Below are the initiatives and positions of the Naperville Area Chamber Political Action Committee:

Taxation | Education and Workforce Development | Transportation Infrastructure | Employment Policies 
Civil Justice | Global Commerce| Technology and Information

1. Taxation
We support and promote a competitive and fair tax climate

A competitive and fair federal, state, and local tax codes that encourage entrepreneurship and investment are essential to the economic health of our region. NACPAC supports the following:

• The continuance of previously adopted tax incentives for businesses and employers.

• The rollback of business and user ‘fees’ and excise taxes that are used as general revenue.

• Challenging new taxes and fees that will further stifle job creation and economic development in our state.

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2. Education and Workforce Development
We support and promote an education system that produces and sustains a qualified workforce

Recognizing that a high quality workforce contributes to the economic development and strength of our community, NACPAC proactively supports an accountable and competent education system that produces and sustains a workforce capable of adapting to the changing labor market. To that end, NACPAC supports:

• Local control of financing our schools.

• The implementation of quality-based funding systems tying resource allocation to performance outcomes.

• Policies and initiatives through which future workers are given the skills necessary for life-long employability.

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3. Transportation Infrastructure
We support and promote improvements to our region’s transportations infrastructure

Remaining a key transportation hub for the nation is crucial to the economic vitality of Illinois. The problems that adversely affect the quality and capacity of Illinois’ transportation infrastructure are extensive, increasing, and costing Illinois businesses. Recognizing that fixing this requires a comprehensive strategy and adequate funding, the Chamber supports:

• A comprehensive transportation infrastructure plan.

• Cooperation between the public and private sectors to meet our region’s freight, transit, and aviation needs.

• A prohibition on the diversion of road fund fees into general revenue accounts.

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4. Employment Policies
We support and promote a competitive business climate

An equitable, common sense approach to labor and employment policies is critical to sustaining a positive environment for business development and job growth. The Chamber supports a strategy for improving our state’s business climate and making quality health care more affordable for both employers and employees that includes:

• Combating the continued expansion of medical coverage mandates and liability that has made healthcare cost among the fastest rising for Naperville area employers.

• Equitable worker’s compensation statutes that address the current faults in our state’s unfair and burdensome system.

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5. Civil Justice
We support and promote transformation of the civil justice system

A poorly implemented system can result in increased or unnecessary costs, disincentives for innovations that benefit consumers, inducements to file frivolous lawsuits, inflated insurance premiums, and – most importantly – encumbrances to economic development and job creation. We support the following reforms of our civil justice system:

• Lasting medical malpractice reform including statutory caps on non-economic damages, the option of paying malpractice awards over time, qualification standards for expert witnesses, emergency room liability standards, and apparent agency reform.

• Limits on excessive punitive damages intended to force businesses into large settlements regardless of their actual responsibility for harm done.

• Measures to reduce abuses of our civil justice system, such as venue shopping.

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6. Global Commerce
We support and promote free and fair trade in a global economy

Businesses need a level playing field to compete in the global economy. Since 96% of the world’s consumers – accounting for 67% of global purchasing power – live outside the United States, the Chamber supports trade agreements that give businesses the same access to international markets as their competitors so they can compete in today’s complex world markets.

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7. Technology and Innovation
We support and promote incentives for investing in research, development and technology

We support incentives for investment in research, infrastructure investment, development and advancement of technology that will help business grow.

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