While I'm sure most of you are simply excited that the endless campaign ads are over, it's now time to look ahead as to what last night's elections mean for the State of Illinois and more specifically, the hotel industry throughout the state.
Most notably, J. B. Pritzker was easily elected Governor which could lead to a seismic shift in the issues that we see proposed and passed into law in Springfield. In recent years, legislation such as increasing the minimum wage, enacting a statewide "panic button" law for hotel employees and introducing "fair scheduling" has not succeeded in the state legislature because of 1) the certainty of Governor Rauner's veto, and 2) the lack of a "veto-proof" Democratic majority (71 votes) in the House.
In addition to the Governor's race, House Democrats picked up several seats from Republicans,
granting them the "veto-proof" threshold of seventy-one. As of Wednesday morning, several races throughout the state were still too close to call. Both outcomes, combined, will naturally increase labor's clout in Springfield. The Senate Democrats' already had a "veto-proof" majority which appears to only have expanded after last night. We lost several friends of the industry last night including Senator Tom Rooney (R- Rolling Meadows) and Sen. Chris Nybo (R- Elmhurst).
Other notable statewide races included Democrat and long-time IHLA friend, Kwame Raoul, defeating Erika Harold in the race for Attorney General. State Comptroller Susana Mendoza, who was an IHMPAC recipient and a champion for our industry over the years, also won re-election as Illinois' comptroller.
At the federal level, as widely anticipated, the Democrats took control of the House of Representatives while Republicans retained control of the Senate. Come January, Illinois will have several new faces in the House, including Sean Casten (D-6th) who defeated Rep. Peter Rokam, Lauren Underwood (D-14th) who defeated Rep. Randy Hultgren and Chuy Garcia (D-4th) who is replacing Rep. Luis Gutierrez. Meanwhile, Republicans Mike Bost (12th) and Rodney Davis (13th) narrowly defeated their opponents to defend their seats in Congress.
The period between the election and when members are sworn in (mid-January) is a unique opportunity for IHLA members to reach out to newly elected officials. I strongly encourage you to contact your local lawmakers to congratulate them and invite them to your property for a "heart of the house" tour. Our team at IHLA is available to help facilitate such outreach. This is the best time to educate newly elected officials of the importance of the hotel industry and our impact on local economies and job creation.
As you may know, the Illinois General Assembly will begin their veto session six days from now. We do not expect any major issues related to the hotel industry to be considered during the veto session but will be sure to update you if anything changes. We do anticipate that many of the same issues we've advocated for or against in the past, will once again be introduced in the state legislature in 2019, especially with a more progressive Administration and legislature. I will share more about IHLA's legislative priorities in the coming weeks.
This is Illinois after all, so the next election is right around the corner. Rest assured, IHLA will be actively advocating for the hotel industry during the upcoming municipal elections, including in Chicago and Cook County, on February 26, 2019.
Finally, I want to thank each of you for your continued support of our political action committee (IHMPAC). Our industry is simply too large, employs too many people and is too vital to the Illinois economy not to have a strong political voice. Your IHMPAC contributions help us educate both freshman and veteran lawmakers throughout the state. Your support truly helps strengthen our collective impact with our elected officials.
Michael
