November 4, 2022

This Week in Illinois

Illinois Chamber and US Chamber Hold Endorsement event for Deering

On Wednesday, the Illinois Chamber and US Chamber held a joint press conference announcing both chambers' endorsement of Regan Deering for Congress.

When the endorsement message was made public approximately two weeks ago, the US Chamber and Illinois Chamber released the following messages.

“As a small business owner and educator, Regan Deering deeply understands the needs of business owners, workers, and families in Illinois,” said Ashlee Rich Stephenson, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Senior Political Strategist. “Regan has demonstrated a commitment to supporting free enterprise and pro-growth solutions to move Illinois and the nation forward. The U.S. Chamber is proud to endorse Regan Deering and looks forward to partnering with her in the next Congress.”

“The Illinois Chamber PAC is proud to announce our endorsement of Regan Deering for the IL-13th Congressional District,” said Todd Maisch, Illinois Chamber of Commerce President and CEO. “Regan’s deep roots in Decatur, the heart of the district, and her commitment to pursuing policies that allow businesses to thrive make her the best candidate for the job. The Illinois Chamber is always excited to welcome another small business owner to Congress who appreciates the daily needs of both employers and workers.”

View the livestream of the press conference here.

As shown last week, provided below are each of the Chamber's endorsements for statewide office.

Statewide Endorsements:

Supreme Court 3rd District: Justice Michael Burke (R)

Secretary of State: Dan Brady (R)

Treasurer: Tom Demmer (R)

Comptroller: Suzanna Mendoza (D)

The Chamber also made many endorsement across State House and Senate Districts as well as other Congressional Districts.

Illinois Environmental Regulatory Group Announces New Executive Director, Kelly Thompson

The IERG Board of Directors has named a new Executive Director, Kelly Thompson. Ms. Thompson has been a Project Manager with IERG for the last five years. She has experience in organization management, government affairs, advocating for sound environmental regulations and policy, and helping to make Illinois a better place to live, work and do business. In this new role, Kelly will also serve as head of the Chamber's Environmental Affairs Committee (EAC) alongside that committee's chair. Please welcome Kelly Thompson! 

Learn more about Kelly and IERG here.

Contact Kelly Thompson: kthompson@ierg.org

Kaericher Takes Part in US Chamber Institute for Legal Reform Summit

Thank you, U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, for welcoming Clark Kaericher, Illinois Chamber Senior Vice President of Government Affairs to Washington, D.C.'s premier legal reform summit. Attendees were given a fresh perspective and valuable information for business communities. 

Final Week: Vote No on Constitutional Amendment 1

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."

Last 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.

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.

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

Final Week: Vote for Jobs 2022 Toolkit

The US Chamber "Vote for Jobs Toolkit" reminds the public to vote for strong pro-business champions this November. You can easily share these helpful messages on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. 

View and the share the US Chamber's election toolkit here.

Session Update: Veto Coming Soon

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 if or when those dates are finalized.

Legislative Update: Bills of Interest

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

2023 Paid Holiday Schedule Survey

The Illinois Chamber has released its 2023 "Holiday Survey" which attempts to gauge the paid holiday schedule that will be followed by Illinois chamber members in the coming year. In return, many Illinois businesses use this annual study as a tool to help plan their holiday schedules for the next year.

Please take part by visiting the link 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.