Supported by over fifty Chambers across Illinois, the coalition urges the Illinois Legislature to enact policies to aid businesses and further economic recovery.

The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce is pleased to launch a coalition of over fifty Chamber partners throughout the state in announcing its 2022 agenda for the Chambers All In for Economic Recovery. The coalition is calling on Illinois lawmakers to prioritize economic and regulatory relief for Illinois’ businesses to ensure they can thrive for years to come.

Last Spring, Chambers All In for Economic Recovery launched its inaugural platform. The coalition’s recently updated platform for 2022 includes:

  • Utilize remaining funds Illinois received from the American Rescue Plan Act to fill the unprecedented $4.5 billion Unemployment Insurance trust fund deficit,
  • Extend the EDGE Tax Credit program, which sunsets on June 30th 2022 and is a critical local economic development tool as we work towards economic recovery,
  • Increase the Small Business Minimum Wage Tax Credit back to its original amount of 25% for the next three years, and
  • Enact legislation that provides COVID-19 liability protections for employers, particularly as far more transmissible Omicron variant makes it increasingly difficult to identify where a person may have contracted the disease

Between the ongoing pandemic, ever-rising inflation, supply-chain and labor shortages, and the shocking rise in crime and violence throughout Chicago in recent years, Chicago-area businesses are struggling. It is critical that the Illinois General Assembly puts in place policies that will help our small businesses and drive, not inhibit, our economic recovery. Never before has it been so critical that action be taken to ensure the long-term growth of our state’s business community, and we are excited to be a part of the Chambers All-In Coalition to advocate for this cause.

Brad Tietz, Vice President of Government Relations, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce

The coalition represent thousands of businesses and hundreds of thousands of employees across Illinois. Further, the coalition would create a foundation for economic recovery to aid in the rollout of these initiatives. This includes ways to help diminish the financial hardships businesses face amid a labor shortage, spur economic development and recover from the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For more information about the All In platform, please contact the Chicagoland Chamber. Additionally, the community can engage with the initiative by following the Chicagoland Chamber on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.