Taxes
First and foremost, the progressive income tax amendment is set for a vote on the November 2020 ballot. Along with many other groups and local chambers throughout the state, the Illinois Chamber will be fighting this tax every step of the way.
We will also be opposing the Cook County Assessor's so-called "data modernization" legislation that would radically change how property taxes are assessed and could result in large tax increases and possible exposure of proprietary information.
The Chamber will be introducing our own legislation to allow small and medium size businesses to create a tax-free fund to save for major capital expenditures. The program allows for future savings, similar to how 529 education savings accounts allow parents to save for college.
Employment Law
In employment law, we have serious concerns about federal changes regarding sick leave that could negatively impact our ability to continue to hold off additional mandatory leave on the state level.
Though we were not always supportive of the legalization of recreational cannabis, the Chamber came to the table to ensure we negotiated the strongest workplace protections in the nation into the final law. We expect some of those protections to come under attack this year and we will be vigilant in opposing any legislation that would weaken the rights of employers to maintain a drug-free workplace.
We will continue to engage in discussions on sexual harassment and ethics legislation. While many of these laws start in the public sector, experience tells us that this kind of legislation typically trickles out to the private sector and we are prepared if and when new legislation is proposed that would change regulations for businesses.
Energy
We are expecting energy to be a major issue this session. The Chamber strongly believes that global climate policy should not be decided in Springfield, Illinois. We will continue to fight against legislation that includes unrealistic goals for carbon emissions that will drive up energy prices for homes and businesses. We will closely be monitoring new de-facto subsidies for nuclear power plants and any legislation that will affect prices for ratepayers.
Technology and Data Security
Our Technology Council expects another busy year fighting onerous biometric legislation that could impact businesses of all sizes from data companies to local florists. We are also watching for the resurgence of restrictive data privacy legislation similar to recent legislation passed in California that we were able to fend off last year.
Infrastructure
We will work with the governor's office, legislators and stakeholders throughout the implementation of the Rebuild Illinois capital bill. Besides the roll out, we will continue to be involved in discussions about public-private-partnerships and other innovative funding ideas to ensure Illinois doesn't go another decade without a capital program.
Health Care
In health care we will remain a leader in the fight against dangerous restrictions on best-in-class processes to sterilize medical equipment and materials, such as surgical kits, that could negatively impact the quality of the health care for our employers and employees. There are also several insurance mandates that could make health care more expensive for employers and limit employees' ability to receive benefits.
You can stay updated on all of these issues and more by staying in touch with the Chamber through our councils, correspondence and staff. On that note, I am pleased to announce that the Chamber has hired former Legal Counsel and Floor Director of the Illinois Senate Republicans Clark Kaericher as our new Vice President of Legislative Affairs.
Clark will be running the Chamber's day-to-day legislative agenda while serving as the executive director of both the Technology and Innovation and Infrastructure Councils. Prior to the Illinois Senate, Clark served as the chief administrative officer at the Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology under Governor Rauner and as an administrative services manager at the Illinois Department of Transportation. I think his legal, legislative, tech and transportation background make him a perfect fit with us here.
We encourage you to stay tuned by signing up for our Government Affairs Report that comes out every Friday during session by emailing: [email protected] and stay in touch by engaging with Clark and the rest of our staff on any issues of interest. I also hope you will consider taking our member survey to give us some more insight into how we can better serve you. Finally, you can read more about the Chamber and our members in this quarter's Business Leader Magazine.
Thank you for your continued support, and I look forward to working with you all for stronger business and a stronger Illinois in 2020.
