Government Affairs attends Chamber Day in Springfield

During Chamber Day in Springfield, guest speakers hit on the hottest topics in Illinois. From unemployment insurance to workforce to tac credits, no topic was off-limits.

House Republican Leader Jim Durkin spoke on the need to pay back the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund. While businesses and chambers agree American Rescue Pan Act (ARPA) dollars should be used to replenish this fund, Durkin is convinced Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has other plans and will not be using them for the trust fund. “No meaningful discussion is going on in the Capitol right now regarding these funds," Durkin said. 

The Quad Cities Chamber has an Action Center petition that businesses can sign to let legislators know this is an important issue. If ARPA funds are not used to pay back the debt on the account to the federal government, businesses are all but certain to see a substantial increase in the amount they pay in Unemployment Tax. 

Illinois Speaker of the House Chris Welch touched briefly on the Economic Development for a Growing Economy (“EDGE”) program tax credits which are set to expire at the end of June. While there is nothing proposed in the Capitol at this time, watch for a continuation recommendation toward the end of April or the beginning of May. “I think something will happen before we leave Springfield,” Welch said.