiative tied to a broader six-bill package commonly called the "missing middle" or BUILD Act; the package would, among other provisions Willis said, require municipalities to allow…