September 9, 2022

This Week in Illinois

President & CEO Maisch Media Appearances: Vote No on the "Workers' Rights" Amendment 

This week, President & CEO Maisch had the opportunity to speak with multiple media outlets on the Chamber's opposition to the so-called "workers rights" amendment that will appear on ballots this November. 

The proposed amendment to the state constitution passed out of the General Assembly as SJRCA11 and would permanently enshrine pro-labor legislative desires into the state constitution. The amendment says the following:

Employees shall have the fundamental right to organize and to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing for the purpose of negotiating wages, hours, and working conditions, and to protect their economic welfare and safety at work. No law shall be passed that interferes with, negates, or diminishes the right of employees to organize and bargain collectively over their wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment and work place safety, including any law or ordinance that prohibits the execution or application of agreements between employers and labor organizations that represent employees requiring membership in an organization as a condition of employment.

Speaking with WGEM, Maisch said “This is going to bake it in for generations,” Maisch later added. “There’s so much going on that says we’re not business-friendly. Even though we’re not about to be right-to-work, it sends a signal that we are not serious about becoming a pro-business state.”

Maisch furthered expressed the business community's opposition to Brenden Moore with the Pantagraph. "What it really does is preserve organized labor's preference for not even having to discuss the issue...What we think, though, is that because it is so difficult to amend the constitution, that organized labor is trying to lock in the status quo for generations to come."

View the WGEM segment and coverage here. 

View the Pantagraph article here.

Chamber Legislative Awards

In the past week, The Illinois Chamber staff has once again had the opportunity to award more members of the Legislature with awards from their work in the 102nd General Assembly. 

Illinois Chamber President and CEO Todd Maisch had the privilege of handing State Senator Steve McClure and Representative Tim Butler the Champion of Free Enterprise Awards at our Springfield office. We are proud of the many accomplishments of these effective leaders. We look forward to working alongside them to create a stronger Illinois this next legislative session.

We thank both of these legislators for their strong work in the Illinois House and Senate and are always glad to have them stop by for good conversation.

Legislative ratings and Chamber awards in all categories were first announced in June. View the full 102nd legislative ratings here.

Register Today: Illinois Chamber 2022 Annual Luncheon

The Illinois Chamber of Commerce has announced its 2022 Annual Meeting which will take place on October 6 at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago. This year's theme is Future of Energy and Impact on Illinois: Actions by the Federal Reserve.

During the luncheon, we will hear a world class panel discussion on The Future of Energy by Balvy Bhogal-Mitro, Vice President of Strategic and Corporate Planning, CITGO, Chris Raymond, Chief Sustainability Officer, The Boeing Company and Paul Segal, Chief Executive Officer of LS Power.

We are also thrilled to hear remarks from President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Charles Evans.

For more information and registration please visit us here.

View more about the sponsorship levels here.

With questions, please reach out to Kirsten Constant, Business Services Coordinator, Illinois Chamber of Commerce at kconstant@ilchamber.org

US Chamber Endorses Congressman LaHood (R-IL 18th)

Earlier this week, President & CEO Todd Maisch had the opportunity to join the US Chamber at the endorsement event of Congressman Darin LaHood.

Part of the press release by the US Chamber is provided below:

Today, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce announced its endorsement of Representative Darin LaHood (R-IL-18) to represent Illinois’ Sixteenth Congressional District. The Chamber endorses pro-business candidates for federal office who will vigorously support public policy that will advance economic growth, support jobs, and promote fiscal responsibility.

“A third-generation Peorian, Congressman Darin LaHood’s record of leadership and delivering results for the constituents and businesses of Illinois are significant,” said U.S. Chamber of Commerce Great Lakes Region Vice President Kevin Courtois. “Rep. LaHood understands the challenges and economic needs facing job creators, the workforce, and families in central Illinois. His commitment to pro-growth solutions and enacting policies that will support the American Dream have earned him the endorsement of the U.S. Chamber. We are proud to support Congressman LaHood’s re-election.”

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.

Upcoming Chamber Events

Corporate Governance: From Nuts and Bolts to Trending Topics

September 21, 2022 | 9:30 am – 12:30 pm

Location: NIU Center (Naperville, IL)

Description: This timely presentation will review important governance basics, such as fiduciary duties, conflicts of interest, company maintenance and record-keeping, recent amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law, the importance of operating agreements, minute-taking tips, and foreign qualifications and assumed name filings. We will report on recent Board diversity initiatives in Illinois and select states, including annual reporting, and Wall Street’s recent efforts to increase diversity. With a growing patchwork of data privacy laws, getting a clear view of a company’s legal obligations for data privacy practices and policies can be a challenge. We will provide an overview on the ever-changing area of data privacy and security regulations, rules and enforcement. Join Molly Arranz, Eric Fogel, and Steven Sims with SmithAmudsen LLC as they provide an overview of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and recent enforcement actions. We will review how the U.S. Department of Justice evaluates the effectiveness of corporate compliance programs to make prosecution decisions and assess monetary penalties and ongoing compliance obligations.

Registration Link: https://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=omjkt4dab&oeidk=a07ejc59e935456d6c0

This seminar will qualify for HRCI, SHRM, CLE, and Ethics credits!!

Environmental Justice: How Popularity Contests Can Trump Business Decisions

September 27, 2022 | 10:30 am – 11:30 am



Description: An emerging focus of environmental regulatory agencies -- environmental justice -- has become an important consideration in environmental permitting, inspections, and even enforcement.

What is environmental justice? How is Illinois incorporating environmental justice into its decision-making? Why should you take environmental justice considerations into account when making future business decisions involving expansions, siting locations, and other operational decisions? How can you plan for environmental justice challenges before they even appear?

Registration Link: https://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=omjkt4dab&oeidk=a07ejcmb8ujbc0d5b9e