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Government Affairs Update

March 14, 2023
Quad Cities chamber government affair

What we're watching this week:

  • The Chamber traveled to Springfield to meet one-on-one with Illinois legislators. The team met with House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, Sen. Neil Anderson, Sen. Mike Halpin, Rep. Dan Swanson and Rep. Gregg Johnson. 
  • The Chamber team also met with Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Secretary Omer Osman to discuss the Moline-Chicago passenger rail project. Osman stated that the cost to fix 52 miles of Iowa Interstate Railroad is $750-$800 million, a figure that IDOT, Amtrak and Iowa Interstate Railroad are in agreement on. IDOT has allocated $400 million for the project, and has been working with the Federal Rail Administration and Amtrak to finalize a deal. Due to this significant funding shortfall, the Chamber, along with other QC community leaders, is requesting IDOT bring the federal Surface Transportation Board into the negotiating process. 
  • This week, the Chamber is headed to Des Moines to advocate for the preservation of historic tax credits. In 2022, Iowa passed a bill to reduce these tax credits by 75% over five years. The Chamber will request that no additional reductions be made to these historic tax credits. At a time when we're seeking to increase housing stock, create jobs and improve quality of life, the tax credits are tools that we can't afford to lose.
  • Lastly, don’t forget to check out our Bill Tracker, where you can get the scoop on legislation we're currently following for businesses in the QC region.