CHAMBER RESPONDS TO CLEAN ENERGY JOBS ACT (CEJA)
 Illinois Chamber President and CEO Todd Maisch wrote an article for Utility Dive in response to the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA) proponents on January 9. "The Illinois Chamber believes that enacting CEJA would inflict billions of dollars in increased energy costs on Illinois ratepayers and strongly cautions the Illinois General Assembly against proceeding with this legislation," Maisch said. See full story here.
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MAISCH AND LAHOOD DISCUSS CURRENT EVENTS
 Illinois Chamber President and CEO Todd Maisch interviewed Congressman Darin LaHood (R-Illinois) on current topics including trade, the USMCA, and impeachment proceedings at the Chamber office in Springfield on January 2.
See full story here.
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"This issue has been out there for a very, very long time but now it's especially driven by the pension debt that local governments have that has made the problem go from bad to absolutely worse."
--Todd Maisch on lowering property taxes on News Channel 20
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MAISCH TALKS LOWERING PROPERTY TAXES
 Illinois Chamber President and CEO Todd Maisch spoke to Nikki McGee from WICS ABC News Channel 20 on the need to lower property taxes on January 27.
See full story here.
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CAPITOL CONNECTION FOCUSES ON INCOME TAX
 Illinois Chamber President and CEO Todd Maisch sat down with WCIA Capitol Bureau Chief Mark Maxwell on Capitol Connection to discuss the impact of a progressive tax versus a flat income tax on January 5. See full story here.
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"Voters should not be enticed into voting for the progressive income tax amendment by the promise of token tax decreases that will likely be temporary."
--Keith Staats on the progresive income tax in Business Leader Magazine
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STAATS PRESENTS ON TAX LEGISLATION
 Executive Director Keith Staats of the Chamber Tax Institute gave a presentation on Illinois tax legislation at the Illinois CPA Society Annual State and Local Tax Conference on January 16. The ILCPA Society State and Local Tax Conference is an all-day conference attended by CPAs in private practice and with Illinois companies both in person and online.
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SHATTUCK DISCUSSES RECREATIONAL CANNABIS
IN THE WORKPLACE
 Illinois Chamber Executive Director of Employment Law Council Jay Shattuck spoke to the St. Louis Regional Chamber on the importance of workplace protection concerning recreational marijuana on January 24.
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JOLIET CHAMBER HOSTS MAISCH
 Illinois Chamber President and CEO Todd Maisch spoke with Joliet Chamber members on the continuing urge to oppose the progressive income tax on January 30.
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"The bill includes a significant expansion of ratepayer support of a variety of programs that don't have budgets or cost caps."
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CHAMBER ADVOCATES FOR LOWER ENERGY COSTS
 Executive Director of the Chamber Energy Council Katie Stonewater spoke with WTTW - Chicago PBS on the need to keep energy costs down on February 4.
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"We are very concerned about the families who are going to lose their stability, their paychecks and their jobs."
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DISCUSSIONS CONTINUE ON PROGRESSIVE TAX
 Illinois Chamber President and CEO Todd Maisch spoke to Edwardsville | Glen Carbon Chamber of Commerce at their annual membership meeting about the battle towards the progressive income tax proposal on January 31.
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KAERICHER ADDRESSES MORTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
 Illinois Chamber Vice President of Government Affairs Clark Kaericher gave a legislative update to Morton Chamber of Commerce members on February 28. |
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MAISCH OUTLINES DANGERS OF PROGRESSIVE TAX
 Illinois Chamber President and CEO Todd Maisch discussed the dangers of a progressive income tax in an op ed in The Chicago Sun-Times on February 27. "Taxing millionaires will in no way meet their appetite for state spending. There simply isn't enough money at the higher income levels to satisfy their demands. Tax rates will go up and tax brackets will reach lower and lower incomes," Maisch said.
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"When the companies that develop, finance, or operate electricity in Illinois are not included in drafting legislation, the realities of the industry and how the system operates are often missed."
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MESSINA TALKS ENERGY HIKES IF CEJA PASSES
 Executive Director of the Illinois Chamber Energy Council Alec Messina penned an op ed for Midwest Energy News Network on the need to prevent unprecedented energy rate hikes that could come with the passage of the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA). "If CEJA passes, it has the potential of shuttering Illinois' nuclear fleet because the bill requires electricity prices to be reduced by five percent under today's prices," Messina said.
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OAK BROOK CHAMBER HOSTS TAX INSTITUTE
 Executive Director of the Chamber Tax Institute Keith Staats gave a presentation to the Oak Brook Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and other members of the chamber on "The Case Against the Graduated Income Tax" on March 12. The Oak Brook Chamber adopted a resolution expressing their opposition to the proposed constitutional amendment.
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MARCH BUSINESS LEADER AVAILABLE ONLINE
 The March 2020 issue of Business Leader magazine is "hot off the press." This issue includes Debunk Round Two of the Progressive Income Tax; a preview for this year's Annual Luncheon, an overview of significant bills working their way through the legislation, and more.
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CHAMBER MEMBER NEWS
 Chamber Member CoreSite announced their data facility expansion in the heart of downtown Chicago also known as "CH2."CoreSite will be one of the first Illinois Chamber members to benefit from the data center incentive. Illinois Chamber member Memorial Health Systemannounced a $6.1 million investment in partnership with Lincoln Land Community College to renovate LLCC's Montgomery Hall for a new nursing center. The project is scheduled for completion in May 2021.
Chamber Member ADM was named 'One of the World's Most Ethical Companies of 2020' by Ethisphere, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices.
Chamber member Advocate Aurora Health committed to helping their members through the coronavirus crisis by halting patient billing temporarily for those coming to the hospital for testing and treatment regarding COVID-19.
Chamber Member Amazon.com is hiring 100,000 employees in the U.S. to meet the surging demand of food and household items due to the coronavirus pandemic. Chamber Member Ameren donated $250,000 each to the Illinois COVID-19 Response Fund (ICRF) and the United Way of Greater St. Louis to support residents and communities impacted by the coronavirus.
Chamber member Ford Motor Company is partnering with 3M, GE Healthcare and UAW International Union to expand the production of ventilators to help support the coronavirus pandemic. Chamber member the Illinois Banker's Association teamed up with Governor Pritzker's administration and other business groups to support new capital access options, along with finding new lending partners, to keep Illinois businesses afloat. Chamber member ADM is giving $1M for COVID aid, including funds available to employees who face severe financial distress during this pandemic.
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STAATS PRESENTS ON TAX LEGISLATION
Executive Director Keith Staats of the Chamber Tax Institute gave a presentation on Illinois tax legislation at the Illinois CPA Society Annual State and Local Tax Conference on January 16. The ILCPA Society State and Local Tax Conference is an all-day conference attended by CPAs in private practice and with Illinois companies both in person and online.
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THE CHAMBER'S VISION TO REBALANCE HEALTH AND FINANCIAL ISSUES DURING THE PANDEMIC
 The economic crisis that has accompanied the public health crisis threatens to rage on for months if more forceful action is not taken. For this reason, Illinois Chamber President and CEO Todd Maisch penned the op-ed printed in Crain's Chicago Business on April 30 to lay out the Chamber's vision for rebalancing government's response to the duel crises printed. "We as a people must demand that our leaders consider both the health and the financial crises before us when making their decisions, to ensure we make it to the after with as many lives, and livelihoods, possible," Maisch wrote. Read full story here.
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CHAMBER: CEJA IS A BAILOUT BILL WE CAN'T AFFORD
 Illinois Chamber President and CEO Todd Maisch's op-ed on why the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA) is a bailout bill we can't afford was printed in the Chicago Tribune on May 20. "We will get to the other side of these crises. When we do, I hope it will be our small businesses we lift up, not Exelon we bail out," Maisch wrote.
Read full story here.
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"The flat tax is working exactly how it should. People are paying their fair share"
--Todd Maisch on the progressive income tax amendment, The Daily Herald
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SMALL BUSINESS SHUTDOWNS ADDRESSED
 Illinois Chamber President and CEO Todd Maisch spoke with Sydney Dorner of WICS News Channel 20 on the challenges businesses continue to face from COVID-19 business shutdowns on June 29.
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CHAMBER MEMBERS STEP UP TO SUPPORT OUR MILITARY
 Recently, KPMG joined Illinois ESGR for a virtual Statement of Support signing. State Chair for Illinois ESGR and President of Center for Business Management at the Illinois Chamber Laurie Silvey hosted the event. Associate Director Advisory Operations Erik Haass, Managing Partner of the Chicago office Linda Imonti, , and Douglas Zuvich, Senior Partner and Global Practice Leader, Trade and Custom Services at KPMG joined Illinois ESGR volunteers Scott Klein and Robert Lewis for the ceremony.
If any Illinois Chamber member would like to join the hundreds of thousands of employers who have pledged to support their reserve component servicemembers, contact Laurie Silvey at lsilvey@ilchamber.org or 217-522-5512 ext. 223.
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CHAMBER JOINS COALITION AGAINST PROGRESSIVE TAX
 Illinois Chamber President and CEO Todd Maisch joined the Illinois Farm Bureau, the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) and Technology and Manufacturing Association (TMA) on July 7 to announce their coalition opposing the state's progressive income tax that will be on the statewide ballot this November. Representatives from each group joined the zoom press conference from locations throughout the state.
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"Not only has [COVID-19] been a daunting public health crisis, but Americans have simultaneously faced an economic catastrophe. Unfortunately, this one-two punch has been too much for many of our businesses to overcome."
--Clark Kaericher on the COVID-19 economic crisis in the Daily Journal
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ON THE ROAD AGAIN WITH AAA AND THE CHAMBER
The Chamber teamed up with AAA Illinois for an On The Road Again social media campaign to encourage safe driving as more people begin commuting back to work this summer. AAA and the Chamber encouraged businesses to share the campaign in their own employee communications about returning to the office. The Chamber will continue to work with AAA and other members to help navigate these uncertain times.
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"Just as the public can lobby the Illinois General Assembly to shape law, the public can lobby the agencies that promulgate tax rules and comment on rulemaking proposals."
--Keith Staats on the need for people to speak up in Insight Magazine
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UNDERSTANDING YOUR INFLUENCE ON TAX LAW
Executive Director of the Illinois Chamber Tax Institute Keith Staats explained how members of the public can provide their input on rules proposed by the Illinois Department of Revenue and other state agencies in his column for the Illinois CPA Society's Summer 2020 edition of Insight magazine.
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"Over 16% unemployment is its own crisis and the unemployment statistics need to be considered on equal footing with public health metrics."
--Todd Maisch on Illinois business shutdowns in the Chicago Sun-Times
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BUSINESS LEADER PROMOTES GOOD NEWS
The June 2020 edition of Business Leader Magazine highlights the amazing things our members are doing in their communities and around the world. Featured in this issue are Chamber members: Unitedhealth, Peoria Production Shop (PPS), Caterpillar, SWIPEBY and Nexdigm.
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CHAMBER PARTNERS WITH DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE COVID-19 INFORMATION
 The Chamber teamed up with other organizations and legislators including the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, Illinois Senate Republican Leader Bill Brady, Illinois Treasurer Mike Frerichs and Illinois Senator Dick Durbin for an ongoing series of webinars to share information to thousands of participants and explore ideas relating to the COVID-19 shutdowns since businesses first began closing this March.
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CHAMBER MEMBER NEWS
Google committed $800+ million to support small businesses and crisis response efforts - including $340 million in ad grants to small and medium sized businesses (SMBas). It also includes grants to state governments in Illinois and other Midwest states as well as support for health workers and health organizations on the front lines of the crisis.
Caterpillar Inc. committed $8.5 million to support global communities and underserved populations affected by COVID-19. They also announced they would match their employee donations towards the COVID-19 response efforts at 2-to-1 level. Caterpillar has successfully raised $3.9M which $2M will go to non-for-profit agencies in central Illinois.
 Peoria Production Shop (PPS) is committed to protecting their essential employees by implementing new safety precautions and helping target employees with transportation during the COVID-19 pandemic. PPS is a premiere employer for individuals with disabilities and a vital company in Caterpillar's worldwide supply chain.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation with founding partner Vistaprint, launched the Save Small Business Fund - a grant program to provide assistance to small business owners impacted by the pandemic.
 Ford Motor Company donated 10,000 face shields to Chamber member HSHS Medical Group hospitals in Illinois. The shields fully block the face and eyes from accidental contact with liquids, and, when paired with N95 masks, are a more effective way to limit exposure to COVID-19 than with masks alone.
Illinois American Water suspended billing-related service shutoffs to is working to provide safe and clean water to all customers in Illinois to encourage personal hygiene and help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
BP America is providing fuel discounts to local heroes, first responders, doctors, nurses and hospital workers.
Salesforce is offering Salesforce Care Small Business Grants of $10,000 to provide capital to support small businesses to stay afloat. These grants will help support businesses as they work to pay salaries, replenish materials and overcome these challenging times.
Boeing is producing and donating thousands of face shields to healthcare workers serving on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A Safe Haven Foundation opened Chicago's first 100 bed COVID-19 positive isolation space for the homeless with Rush University Health Systems to help support the community when we need it the most.
Bristol Myers Squibb is committed to ensuring their patients are still able to receive their life-saving medicines. It has expanded its existing patient support programs to offer free medicine to BMS patients in the U.S. who have lost their health insurance due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
UnitedHealth Group committed to donating $500,000 to the University of Chicago Medicine as part of the UnitedHealth Group's $70M fight against COVID-19 and support impacted communities. They also announced they are taking additional action to support people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic by providing $1.5B of additional support for its customers.
BP America is donating 3 million gallons of jet fuel to FedEx and Alaska Airlines at no cost to support the timely delivery of personal protective equipment and other essential goods to areas of the U.S. at greatest risk for COVID-19.
 Dot Foods donated around $2.5M of excess supplies to those in need throughout communities.
ADM Cares announced an additional $800,000 in donations to organizations focused on addressing needs during COVID-19, including food assistance, hunger relief, and local support to hospitals and first responders.
Cigna is expanding its digital capabilities to help customers with COVID-19. These new virtual solutions will help rapidly identify and assist Cigna customers who arrive in emergency room settings with COVID-19 symptoms, and support those who are actively recovering at home. They also expanded their virtual mental health provider network allowing patients to talk, text or video with their therapist during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond!
Argonne National Laboratory's scientists are collaborating with research teams from around the country to deliver analysis and share discoveries that are significantly contributing to the global war against COVID-19.
Hanson Professional Services, Inc. placed in the top 175 on the Engineer News-Records (ENR) "Top 500 Design Firms." Companies are ranked according to their previous years revenue generated by design services.
Ameren Illinois is offering hardship grants to small businesses and non-profits that have fallen behind on their electric bills due to the pandemic.
State Farm launched their Neighborhood Assist 2020 program to promote causes that help build: safer, stronger, and better educated communities. Those interested in the program can prepare now by going to the website and downloading the submission guide and other resources.
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 The Chamber coordinated with other stakeholders to gather a coalition of 42 business organizations, including more than 30 chambers of commerce throughout the state, to oppose the Progressive Income Tax Amendment through grassroots mobilization.
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 The Chamber worked with a vendor to develop ChambersAgainstTax.com, a landing page for Progressive Income Tax information that includes resources, videos, and links to get involved. The Chamber also worked with partners to develop more than 20 personalized landing pages for local chambers. Chamber staff created and uploaded all information and provided social media content for all local chamber partners.
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"Business groups, namely the Illinois Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Business' Illinois Chapter blanketed the state with messaging that the change meant kicking small businesses when they were down."
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 The Chamber teamed up with the Coalition to Stop the Proposed Tax Hike Amendment on a tens of millions of dollars statewide media campaign featuring Illinois Chamber President and CEO Todd Maisch. The Chamber helped promote the digital portion of the campaign that also included television, mail and other outreach.
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"Opposition, led in large part by the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, has centered on what the tax would do to businesses and what lawmakers might do in the future if voters give them the opportunity to levy taxes on portions of the electorate at any one time, rather than on every taxpayer at once."
 --Herald & Review
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 The Chamber led an aggressive digital advertising campaign to key voters leading up to the election targeting different demographics and locations through the Chambers Against the Progressive Tax PAC. The campaign totaled over 4.4 million digital ad impressions from Facebook, Instagram, Google and programmatic ads.
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Progressive Income Tax Video Series
 Over the last two years, the Chamber produced the Progressive Income Tax (PIT) video series to help inform legislators, stakeholders and the public on the negative impact a progressive income tax could have on Illinois families. The videos currently have around 30,000 views on YouTube.
The Illinois Chamber has been mentioned or interviewed over 100 times in election and Progressive Income Tax coverage over the last two years, including over 50 news stories on the income tax amendment leading up to and following the Election Day victory.
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MAISCH DISCUSSES COVID-19 IMPACT
ON ILLINOIS UNEMPLOYMENT
Illinois Chamber President and CEO Todd Maisch was interviewed about COVID-19 related unemployment by Tessa Bentulan on News Channel 20 in September.
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"J.B. Pritzker says the tax would generate over $3 billion dollars in new annual revenue, but Todd Maisch, president of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, disagrees, saying people will flee the state with their money."
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CHAMBER SUPPORTS GOVERNOR IN FIGHTING ENERGY CORRUPTION
 Illinois Chamber President and CEO released a statement applauding Gov. Pritzker for standing up for Illinois against corruption with an energy plan that did not offer big bailouts to individual producers.
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CHICAGO SUN-TIMES OP-ED ON PROGRESSIVE INCOME TAX
Illinois Chamber President and CEO Todd Maisch discussed why Illinois should learn from the mistakes of New York in a Chicago Sun-Times op-ed.
Read full story here.
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"The potential hole in aggregate demand may be large, and, in my view, more fiscal relief is needed in order to limit further damage to households and businesses, especially those in vulnerable communities."
--President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Charles Evans
on COVID-19 at the Chamber Annual Meeting
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ILLINOIS CHAMBER'S FIRST VIRTUAL ANNUAL MEETING
 Along with all organizations, the Chamber is navigating through COVID-19 challenges, and with the support of its members and sponsors, held its first ever Virtual Annual Meeting on September 24.
CEO of Illinois Market at Commerce Bank and Chamber Board Chair Brent Eichelberger (at left) gave the welcome address to kick off the event.
 President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Charles Evans (at right) gave the keynote address 'Economic Development in Distressed Communities' that included information on how the economy is doing during the pandemic and how it is affecting businesses in Illinois.
 Wintrust Vice President of Community Affairs and Chamber  International Business Council Co-Chair Susana Meza (at left) interviewed Wintrust President Timothy S. Crane (at right) on how businesses are coping with and recovering from the pandemic.
 Next, Meza spoke with Chairman of the Chicago Cubs Tom Ricketts (at left) on how his organization is working through COVID-19 challenges and then moderated a panel discussion with Crane and Ricketts.
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"A graduated income tax punishes the successful by taxing a greater percentage of their income."
--Keith Staats at a debate in St. Charles
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INSIGHT ON ILLINOIS PROPERTY TAX LAW
Executive Director of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce Tax Institute Keith Staats' column on the property tax law in Illinois was published in the Fall Edition of Illinois CPA Society's Insight magazine.
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"The progressive income tax amendment is simply a big bag of cash dropped at the door of the State Capitol to spend however it wants."
--Todd Maisch in the India Post
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KAERICHER JOINS REP. BENNETT IN TOWN HALL
 Chamber's VP of Legislative Affairs Clark Kaericher sat down with Illinois State Representative Tom Bennett to discuss business issues in Illinois, including the effects of COVID-19 and the pending progressive income tax amendment ballot initiative.
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TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE HELD ON OCTOBER 15
The Chamber had a wonderful panel that featured Assistant Republican Leader, and spokesperson of the Cybersecurity, Data Analytics & IT Committee Rep. Keith Wheeler (below right) leading BIPA attorney at Shook, Hardy & Bacon Melissa Siebert and US Chamber experts Lana Skelo and Jordan Crenshaw and Executive Director of the Chamber Technology and Innovation Council Clark Kaericher (below left) at the Technology Conference on October 15.
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WCIA PROGRESSIVE INCOME TAX DEBATE
 Illinois Chamber President and CEO Todd Maisch participated in an eight-person panel of elected officials and community leaders in the Capitol Connection debate on the progressive income tax hosted by WCIA Bureau Chief Mark Maxwell on WCIA.
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WOMEN IN BUSINESS CONFERENCE
GOES VIRTUAL ON NOVEMBER 13
The Third Annual Illinois Chamber Women in Business Conference went virtual this year. Elaine Hand fired up the group as the opening speaker, discussing Communications Among Generations. She was followed by Cheryl McKinney, a vice president for BP Fuels, North America, who continued the conversation with her thoughts on Moving up in a Man's World.
Kim Brown, a speaker, author and consultant with Centrally Human, closed the live session with an encouraging innovation and goal setting. The pre-recorded panel discussions included Being a Woman and an Entrepreneur, Making Work Life Balance a Reality, and What You Don't Know Can Hurt you.
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CHAMBER OPPOSES RETENTION OF SUPREME
COURT JUSTICE
 The Illinois Chamber of Commerce PAC was the only business group to publicly call for the non-retention of Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kilbride, due to his aggressive anti-business, one-sided approach to judicial rulings. Kilbride became the first Illinois Supreme Court Justice to ever not be retained and the seat will go to a General Election in 2022 giving the GOP the opportunity to flip the court 4-3.
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CHAMBER SUPPORTS SUCCESSFUL ILLINOIS JUSTICE WIN
 The Illinois Chamber PAC has been the largest financial support of Illinois Supreme Court Elect Justice Overstreet, donating $10,000 to his appellate court race in 2018, and $10,000 to his Illinois Supreme Court Justice race in 2020.
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"It is our job to educate our members on the record of their representatives
and hold them accountable for it."
--Clark Kaericher on the Chamber's Legislative Ratings
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LEGISLATIVE RATINGS FOR 2019-2020 RELEASED
 The Illinois Chamber released their 2019 -2020 Legislative Rating based on legislators' votes on the key business legislation of the 101st General Assembly as determined by staff and the Illinois Chamber's Government Affairs Committee. The votes in the Senate and House are selected based on their impact on the business community.
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HOLIDAY SURVEY RESULTS ARE IN
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CHAMBER MEMBER NEWS
 Ameren Illinois announced a new way of providing assistance to their customers who are struggling to pay their energy bills as a result to the pandemic. The "Fresh Start" program provides up to $700 per customer account that has a past balance as a result of COVID-19. Read more here.
Instacart partnered with Staples Stores in announcing their new Back-to-School shopper program including childcare financial assistance to states impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more here.
Illinois American Water is working with Sol Systems to develop two solar fields in Champaign to help save annual energy costs. Read more here.
 Ford Motor Company shipped 10 million face masks to local organizations to protect against COVID-19. Ford announced their target goal through 2021 is to donate 100 million medical-grade masks for at-risk communities across the U.S. as the country continues to reopen. Read more here.
Amazon and UPS announced their plans to hire additional employees to help keep up with the surge of online orders caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more here.
Google advanced their commitment on building sustainable equity for Google's Black+ communities by continuing to make products available when needed. Read more here.
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