October 28, 2022

This Week in Illinois

Chamber Press Release: Latest Poll Shows Workers' Rights Amendment, Opposed by Illinois Chamber and Other Pro-Growth Groups, Lacks Strong Voter Support

A poll released on Wednesday by WGN-TV/Emerson College/The Hill shows that support for Constitutional Amendment 1 is very uncertain. The poll numbers currently show 54% of likely voters plan to vote yes, 30% plan to vote no and 16% are undecided. For passage, this measure requires 60% of those voting on the question to vote "yes" or 50% of all votes cast to be in favor of the question. These numbers suggest that Illinois voters have real concerns about the economic consequences of this amendment.

The Illinois Chamber of Commerce has been adamantly opposed to the passage of Constitutional Amendment 1 since it was first proposed in the General Assembly last spring. President and CEO Todd Maisch has appeared in dozens of print, radio, and tv media appearances arguing the Chamber's position on the so-called "workers' rights amendment."

We believe this measure would be another “blackeye” for Illinois and its ability to retain and create jobs. Voter approval of this constitutional change only adds to the negative perception that Illinois is unfit to locate or expand in. On behalf of the Illinois business community, we encourage everyone to "vote no" this November.

Constitutional Amendment 1 Opposition: Media Appearances 

Throughout the entire 2022 election cycle, Illinois Chamber President & CEO Todd Maisch has been actively promoting the Chamber's position that Illinoisans should vote no on the so-called "workers' rights amendment" through radio, television, and print media outlet appearances. Earlier this week, Chamber Director of Communications, Darbi Durham, released a special newsletter for members that highlights each time Todd Maisch and the Illinois Chamber have advocated in opposition to the amendment. 

View the Maisch media appearance document here.

Further, the Illinois Chamber Employment Law Council has provided an explanation of why the business community should oppose Constitutional Amendment 1 which will appear on ballots next month. Provided below is a link to that explanation.

View the Fact Sheet on why the Illinois business community should oppose Amendment 1 here.

If you have any thoughts or questions please reach out to Jay Shattuck at jfshattuck@michaelbeststrategies.com or Aaron Harris at adharris@michaelbeststrategies.com

Session Update

As a reminder, the General Assembly has released the schedule for veto session. Lawmakers will be back in Springfield Tuesday, November 15 -November 17 as well as November 29-December 1. 

View and download the veto calendar here.

Looking forward, Legislators have been informed to keep their schedules open between January 4th-10th for potential lame duck session dates. We will let you know when those dates are finalized.

Legislative Update: Bills of Interest

No bills of interest were introduced, passed or signed into law this week.

DCEO Announces Nearly $3 Million in Funding to Support Local Tourism Promotion Across the State

On Thursday, the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced nearly $3 million in funding to support local tourism promotional efforts across the state through the Illinois Travel and Tourism Grant Program.

The Illinois Travel and Tourism Grant Program provides funding for promotional efforts by local governments, and municipalities, non-profits and local promotional groups such as Illinois' Certified Convention and Visitor Bureaus (CVBs), with the goal of attracting visitors to destinations, attractions, and events throughout Illinois. This program is funded by a federal Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant.

Through the grant opportunity, the state will match local funds used to promote destinations, attractions and events through marketing such as promotional materials, media production costs, billboards, promotional materials at trade shows and additional uses outlined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The ultimate goal of the program is to support promotional projects that increase visitation and overnight stays, thereby fueling the local economies across the state.

Through a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) entities can apply for grants of up to $100,000 for promotional funds. Applications will be accepted until December 12, 2022. To view the NOFO and apply for the grant, please visit illinois.gov/dceo and navigate to the Grant Opportunities page.

Register Today: WC Conference 

Workers’ Compensation is an issue for all Illinois employers. Injuries can occur at any workplace and can include anything from lifting injuries to falls and more. Illinois Chamber’s Workers’ Compensation Conference is designed to not only assist employers to stay in compliance, but also to provide tips and topics intended to help employers to reduce their workers’ comp costs in the process. Make plans to attend the 15th Annual Workers’ Compensation Conference on November 2, 2022 at the Doubletree Hilton in Lisle. 

Register Here.

Illinois Chamber: 2022 Illinois Economy Factbook

The Illinois Chamber is proud to present our new and innovative resource called the '2022 Illinois Economy Factbook.’ This document is brought to you by the collective work of many of the Chamber Council Directors. In the Factbook, you will find charts, rankings, and other helpful economic-related data from each of our core policy areas. This is our first year with this project, and we would love to expand upon it in the future. We were proud to present this item to each attendee at the 2022 Annual Meeting.

View and download the factbook here.