LEGISLATIVE MATTERS M&A provides clients with legislative representation before the Illinois General Assembly throughout the calendar year, including the regular session, veto session, and any special session. This representation typically includes: monitoring of all legislative activity, including bills, amendments, conference committee reports, resolutions and proposed constitutional amendments; monitoring of legislative committee activity; constructing, maintaining and regularly forwarding legislative user files; lobbying to promote the interests of the client as appropriate, and with policy direction from the client, drafting of bills and amendments as needed, with input from the client; preparing appropriate fact sheets under the general direction of the client developing and implementing legislative strategies with input from the client; and assisting in the deepening of relationships enjoyed by the client with appropriate government officials and with the various interest groups that constitute, or should constitute, its legislative allies. House Chamber Governor's Office Senate Chamber In support of this legislative representation: M&A staff is on-site in Springfield whenever the General Assembly is in session, and pays particular attention to the action of those legislative committees whose jurisdiction is of most importance to the client; and M&A subscribes to LIS on-line bill tracking systems, the LRB Legislative Synopsis and Digest, and to the state-sponsored speaker system affording off-site access to all General Assembly Floor debate. REGULATORY MATTERS We promote client interests before Illinois state agencies in their conduct of administrative decisionmaking and in their application of statutes and regulations, as well as throughout the Illinois rulemaking process, which includes agency rulemaking, review thereof by the General Assembly through the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules ("JCAR"), and occasional challenges thereto in the Illinois courts. Regarding the rulemaking process, M&A continually monitors the rulemaking activities of all state agencies through regular review of the Illinois Register and various agency newsletters and web pages. PROCUREMENT MATTERS M&A personnel have a strong working knowledge of the statutes and regulations that govern purchasing by Illinois state government, and we regularly help clients through the Illinois procurement process. LOCAL GOVERNMENT MATTERS We have represented clients before a large number and wide variety of local governmental bodies in Illinois, and we bring both substantive legal knowledge and personal relationships to such assignments. Cook County Board Room Dupage County Complex LEGAL MATTERS The attorneys affiliated with M&A collectively have a broad range of substantive legal experience in disciplines that are applicable to Illinois state and local governmental relations work. M&A attorneys also have substantial experience in advising clients on matters pertaining to the Illinois governmental process, including questions related to compliance with lobbyist registration and expenditure reporting laws and regulations, campaign finance and reporting requirements, rules and statutes governing the Illinois legislative process, laws that specify agency rulemaking and procurement procedures, and statutes that proscribe various procedural requirements for the conduct of local governmental affairs. Where appropriate, our subtenant relationship with a 2700-attorney Chicago-based international law firm affords us ready access to additional legal resources that may be of benefit to clients.