Chair Wes Lujan, Union Pacific Railroad Company Staff Liaison Christopher Johnson - (312) 494-6727

Objective

The Government Affairs Forum establishes the public policy positions of the Chamber (subject to approval by the Board of Directors) in the areas of taxation, transportation/infrastructure, environment, employment law and other areas that affect business, while serving as the “voice” that advocates for a fair and competitive tax and regulatory climate.

The Forum’s proactive approach includes aggressively supporting policies that encourage economic development and job growth, opposing burdensome legislative and regulatory proposals and, consistent with the Chamber’s goal, making Chicagoland the most business-friendly region in the country.

Forum Action Plans

• The Chicagoland Business and Legislative Advocacy Agenda, the Chamber’s formal policy statement on the bottom-line issues affecting business, is published annually and distributed to elected officials, community leaders, and media throughout the region.
• The Chamber monitors the annual budget process for the City of Chicago, Cook County, and the State of Illinois and leads support for economic development initiatives and opposition to excessive tax and fee increases that negatively affect business.
• The Chamber actively lobbies the City Council, Cook County Board and Illinois General Assembly on a variety of business issues.
• At the federal level, the Chamber supports and complements the US Chamber advocacy efforts on issues like immigration reform and the Employee Free Choice Act (also known as Card Check).