Local
The Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce will host the 2026 State of the City Address at 11:00 AM on Thursday, May 7th at the Embassy Suites Chicago-Naperville.
Join us as Mayor Scott Wehrli highlights the city’s success to date as a vibrant community where excellent jobs create popular everyday products and transform innovative, future-oriented ideas into reality, as well as how so much more – leaders, athletes, entrepreneurs – are being “Made in Naperville.” Register HERE
State
On April 15, 2026, the day before the Illinois Chamber lobby day, I was honored to be asked by the Illinois Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (IACCE) to teach an Advocacy Essentials Seminar in Springfield. My co-presenter, Elliott Richardson, Co-Founder and President of the Small Business Advisory Council (SBAC) and I had the pleasure of sharing our insights on effectively navigating the legislative process with chamber leaders from around the state. The audience featured executives from everywhere from Logan Square and Ravenswood in Chicago, to Peoria and Marion. Special thanks to IACCE CEO Lisa Weitzel for organizing the half-day seminar, and to Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce CEO Mike Murphy for hosting us and providing his unique perspective as a former elected member of the Illinois House of Representatives.
On April 16, 2026, the Illinois Chamber of Commerce held their annual “Chamber Day” lobby day in Springfield. Special recognition to NACC members Cheryl Denton of Nicor Gas and Colin Dalough of Endeavor Health for making the trip to Springfield to advocate for our business community. Along with these members, NACC Engagement Manager Linda Oglesbee and I had a productive visit to the capital city. In addition to numerous conversations with legislators, we received updates from Illinois Chamber and US Chamber government affairs staff on priority state and federal legislation. The day was packed with insights from key policy makers, including remarks from all four legislative leaders (Speaker Chris Welch, House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, Senate President Don Harmon, and Senate Minority Leader John Curran). Assistant House Majority Leader Ann Willliams and Republican Conference Chair Jeff Keicher led a panel discussion on Artificial Intelligence & Technology Policy. We also got to attend a fascinating presentation from Dr. Harley Johnson, the CEO of the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park. It was also great to spend time with the new CEO of the Illinois Chamber, Jimmy Clayton,
Updates on Key State Chamber Legislation (full text of bills available at https://ilga.gov)
Employer-Provided Childcare Tax Credit Modernization
- HB 5080 (Canty) – Re-referred to House Rules Committee
- SB 3420 (Cervantes) – 3rd Reading deadline extended, Assigned to Senate Revenue Committee
AI/Quantum Workforce Curriculum and Guidance
- 4945 (Mason) – Re-referred to House Rules Committee
- SB 3492 (Preston) – 3rd Reading deadline extended, Assigned to Senate AI & Social Media Committee
Tax Credit for Energy Workforce Retention
- HB 5194 (Walsh) – Re-referred to House Rules Committee
- SB 3665 (Belt) – 3rd Reading deadline extended, Assigned to Senate Revenue Committee
Illinois Future of Energy Affordability, Reliability, and Economic Impact Commission
- HB 5195 (Walsh) – Re-referred to House Rules Committee
- SB 3664 (Belt) – 3rd Reading deadline extended, Assigned to Senate Appropriations Committee
Bringing Fairness to Delivery Network Double Taxation
- HB 5392 (Avelar) – Re-referred to House Rules Committee
- SB 3843 (Joyce) – 3rd Reading deadline extended, Assigned to Senate Revenue Committee
Business Licensing and Permitting Digitalization and Reform
- HB 5180 (Gill) – Re-referred to House Rules Committee
- SB 3768 (Villivalam) – 3rd Reading deadline extended, Assigned to Senate Appropriations Committee
Reasonable Paid Leave for All Workers Act Relief
- HB 5128 (Ugaste) – Re-referred to House Rules Committee
- SB 3622 (Lewis) – 3rd Reading deadline extended, Assigned to the Paid Leave Subcommittee of the Senate Executive Committee
Biometric Information Protection Act (BIPA) Reform
- HB 2838 (Ugaste) – Re-referred to House Rules Committee
- SB 3122 (Balkema) – Re-referred to the Senate Committee on Assignments
Federal
April saw some dramatic progress on important issues:
DHS Funding Enacted – After 75 days, the longest government shutdown in US history was resolved with the signing of a bill to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This includes funding for key agencies like the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Coast Guard (USCG), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) through September 30, 2026. The legislation does not include funding for immigration enforcement agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP).
“Skinny” Reconciliation Bill 2.0 – As mentioned above, the DHS funding bill did not address ICE or CBP. These two areas of homeland security have been at the center of a deep partisan divide. With majorities in both the House and Senate (but with not enough members to avoid a filibuster), Republicans intend to fund ICE and CPB through a process known as budget reconciliation. This approach will allow these areas to be funded without a single democrat vote, if they are able to keep their members together. The process would be similar to how the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) was passed, but this legislation is anticipated to be much more narrow in scope (hence the “skinny” description).
Warsh Nomination – On Wednesday, April 29, 2026, the Senate Banking Committee voted 13-11 (along partisan lines) to advance Kevin Warsh’s nomination for Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, bringing him a step closer to replacing current chair, Jerome Powell at the nation’s central bank. Chairman Powell has indicated that he intends to stay on the board as a member if replaced as chair.
EO on Fixed Price Contracts – On Thursday, April 30, 2026, the Trump administration issued an executive order directing federal agencies to maximize the use of fixed-price contracts and performance-based contracts that tie contractor profit to measurable outcomes. The intent is to reduce overspending, improve efficiency, and incentivize performance. If you do business with the federal government under cost-reimbursement contracts, I encourage you to consult your attorney as to how this executive order will impact your business.
More Congressional Retirements – Regardless of the results of the midterm elections, the US House of Representatives will look much different in 2027. More than 13% of the House (and depending on election results, potentially 20%) will be freshmen members. In addition, a majority of the House will have served 6 years or fewer.
SCOTUS Gerrymandering Ruling – In a 6-3 decision, on April 29, 2026 the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled in the case of Louisiana v Callais, et al that the 2024 Louisiana election map, which created a second majority-black congressional district, was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. Justice Alito delivered the opinion and was joined by Chief Justice Roberts, Justice Thomas, Justice Gorsuch, Justice Kavanaugh, and Justice Barrett Justice Kagan filed a dissenting opinion, joined by Justice Sotomayor and Justice Jackson. This landmark decision comes at an interesting time as efforts to redraw legislative maps (and impact the political balance of power) are occurring in several states. For example, to comply with the decision, Louisiana will need to redraw their map prior to the 2026 elections. Other states may opt to do so as well. To the surprise of absolutely no one, reaction to (and media coverage of) the decision has been extremely polarized. If you would like to read the actual court decision, it can be found HERE
Middle East Conflict and Global Trade Implications– The conflict in Iran continues to have an enormous impact on the global economy. The United States faces a complex and difficult situation. On one hand, the prospect of a rogue nation like Iran possessing 600+ KG of highly enriched uranium, enough for at least 12 nuclear bombs, is terrifying. On the other hand, the current situation is not without significant economic impacts. While a fragile ceasefire seems to be holding, there are risks of renewed fighting. Meanwhile, the dual blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is resulting in major disruptions. Iran’s economy is in freefall, with rampant inflation, mass layoffs, and protest risks. Their oil losses are estimated at $150-$170 M per day. Their rationing of energy and electricity along with their decision to restrict internet usage is costing them another $30-$40 M per day. The threat of a full-blown humanitarian crisis becomes more likely each day.
However, Iran is not the only one facing negative consequences. There is an obvious cost and risk of having 50,000+ US troops in the region. Oil has reached its highest price in 4 years, and many businesses are implementing fuel and logistics surcharges. Higher prices and fragile supply chains are compressing margins across industries. Tighter financing conditions are delaying rate cuts, and we are seeing rounds of layoffs in the technology, chemical, and retail sectors. Due largely to precautionary shutdowns (vs. physical damage to oilfields) Gulf oil production is a mere 5.5 M barrels per day, with 57% of pre-conflict supply offline.
In addition to the impacts on energy, fertilizer and food security issues exist. 30% of global fertilizer and 20% of Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) are transmitted through the Strait. Fertilizer prices have soared 30-50%. Farmers are responding by reducing use, shifting their crop mix, and delaying planting. This risks lower yields and higher food prices later this year. Food-importing regions like Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East face the most significant starvation risks if the Strait remains closed.