Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker presents his annual Condition of the State and Proposed Budget

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker provided his annual Condition of the State and Proposed Budget on Wednesday, Feb. 2, highlighting the state’s successes in the past year and a balanced budget going forward.

His budget proposal includes tax freezes and rebates to ease financial pressures on families, stabilizing the pension fund, increasing investment in all levels of education, strengthening healthcare, supporting small businesses and employers, public safety and violence prevention, and protecting the most vulnerable.

The Chamber provided the following response:

“Based on regional feedback from stakeholders and members, talent attraction and development, placemaking, fostering a business-friendly environment and economic recovery from COVID-19 continue to be our main focus. We are pleased to hear the Gov. Pritzker touch on some of these areas during his speech.

He has proposed an increased number of MAPS scholarships, as well as $350 million in funding for K-12 schools. This helps fund education and create a well-rounded workforce for our region. Gov. Pritzker also included $25 million in funding to expand the pipeline of nurses through the Illinois Community College Board, again adding to the development of the workforce. In addition, the Governor is proposing $5 million to develop minority entrepreneurship programs and support small, minority-owned businesses. We value this opportunity to foster a more business-friendly environment throughout the region we serve. Of the $38 million investment he proposed for Employer Training and Investment programs, we are anxious to learn exactly how we can harness some of those dollars for the Quad Cities.  

Gov. Pritzker is helping our vision of economic recovery from COVID-19 in proposing a one-year waiver of retail liquor license fees for restaurants, bars and liquor license holders. This is good, but we would like to see more for economic recovery. There is currently a $4.5 billion deficit in the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund. We would like to hear the Governor commit to use ARPA funds to reduce this deficit, which would go a long way for all businesses. If the deficit is not reduced, employers will be paying higher tax rates and those who are unemployed will experience a reduction in benefits.

While all of the details of the Governor’s proposals are yet to be seen, the Chamber looks forward to continuing to maintain and grow our relationship with Illinois legislators as well as Gov. Pritzker. A prosperous QC region bodes well for the State of Illinois."

In addition, Chambers All-In for Economic Recovery, a coalition of over 40 chambers, including the Quad Cities Chamber, from every corner of the state advocating for policy, legislation and regulation to help Illinois businesses recover from the pandemic, issued the following statement after the governor’s budget address:

“We are encouraged to hear the Governor’s call to renew the EDGE credit program as it is a top priority for the Coalition. But one of the top issues facing businesses is addressing the $4.5 billion Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund Deficit. If not addressed, companies across Illinois will see a significant tax increase and their future growth will be hindered. Those seeking unemployment benefits will see reductions in the amount and duration of benefits available to them. This spring, the Coalition looks forward to working with the administration and the Illinois General Assembly to ultimately resolve the deficit and ensure businesses are not on the hook for more taxes when many can least afford it.”