Clark Kaericher | Vice President, Government Affairs | 217-522-5512 ext. 296



May 1, 2020

The Technology Council seeks to aggressively and proactively promote the interests of the Illinois technology community by advocating for public policy that fosters innovation and promotes economic growth. The Council will seek to promote workforce development policies, advocate for world-class technology infrastructure, avoid overregulation on the industry and support innovators access to the capital they need to grow.
Good afternoon Technology  Council.  Welcome to May   - my favorite month of the year. May typically features the end of the spring legislative calendar (more on this below), the Indy 500, Cinco de Mayo ,  my birthday (along with my wife and youngest daughter)  and the opening of swimming pools to mark the beginning of summer.  In fact, t his weekend should have been the Kentucky Derby , but it was delayed along with all other sporting events . I'm having serious sports withdraws and might stage a family race around the back yard so I can place mock wagers and  enjoy a mint julep.  The dog is the heavy betting favorite, but  it's  the baby  that  bites  and so my  money is on her. Lots of infrastructure related news this week, lets get to it.   
 
Are we there yet?  Republicans want to return to legislating 
The House and Senate were not in session this week.   It is still uncertain when they will return but the Republicans are starting to become much more vocal  about the need to conduct the state's business in Springfield.  It started this week when the Senate Minority Leader, Bill Brady of Bloomington, released an open letter demanding to  get back to business.  He has since  done quite an extensive media push in both print and appearing on Chicago networks.  Members of the House Republican  Caucus , meanwhile, are taking to the judicial system to try and reopen the state. 
 
Despite their consistent calls to reopen and return to Springfield, t he Republicans are in the minority  and any decision will be up the to Speaker, the Governor and the Senate President.  The Speaker has  remained fairly quiet during the pandemic and has  shown little desire to return to Springfield  anytime soon.    Polls have consistently shown the public as gun shy about opening as well, which lessens the pressure to return anytime soon.  There has been increasing sourced chatter about a return the last week of  May but  let me stress that nothing is finalized yet.  Remember, a budget passed in June requires  a supermajority in favor.  A May budget just requires a simple majority.  Election year political realities don't completely disappear, even in a worldwide pandemic. 
 
Other Legislative Updates 
One of the legislative  victims  of  session's cancellation is any hope of the Fair Maps Amendment.  The deadline for that was this week and with no session, all hopes for getting a better mapping process  to the voters in November has been lost.  With Democratic leaders that depending on drawing the legislative boundaries  to keep their supermajorities ,  it was a difficult task.  Unfortunately, COVID made  remap reform  impossible.   The next map will be drawn like  all  other ones, and voters will suffer because of it.   
 
US Senators Introduce Data Privacy Bill  
Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi  and Chairman of the Senate Commerce C hair), John Thune (R- South Dakota),  Jerry Moran (R- Kansas) and Marsha Blackburn (R- Tennessee) announced plans to introduce a COVID-19 Consumer Data Protection Act.  The legislation would  require companies under the jurisdiction of the Federal Trade Commission   to obtain affirmative express consent from individuals to collect, process, or transfer their personal health, geolocation, or proximity information for the purposes of tracking the spread of COVID-19. It would also direct companies to disclose to consumers at the point of collection how their data will be handled, to whom it will be transferred, and how long it will be retained. There would be no private right of action; enforcement  would be given to state attorneys general.   
 
The bill would only apply during the COVID-19  pandemic but its passage would make it easier for a larger scale bill to pass once this is over.  Earlier the Senate was working on a data privacy bill that would preempt state law. This is relevant as data privacy legislation promises to be a large feature of the 2021 General Assembly in Illinois.   
 
Welcome Swipeby to the Tech Council  
The tech council is excited to announce its newest member,Swipeby offers curbside services at your favorite restaurant.  They utilize geolocation services to let the restaurants know when you arrive so your food will be delivered to your car promptly when you arrive.  Check out their website for more information at https://swipe.by 

Tax Institute Presents: "How to Challenge Audit Assessments and Refund Claim Denials 
Join Paul Bogdanski Partner in the Reed Smith State and Local Tax practice and Keith Staats Executive Director of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce Tax Institute as they discuss the options available to taxpayers to challenge Illinois sales and income tax audit assessments and refund claim denials.  
They will discuss choosing the proper forum for your challenge, filing deadlines and procedural rules. Paul and Keith will also give their thoughts on when to litigate, when to settle and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on how to approach your case.  
   
Articles of Interest  
Contact Tracing in Illinois:   
https://chicago.suntimes.com/business/2020/4/28/21240071/lightfoot-grant-program-microbusinesses-chicago-coronavirus Missed Fair Maps Deadline: https://www.thecentersquare.com   
 
Until next time,  
 
Clark 

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