Postions on Issues

Positions on Issues

On April 15, the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce board of directors voted to formally oppose Senate Bill 43, a measure aimed at imposing Prevailing Wage provisions for all commercial and industrial construction in Enterprise Zones and TIF Districts across the entire State of Illinois.

Specifically, Senate Bill 43 will expand the prevailing wage law to include not only public works projects, but also projects in Enterprise Zones and TIF Districts that are 100 percent financed from private sources. This is dramatically different from the original purpose of the Prevailing Wage Act, which applied to “public works” such as those completed for schools, municipalities, and local and state road projects.

While Illinois is experiencing significant job loss and the state struggles to attract new investment from the private sector, SB 43 will substantially increase the construction costs of private projects. Economic development professionals estimate that, if enacted, SB 43 would result in increases of 10 to 20 percent in cost per project, creating another reason for businesses and developers to not invest in Illinois.

Contact State Representative Naomi Jakobsson and urge her to vote no when this comes for a vote in Illinois House. In these dire economic times, it is imperative that the state focuses on encouraging business and economic growth, not piling yet another mandate on the struggling economy.

Position on Schools Facility Tax

Resolution in Support of H.R. 1424, the Financial Rescue Package
For a more detailed look at the legislation, click here or here.

Resolution in Opposition to Any Changes to Existing Amtrak Service
January 2008 - The Champaign County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors opposes any changes to the existing Amtrak service which increases route times and delays between the City of Champaign and the City of Chicago along the Canadian National railway line.