SPRINGFIELD HIGHLIGHTS - May 11, 2011

General Assembly Eliminates Free Health Care for State Employees - Facing a stark fiscal reality, small bipartisan majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate took a bold step this week by eliminating free health care for many retired state workers, university employees, judges, and state legislators. Under state law today, Illinois pays nearly $1 billion in annual health care costs under a program where the state contributes five percent of the cost for every year of state service.

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SPRINGFIELD HIGHLIGHTS - May 4, 2012

Successful IMA Business Day - More than 350 business leaders from the manufacturing and retail sectors gathered at the State Capitol this week for the 2012 Business Day where they had a chance to hear remarks from Governor Patrick Quinn and meet with their lawmakers.  More than one hundred legislators attended the Gala Reception in the evening where they had the chance to interact informally with business leaders from across Illinois.

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SPRINGFIELD HIGHLIGHTS - April 27, 2012

IMA Enterprise Zone Bill Clears Senate - The Illinois Senate unanimously passed an enterprise zone extension and modernization program championed by the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association and the Illinois Enterprise Zone Association.

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SPRINGFIELD HIGHLIGHTS - April 20, 2012

IMA Enterprise Zone Bill Clears Committee

A long-term extension of Illinois’ enterprise zone program championed by the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association flew through the Special Enterprise Zone Committee this week and will be considered by the full Senate next week.  Sponsored by Sen. Mike Frerichs and Sen. Pam Althoff, SB 3688 is a five-point program that modernizes and extends this successful economic development program that has led to nearly $50 billion in capital investment and the creation or retention of more than 900,000 jobs since its creation in the early 1980s.

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SPRINGFIELD HIGHLIGHTS - March 30, 2012

General Assembly Defines Budget Spending - After several weeks of Appropriation Committee meetings, the Illinois General Assembly further refined their $33.7 billion spending level this week by setting specific allocations for both non-discretionary spending programs and general categories of state services.

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SPRINGFIELD HIGHLIGHTS - March 23, 2012

Successful Primary Election for IMA and MPAC - After months of campaigning and millions of dollars in political ads, the Illinois primary election ended with several close races but very few surprises in a year when every seat in Congress and the Illinois General Assembly was on the ballot in newly drawn districts. Despite the large number of races on the ballot, Illinois voters stayed home in droves with the lowest voter turnout ever in a presidential primary election year.

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SPRINGFIELD HIGHLIGHTS - March 16, 2012

IMA Leads Effort to Extend Enterprise Zones - The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, joined by businesses, local officials, and economic development professionals, testified at the first public hearing of the newly created Special Committee on Enterprise Zone Extensions. As the only statewide business group to testify or offer support at the Carbondale hearing, the IMA expressed the need to renew and improve the current enterprise zone program that has led to more than $49 billion in capital investment and the creation or retention of more than 900,000 jobs since their creation in the 1980s.

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SPRINGFIELD HIGHLIGHTS - March 9, 2012

Primary Election Break - The General Assembly adjourned for the week and will take a week off so that members can return home and campaign during the final stretch before the primary election on Tuesday, March 20. When lawmakers return to session on March 21, they will have just more than two months remaining before the scheduled end of session at the end of May.

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SPRINGFIELD HIGHLIGHTS - March 2, 2012

Senators Support IMA Enterprise Zone Bill, Announce New Hearings - Senator Mike Frerichs (D-Champaign) and Sen. Pam Althoff (R-Crystal Lake) joined the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association and Illinois Enterprise Zone Association at a press conference on Monday afternoon to announce support for the IMA’s enterprise zone legislation and publicize four hearings that will be held around the state in the next month to highlight the need for Illinois enterprise zones.

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SPRINGFIELD HIGHLIGHTS - February 22, 2012

Gov. Quinn 2012 Budget Background - At noon today, Governor Patrick Quinn provided his fourth annual Budget Address since taking office in January 2009 following the impeachment of former Governor Rod Blagojevich. Under the Illinois Constitution, the Governor is required to annually prepare and submit a balanced budget to the General Assembly.

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