First Future of Work Task Force Meeting
The first Future of Work Task Force meeting was held this week at Olive Harvey College. Illinois Chamber Vice President of Government Affairs, Clark Kaericher is a member of the taskforce. The Chamber thanks fellow task force member, and City Colleges of Chicago chancellor, Juan Salgado for being a good host.
The committee kicked off with three speakers. The first was keynote speaker Felicia Wong of the Roosevelt Institute. The second speaker was Shelly Steward of the Aspen Institute. She was followed by Brain Fabes of the University of Chicago.
The theme of all three speakers, and of the worker panel that followed, was the plight of the low-income worker in America. It’s safe to say the first meeting told an important, but skewed story. The Chamber hopes that future meetings will hear a different perspective: one of the great lengths employers have gone to protect their employees during a pandemic, of business owners forgoing pay to keep from furloughing employees, and of education benefits in most of corporate America that make the American Dream accessible to those that would otherwise be denied the chance to rise.
The Task Force will meet once a month from now until April. The next meeting is scheduled for October 25th.
Environmental Affairs Committee Holds Quarterly Meeting on Environmental Justice
On Wednesday, the Illinois Chamber Environmental Affairs Committee hosted its quarterly meeting. The event featured a roundtable discussion on environmental justice (EJ) with experts from within the committee providing presentations.
Speakers for the event included Ginny King; Refining Sustainability Director at Marathon Petroleum Corporation, Alec Messina; Executive Director of the Illinois Chamber Energy Council/Partner at HeplerBroom, and David Rieser; Of Counsel at K&L Gates.
Topics of discussion included existing and pending changes to state and federal-level EJ programs, and input was sought from Members regarding EJ-related issues as the Chamber’s advocacy on EJ continues. also discussed was the importance of fostering relationships with facilities’ communities before problems arise.
For more information on the topic of environmental justice, or interest in joining the environmental affairs committee, please contact Executive Director Alec Davis at adavis@ierg.org
Congress Does Not Take Vote on Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
On the Federal level, Congress has disappointingly not taken a vote on the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The US House was previously set to take a vote on this bill on September 27th. However, the vote fell through as House Democrats had internal conflicts over the legislation. HR 3684, the Infrastructure and Investment and Jobs Act passed the US Senate by a vote of 69-30 in August.
From our friends at the US Chamber:
-
Click here - Summary of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
-
Click here - 10 Reasons Why the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Benefits All Americans
The Illinois Chamber supports this important piece of legislation and hopes for its prompt passage. Illinois Chamber President & CEO Todd Maisch recently held a press conference with the Missouri Chamber CEO and the US Chamber to urge its passage.
Session Update
Both the House and Senate are scheduled to return to Springfield on October 19th-21st and October 26th-28th for veto session. No additional session dates are scheduled at this time.
Traditionally, the spring session calendar is released at the end of veto session. At this time it is rumored that the Spring 2022 legislative session will be shorter in duration than typical years.
