Advocacy efforts from the Chamber’s public policy team push Chicagoland towards a more business-friendly environment

The Illinois General Assembly adjourned its 2022 spring session early Saturday morning after finishing up with marathon session days focused on budget and crime-related legislation. The April 9 adjournment is the earliest adjournment date in recent decades as the delayed redistricting process led to a deferred June 28 primary election.

The Chicagoland Chamber team worked tirelessly throughout the Session to represent Chicago’s business community, to drive important economic development policies, and to support Chamber members’ priorities. This included tracking thousands of bills and engaging stakeholders to focus on key legislation that would help the business environment and economic development of Chicago and State of Illinois.

The Chamber has continued to work in a bipartisan, pragmatic, and effective manner to secure a number of wins throughout Session and advance the priorities of the Chamber and its members including legislation and issues that will spur job creation and investment across the Chicagoland region. 

Chicagoland Chamber Wins in 2022:

  • Championed and passed legislation that is projected to double the size of the Illinois film industry and its workforce in the coming years by providing for a modest expansion of the Illinois Film Tax Credit and creating an industry-funded film workforce development program focused on opportunities for women and minorities (SB 157)
  • Secured the Chamber’s $1.5 million job training grant which continues to provide value workforce development services to Chamber members and businesses throughout the Chicagoland region (HB 900)
  • Negotiated and secured $2.7 billion in federal ARPA funds to help close the unprecedented $4.5 billion Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund deficit. We continue to negotiate and push for a resolution to address the remaining $1.8 billion debt (SB 2803)
  • Supported and helped push legislation initiated by the Illinois Retail Merchants and Attorney General’s Office to combat the rise of organized retail theft throughout Chicago and Illinois (HB 1091) 
  • Successfully advocated for a five-year extension of the EDGE tax credit program and provisions that will make the program refundable for start-up companies and ensure they have the capital to advance their project and business (SB 157)
  • Ensured the continued growth of Illinois’ burgeoning data center industry by stopping efforts from labor to upend the Illinois Data Center Tax Incentive, which has generated more than $6 billion in committed investment in Illinois since 2019 and led the Chicagoland region to be recognized as the 4th best data center market in the world
  • Successfully advocated for the inclusion of youth summer jobs programming in the FY23 budget as a means to combat crime in Chicago (HB 900)
  • Helped support a coalition with mHub to secure $25 million for the BBB Regional Challenge application with the U.S. Economic Development Agency that, if successful, will support $100 million in federal funds coming to Illinois for clean-tech projects throughout Illinois (HB 900)
  • Defeated many bills that would have increased costs and burdensome mandates on businesses impacting every issue and industry area ranging from taxes, workplace and environmental mandates, healthcare, insurance, and tech regulations

Visit the Chicagoland Chamber’s 2022 State Agenda for a full overview of legislative priorities from this Session.