October 13, 2023

This Week in Illinois

Illinois Chamber Speaks on BIPA Panel at the Security Innovation Hub

Last Friday, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Clark Kaericher spoke on a BIPAbuzz panel at the Security Innovation Hub in Chicago and was joined by Congressman Bill Foster and Jake Parker from the Security Industry Association.

The event was titled "BIPA Turns 15... What Have We Learned?" and delved into the legal, political, ethical, and technological aspects of the Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) as attendees learned about new solutions to remain compliant.

Class-action BIPA payouts have surpassed 1 billion dollars and are still rising. Now is a pivotal juncture for businesses across diverse sizes and sectors to grasp the significance of BIPA and actively engage in discussions.

Thank you to Doug OGorden, aka Dr. BIPA, for the invitation to speak on this critical subject for our state's businesses.

Illinois Chamber Supports Data Center Project in City of Chicago

The Illinois Chamber recently wrote a letter of support to Aderman Pat Dowell in support of Digital Realty's newest proposed data center in Chicago. Provided below is a portion of the letter in support of a project that will provide many benefits for the local economy.

I write to express support for Digital Realty’s proposed data center located in your ward at 330 E. Cermak. This project will exceed half a billion dollars in capital investment and will create approximately 70 permanent jobs. The tenants will also hire additional employees to work at the site.

Digital Realty currently operates nine data centers in the City of Chicago, including the Lakeside Technology Center, which is across the street from the new project. Digital plans to build a small bridge across the street to connect the new facilities. The new site should see more than one hundred tenant visitors each week, around the same number seen by Lakeside.

Digital Realty has pledged to use local union labor in the project, and they have committed to signing a project labor agreement. An estimated 80-120 union workers will be used in the construction. Additionally, the site is estimated to provide an approximate $10 million in increased property taxes annually.

The Illinois Chamber fully endorses this project and its resulting economic gains. The constant construction investment, jobs created and new revenue for the City represent a win for the economy, the City and our workforce.

View a copy of the letter here.

CGFA Releases September Monthly Briefing, State Revenue Update

In its latest publication of the monthly briefing, Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (CGFA) staff gave an update on the status of FY24 general revenue funds. Provided below is an excerpt from Revenue Manager Eric Noggle with the full article and publication found here.

Through the first quarter of FY 2024, overall General Funds revenues are $39 million above last year’s pace. This comparison, however, includes $764 million in FY 2023 Federal reimbursements that will not repeat in FY 2024. Excluding these one-time revenues, FY 2024 “base” receipts are up a noteworthy $803 million or +7.0% through September. But, as mentioned in the previous paragraphs, Illinois’ revenue totals are aided by the timing of reallocations and transfers that slightly distort its year-to-date performance. With that being said, Illinois’ economy has avoided a significant downshift to this point, which has allowed its primary revenue sources to continue to generate respectable totals through the first quarter of the fiscal year. 

US Chamber Institute for Legal Reform Holds 2023 Summit

This week, the US Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform hosted its 2023 Annual Summit in Washington DC. Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Clark Kaericher had the privilege to attend and represent the Illinois Chamber at both the Summit and a gathering of state partners from across the country.

Thank you to Harold Kim - President, Institute for Legal Reform & Chief Legal Officer and Executive Vice President at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for hosting and for the invitation to attend.

Session Update

The General Assembly adjourned for the Spring on Saturday, May 27th.

The 2023 fall veto session is now quickly approaching. This year's scheduled veto session dates are October 24th-26th and November 7th-9th. View the calendar here.

Bills of Interest Filed

HB 4165, Renewable Energy/Diversity Goals was filed. This bill requires all entities that receive renewable energy credits through the Illinois Power Agency for renewable energy credit projects to submit an annual report by April 15 on all procurement goals and actual spending for female-owned, minority-owned, veteran-owned, and small business enterprises in the previous calendar year. Requires the goals to be expressed as a percentage of the total work performed by the entity submitting the report, and the actual spending for all female-owned, minority-owned, veteran-owned, and small business enterprises shall also be expressed as a percentage of the total work performed by the entity submitting the report.

In Case You Missed It: Illinois Chamber and UHC: Introducing a New Health Plan Built for Illinois Businesses

Illinois Chamber of Commerce members are entitled to members‐

only benefits, including access to group rates on an employee health plan through the UnitedHealthcare Community Chamber Program.

Working side by side with the Chamber, this program provides an average savings of 25% on your medical premiums compared to other UnitedHealthcare plans in Illinois. You may also get additional savings of up to 4% when you offer a UnitedHealthcare specialty plan like dental or vision alongside your medical plan.

You can see how much your business may save with a no‐obligation quote at uhc.com/illinois-chamber

The Community Chamber Program is also designed to deliver:

• Numerous plan designs and benefits to choose from, like built‐in pharmacy and $0 copays for virtual care
• A large local and national network for your employees, including 1.2M+ doctors and health care professionals and 6,500+ hospitals
• Rewards for your employees – With UnitedHealthcare Motion®, participants complete certain daily activity goals—like walking, running, cycling, swimming and more—and may earn up to $1,095 each year* for their health savings account (HSA) or toward a prepaid debit card
• upport for human resources and compliance, included as part of your UnitedHealthcare plan, Mineral™ helps you handle even the most complex compliance issues with confidence.

With an average savings of 25%,¹ it’s worth your time to compare the plan you have now with one available through this members‐only program. To learn more, ask your broker or get started with a no‐obligation quote today at https://uhc.com/il-chamber.

Save the Date: 10th Annual Illinois Chamber New Laws Forum

The New Laws Forum focuses on the new laws and legal developments that will affect ALL Illinois employers in 2024 and beyond. The forum features Illinois attorneys and experts speaking about Illinois laws – as well as representatives from government agencies talking about the latest changes and your peers, a panel of Senior HR professionals discussing how the laws have and will affect their businesses. It's already been a busy year, and more regulation is coming.

When: December 5, 2023 | 8:30 am – 4:30 pm

Where: Doubletree Hilton l 3003 Corporate West Drive

Lisle, IL 60532

Register Here.