Andrew Cunningham l Executive Director, Infrastructure Council l 217-520-2345

Good afternoon everyone. I wanted to open this letter with an invitation to attend the Illinois Chamber 2022 Annual Meeting.  The Annual Luncheon is the Chamber’s biggest event of the year and will be held at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago on October 6th from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. We have a fantastic lineup. RSVP and sponsorship information is provided in a section below. Thank you to everyone who has already signed up for the event, I am excited to meet many of you for the first time. 

Bills of Interest Recently Filed:

HB 5795, Personal Delivery Device was filed. This bill provides that a personal delivery device shall be authorized to operate on any sidewalk, crosswalk, or public roadway or highway in the State. Provides that a personal delivery device shall (1) be equipped with a system that enables the personal delivery device to come to a controlled stop; (2) have the capability of operating in a manner that complies with pedestrians' rights and duties; (3) not unreasonably interfere with motor vehicles or traffic or otherwise block any right-of-way; (4) operate at a speed that shall not exceed 10 miles per hour on a sidewalk; (5) not be used to transport specified hazardous materials; and (6) include a unique identifying number and a means of identifying the personal delivery device operator. Specifies that a personal delivery device shall have all the rights and duties applicable to a pedestrian under the same circumstances. Provides that a personal delivery device shall not be deemed a motor vehicle or a vehicle. Provides that a personal delivery device shall be exempt from all vehicle or motor vehicle registration requirements. Requires a personal delivery device operator to maintain an insurance policy that provides general liability coverage of at least $100,000 for damages arising from the combined operations of any personal delivery devices under the personal delivery device operator's control. Prohibits local authorities from enacting or enforcing a rule, regulation, ordinance, or resolution relating to specified aspects of a personal delivery device.

The Act defines a "personal delivery device" as a "powered device that is intended to be operated primarily on sidewalks, crosswalks, and other pedestrian areas to transport cargo; not intended to carry passengers; and capable of navigating with or without the active control or monitoring of a natural person."

HB 5810, IDOT South Suburban Airport was filed. This bill amends the Public-Private Agreements for the South Suburban Airport Act. Defines cargo-oriented development as the development of places that are both multimodal nodes of freight transportation and centers of employment in logistics and manufacturing businesses. Provides that the Illinois Department of Transportation shall (instead of may) establish a process for prequalification of offerors. Requires the Department to commence the prequalification process within 6 months after the effective date of the amendatory Act.

Rail Safety Week in Illinois

Governor Pritzker proclaimed September 19-25, 2022, as Rail Safety Week in Illinois. In recognition, the Illinois Commerce Commission in conjunction with Operation Lifesaver shared rail safety facts, tips, and resources to raise awareness about motorists and pedestrian safety around railroad tracks and trains this week. Operation Lifesaver is a national non-profit rail safety organization.

Illinois' efforts are supported by organizations including the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police (ILACP) partnered with CN Railway, Metra Railroad and supported by the American Automobile Association, Illinois Commerce Commission, Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois State Police, Illinois Tollway Authority, Illinois Sheriff's Association, Illinois Secretary of State, Illinois Pupil Transportation Advisory Committee, DuPage Rail Safety Council and others.

Illinois Chamber Annual Luncheon- Registration and Sponsorships Still Available!  

The luncheon program is the “Future of Energy and Impact on Illinois: Actions of the Federal Reserve”. Featured speakers include the Chief Sustainability Officer at Boeing, the Vice President of Strategic and Corporate Planning at CITGO and the CEO of LS Power.  We will also hear from Charles Evans, the President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. The agenda also includes our one-hour pre-event reception “All Council Mix & Mingle”. 

The cost of registration is $149.00 for one attendee or $1500 for an 8-seat partner table. The event is always a great time and I hope to see you there!  

Sponsorship of the All Council Mix & Mingle is available for $2,500.00. Benefits of sponsorship are: 

· Two seats for your company at the Annual Luncheon 

· Acknowledgement on signage at pre-event reception, on website, and 

invite for the event 

· Exhibitor space to highlight your company during the pre-event reception. 

View more about the sponsorship levels here.

For more information or to register call Andrew Cunningham at (217) 520-2345 or acunningham@ilchamber.org or go to www.ilchamber.org/annual-meeting

Rulemaking 

There was no new rulemaking of note for this Council in the September 23rd edition of the Illinois Register.

In Case you Missed It...Commercial Driver’s License Rulemaking

The September 16th edition of the Illinois Register showed proposed rulemaking by the Secretary of State regarding the issuance of CDLs. The proposed amendment to Issuance of Licenses (92 IAC 1030; 46 Ill Reg 15522) removes the requirement that Illinois Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) applicants who hold valid out of State CDLs retake their CDL written and pre-trip/skills/road exams.

This requirement had been temporarily halted during the pandemic but would be permanently removed under this rulemaking. Illinois is the only state that requires retesting of out-of-state CDL holders.

Read the proposed rulemaking here. Relevant reading begins on page 15522.

If you'd like to submit on a comment on this rule, the 45-day written comment period began last Friday, the day the Notice of Proposed Amendments appeared in the Illinois Register. All written comments received within 45 days after this issue of the Illinois Register will be considered.

The Illinois Chamber plans to submit a comment in support of this rulemaking. If you have any thoughts you like us to include please reach out to me by email: acunningham@ilchamber.org or by phone: (217) 520-2345. 

Session Update

As a reminder, the General Assembly has released the schedule for veto session. Lawmakers will be back in Springfield Tuesday, November 15 -November 17 as well as November 29-December 1. 

View and download the veto calendar here.

Looking forward, Legislators have been informed to keep their schedules open between January 4th-10th for potential lame duck session dates. We will let you know when those dates are finalized.

Upcoming Chamber Events

Environmental Justice: How Popularity Contests Can Trump Business Decisions

September 27, 2022 | 10:30 am – 11:30 am



Description: An emerging focus of environmental regulatory agencies -- environmental justice -- has become an important consideration in environmental permitting, inspections, and even enforcement.

What is environmental justice? How is Illinois incorporating environmental justice into its decision-making? Why should you take environmental justice considerations into account when making future business decisions involving expansions, siting locations, and other operational decisions? How can you plan for environmental justice challenges before they even appear?

Registration Link: http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=omjkt4dab&oeidk=a07ejcmb8ujbc0d5b9e

Articles of Interest  

Candidates for state treasurer share their plans for the office

Port Labor Talks Stall as Worker Disruptions Grow

Midwest states–including Illinois–create pact backing more clean energy

Pritzker, Bailey fray turns to a new subject: Union rights

State Sen. Emil Jones III gives up leadership posts after federal bribery charges — but not his Senate seat