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IERG INSTRUMENTAL IN NEW LEGISLATION
On February 24, 2017, Governor Bruce Rauner signed Senate Bill 1673 into law as Public Act 99-0937. The
Illinois Environmental Regulatory Group (IERG) played the lead role for the business community in negotiating the legislation and helped build support for its adoption by the legislature during the veto session. The new law provides authority to the Illinois Pollution Control Board to adopt time-limited water quality standards, includes the processes and procedures to adopt them, as well as a mechanism for dischargers to obtain the regulatory relief that they afford. Most significantly, the new authority allows for regulatory relief to be issued on a water body, watershed, or multiple discharger basis, and includes a process for impacted dischargers to obtain stays of the underlying water quality standard while a proceeding is pending or awaiting federal approval.
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Illinois Chamber president and CEO
Todd Maisch held a press conference in response to Missouri becoming the 28th right-to-work state on February 6. Maisch stated, "As of today, Illinois is now surrounded by states that have adopted right-to-work laws ... it is essential that Illinois responds with a strong pro-growth agenda for jobs and the economy of our state." Maisch reiterated the five key policy areas state lawmakers must address to accelerate the Illinois economy. Those include: enacting pro-growth economic reforms, reform to Illinois' unfair workers' compensation system, rejecting anti-competitive proposals, working together on common sense regulatory issues, and focusing on education outcomes and workforce preparation.
On February 10, the Illinois Chamber of Commerce's International Business Council in partnership with the Illinois Business Immigration Coalition and the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus organized a breakfast roundtable with the
Mayor of Mexico City Miguel Angel Mancera to discuss Immigration, Global Trade and the Future of US-Mexico Relations.
On February 8, The Illinois Chamber co-hosted with the Illinois Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives its annual Local Chamber Legislative Summit in Springfield. The annual summit is an opportunity for local chambers of commerce to come together and find out what is and will be happening in Springfield over the course of the spring session.
(Pictured at right: Marion Chamber of Commerce with State Senator Dale Fowler)
On February 14 the Infrastructure Council held its first quarterly meeting of 2017 at the headquarters of Hanson Professional Services in Springfield. IDOT Secretary
Randy Blankenhorn, Illinois Tollway Authority Chief of Staff
Kevin Artl, and Executive Director of Transportation Infrastructure at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Ed Mortimer were our featured speakers.
On February 23,
Laura Ortega of the Chamber's International Business Council testified in support of House Joint Resolution 3 sponsored by Rep. André Thapedi creating the Trade Policy Task Force. The Chamber strongly supports HJR3 as a way to strengthen Illinois' position and visibility in the global economy and have a most robust role in driving and promoting federal trade policies that serves our interest and support our workers and entrepreneurs.
On February 23, Illinois Chamber's
Nathan Hoffman joined the Illinois Pharmacists Association and We Work for Health to meet with
Congressman John Shimkus in his Maryville district office to thank him for his support for the Illinois healthcare system in Washington DC and discuss federal healthcare priorities in Illinois as well as the road ahead with possible changes to the Affordable Care Act.
(Pictured left to right: Nathan Hoffman, Todd Evers - Illinois Pharmacists Association, Congressman Shimkus and Heidi Frederickson - We Work for Health)
