State House Hears from Illinois Chamber in January |
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Chamber Opposes Economic Equality Act |
Jan. 10, 2021 | HB 2685, known as the original Economic Equity Act was given a subject matter hearing in the Senate Executive Committee. Chamber President & CEO Todd Maisch provided testimony in opposition to this legislation which was later divided into four different bills.
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Shattuck Provides Testimony
Jan. 10, 2021 | HB 5871 was identical to HB 2685, Economic Equity Act Bill in the House. It was given a subject matter hearing in the House Executive Committee. Jay Shattuck testified on behalf of the Chamber in opposition to this legislation.
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Maisch Speaks to Major Media Outlets this Quarter |
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Jan. 29, 2021 | With performing art centers and theaters opening back up under the Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois plan, Illinois Chamber President and CEO Todd Maisch speaks to Sydney Dorner with News Channel 20 on how the opening of theaters will get the state back on track to boost the local economy. “Getting these theaters and entertainment venues open is an important piece of getting our local economy up and running," Maisch said.
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Jan. 24, 2021 | Illinois Chamber President and CEO Todd Maisch spoke to Sydney Dorner with News Channel 20 on the impact that COVID-19 had on the economy and what it means for Springfield to get back on track.
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Feb. 18, 2021 | Illinois Chamber President and CEO Todd Maisch spoke to Greg Hinz with Chicago Crains on the Chamber’s response to Governor JB Pritzker’s Budget Address. “They’re going to take all of the money back, and then some. Effectively, we’re getting a huge tax increase in the middle of a recession,” Maisch said.
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Feb. 21, 2021 | Illinois Chamber President and CEO Todd Maisch wrote an op ed for the Daily Herald on why immigration and infrastructure needs to be a priority. "Both parties have been guilty of using immigration policy as a political club and dangling infrastructure funding and construction projects without action. This must end."
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Feb. 28, 2021 | Illinois Chamber President and CEO Todd Maisch spoke to Tessa Bentulan with WICS on how local retailers are handling the reopening guidelines that are continuously changing during the pandemic. "A lot of those small businesses are still hanging on by their fingernails," Maisch said.
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Government Affairs Addresses Biometrics, Legal Liabilities & Taxes |
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Mar. 9, 2021 | Illinois Chamber Vice President of Government Affairs, Clark Kaericher testified on HB 559, Amends the Biometric Information Privacy Act also known as ‘BIPA.’ HB 559 was heard in the judicial-civil committee. The bill passed out of committee on a bi-partisan vote of 10-5-1. HB 559 requires aggrieved parties to prove actual damages in court. Furthermore, this bill provides a private entity 30 days to cure a violation of BIPA.
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Possible Legal Liabilities for Businesses
Mar. 1, 2021 | Illinois Chamber Vice President of Government Affairs, Clark Kaericher spoke with Elyse Kelly on HB 3003. “We are very fearful though that a third crisis is coming, and that is one of legal liability for businesses already staggered by this economic crisis,” Kaericher said. “The last thing they can afford right now is a series of costly lawsuits, that even if they were to prevail, the attorney fees alone would be enough to push them over the edge into insolvency.”
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Illinois Joins the Ranks of States Phasing out Corporate Tax Incentives
Mar. 8, 2021 | Illinois Chamber President and CEO Todd Maisch spoke to Eileen O’Gorman about Illinois being the 11th state to help phase out corporate tax incentives. “If you want to keep a valued employer and those jobs in Illinois, you've got to find a way to simply buy down those higher costs,” said Maisch.
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Illinois Chamber Tax Initiatives for 2021 |
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The Pandemic, Telehealth Services and Biometric Privacy Act |
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Mar. 22, 2021 | Illinois Chamber President and CEO Todd Maisch spoke to Sydney Dorner with WICS on how Illinois small businesses are still trying to recover and survive after the pandemic. “Businesses have decided they really need extra help to make sure that they survive,” Maisch said.
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Mar. 22, 2021 | Illinois Chamber President & CEO Todd Maisch testified in support of HB 2379 in the House Public Utilities Committee. Maisch said this bill will allow rural communities to have better access to quality healthcare through telehealth services and allow those working from home to do so more effectively. The bill advanced out of committee on a vote of 20-0-0.
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Mar. 27, 2021 | Illinois Chamber’s VP of Government Affairs, Clark Kaericher spoke to Elyse Kelly with Center Square on the Biometric Privacy Act of 2008, also known as BIPA. ‘There’s a real innovation stifling aspect to our biometrics laws,” he said. “Companies don’t want to roll out products here in Illinois because they’re scared of BIPA.’
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Chamber Members Making Headlines |
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Jan. 13, 2021 | Congratulations to Chamber Member ADM for being named a winner in the 2021 BIG Innovations Awards which focuses on recognizing organizations and people bringing new ideas to life! “We’re very pleased to be recognized by the BIG Innovation Awards for our continued advancements in the field of microbiome science,” said Ian Pinner, chief strategy and innovation officer, and president of ADM’s Health & Wellness division. https://bit.ly/3chbGLG
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Jan. 14, 2021 | Illinois Chamber Member Instacart announced their new COVID-19 Vaccine Support Stipend which will provide shoppers and in-store teams with financial assistance as they take time away from shopping to get vaccinated against COVID-19. https://bit.ly/3iQaNLc
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Jan. 24, 2021 | Illinois Chamber Member Eli Lilly is happy to announce their partnership with COVID-19 Prevention Network on stopping the spread of COVID-19 in nursing homes using their neutralizing antibody during their BLAZE-2 trial. "We are exceptionally pleased with these positive results, which showed Bamlanivimab was able to help prevent COVID-19, substantially reducing symptomatic disease among nursing home residents, some of the most vulnerable members of our society," said Daniel Skovronsky, M.D., Ph.D., Lilly's chief scientific officer and president of Lilly Research Laboratories.
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Jan. 27, 2021 | Illinois Chamber member SalesForce announced their latest technology solution #VaccineCloud. It will provide the healthcare industry with vaccine management such as: scheduling, inventory management, and public health outreach.
Jan. 29, 2021 | Congratulations to Former Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Joc Pederson for agreeing on a free-agent deal with IL Chamber Member Chicago Cubs.
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Feb. 2, 2021 | Illinois Chamber Board Member and Director of Corporate Affairs at John Deere, Jason Francque announced their Startup Collaboration Program that mentors four agricultural startups for the third year in a row.
Feb. 2, 2021 | Congratulations to Chamber Member Uber on the acquisition of alcohol-delivery platform Drizly.
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Feb. 3, 2021 | Chamber Board Member and Universal Technical Institute Campus President, Julie Mueller announced its first-ever 12- week agricultural manufacturing training program with AGCO. It trains students to work with Fendt’s exclusive technology to gain knowledge about the brand’s engines, powertrains, hydraulics, electronics, and Fuse technology. “Since many of our Diesel program graduates go to work in the agriculture industry, we saw true value to our students in offering manufacturer-specific advanced training and credentials in agricultural equipment. It has been an honor to work with AGCO to develop an innovative program to meet the growing demand for trained tractor technicians,” said Sherrell Smith, executive vice president, campus operations.
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Feb. 5, 2021 | IL Chamber Member Abbott announced their new disposable COVID-19 test named BinaxNow which provides results within 15 minutes. “We need to take a little risk,” said Robert Ford, Chief Executive Officer. “It’s going to take a while for everyone to get vaccinated. Even when you’ve had a vaccine, if you have a sniffle, a fever, a body ache, some people will want to do a Covid test.”
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Feb. 7, 2021 | Thank you, Chamber Member’s A Safe Haven Foundation, and DoorDash for working 24/7 to protect Chicago’s homeless while providing warm meals to two of their shelters, feeding up to 50+ families.
Feb. 9, 2021 | Congratulations to Chamber Member Uber for partnering with Walgreens by offering free rides to disadvantaged communities for access to their COVID-19 appointments. “Transportation should never be a barrier to health care,” Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in the release.
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Feb. 10, 2021 | Illinois Chamber Member University of Illinois Urbana- Champaign created a test that detects COVID-19 antibodies in the body’s immune system within 15 minutes. Each test will cost less than $2!
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Feb. 10, 2021 | Illinois Chamber Board Member Tony Reinhart with Ford Motor Company announced their development of medical-grade face masks with clear panels that reveals wearers' facial expressions and allows the hearing impaired to read lips. "In those early days, everyone was learning what it was like to live in a masked environment. We quickly identified that while it's difficult for everybody to wear a mask all day long, for folks suffering from hearing impairment, it's an even bigger challenge," Jim Baumbick, leader of Ford's PPE manufacturing effort. Ford expects the masks to be available in the spring.
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Feb. 11, 2021 | Through innovative solutions during these uncertain times, IL Chamber Member AT&T is helping healthcare organizations ensure those in need of the COVID-19 vaccine can receive it. AT&T is supporting the connections that enable companies to see in near real-time where the vaccines are in the distribution process.
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Feb. 17, 2021 | Chamber member bp America announced their $500,000 donation to support victims in need from the extreme winter weather in Texas. “We remain committed to the communities where we live, work and connect with our customers. Working with the American Red Cross and other organizations, we will support these communities as quickly as possible,” said Dave Lawler, chairman and president of bp America.
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Feb. 23, 2021 | Congratulations to Chamber member ADM for being named one of the #WorldsMostEthicalCompanies for the second year in a row!
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Mar. 2, 2021 | Illinois Chamber member Salesforce announced their latest technology solution #VaccineCloud. It will provide the healthcare industry with vaccine management such as: scheduling, inventory management, and public health outreach.
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Mar. 3, 2021 | Illinois Chamber member Amazon announced their new logistic facilities located in Valparaiso and Merrillville! The locations will host two of the five Amazon Logistics facilities opening this year, creating hundreds of full-times jobs.
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Mar. 5, 2021 | Illinois Chamber member University of Illinois Urbana- Champagne’s SHIELD COVID-19 tests will be available statewide after the FDA emergency use approval! Over 1.5 million tests have been administered at campuses in Champaign-Urbana, Springfield and Chicago.
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Mar. 15, 2021 | Congratulations to longtime Illinois Chamber member Tom Livingston with CSX for being interviewed by University of Illinois Springfield on his lifelong lobbying commitment to the state of Illinois.
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Mar 16, 2021 | Last month, IL Chamber member Instacart kicked off a new COVID-19 Vaccine Support Stipend! Instacart announced more than 15,000 Instacart shoppers have taken advantage of this new program. Since the program began, they have also shipped more than 110,000 health and safety kits, bringing the total to 730,000.
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Mar. 16, 2021 | Congratulations to Chamber member Peoria Production Shop for celebrating 80 years as a safe and respectful work environment for their employees!
Mar. 18, 2021 | Chamber member Google announced their investments in fueling Illinois' economic recovery. We are happy to see #Google investing $25M+ for long-term growth in Chicago and creating 10K new jobs in the US in 2021. #GrowWithGoogle
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Mar. 23, 2021 | Illinois Chamber Board Member, Dan Wagner penned an op ed with the Chicago Agent. With the Biden administration talking about closing tax loopholes, farmers, real estate owners, and conservationists should be wary of any move to eliminate 1031 like-minded exchanges. This tool, named after section 1031 of the U.S. tax code, has been enormously helpful to meeting our future land conservation goals.
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Spring Business Leader Magazine
Check out the latest edition of the Business Leader Magazine highlighting our amazing members.
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Chamber Driving the Discussion |
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In January, February, and March we spoke to radio, television, and print media outlets, delivering
pro-business values to audiences across Illinois.
JANUARY 2021
FEBRUARY 2021
Budget address
MARCH 2021
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ILLINOIS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
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