Chamber sets 2026 legislative forums, QC priorities

The Quad Cities Chamber kicks off its annual legislative forums on Friday, Jan. 23, with a laundry list of federal, state and local 2026 legislative priorities that includes promoting Quad Cities passenger rail.

The event series will feature local leaders talking about what’s going on in the Illinois and Iowa legislative sessions that opened this week.

This year’s forums –  which include breakfast and legislative kickoff and mid-session updates along with the annual Mayors Breakfast – run through Friday, April 3. 

The annual legislative series allows Quad Cities business leaders to hear firsthand what lawmakers are doing to address Quad Cities priorities. The chamber recently detailed its 2026 legislative priorities for the Illinois and Iowa legislatures and the U.S. Congress. It includes some repeats of some of its 2025 goals.

“Our government affairs work focuses on building our region, enhancing quality of life and making the QC the place people want to live, expand their careers and grow their families,” the chamber said. “Our legislative agenda advances every one of those goals. During the legislative session, these advocacy priorities will consume the conversations we have with federal, state and local policymakers.”

Events, trips schedule

The roster of legislative events include:

• Friday, Jan. 23, Iowa Legislative Kickoff Forum, St. Ambrose University, Rogalski Center, Davenport.
• Friday, Jan. 30, Illinois Legislative Kickoff Forum, Bally’s Quad Cities, Rock Island.
• Wednesday, Feb. 25, Quad Cities Mayors Breakfast, Bally’s Quad Cities.
• Friday, March 13, Iowa Midsession Update, Urban Campus, Eastern Iowa Community College, Downtown Davenport.
• Friday, April 3, Illinois Midsession Update, to be announced.

In addition to the event series, Quad Citians also are being sought to join the chamber’s legislative trips. They center on the following topics and include these trips:

• Des Moines, Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 10-11.
• Springfield, Monday and Tuesday, March 25-26.
• Washington D.C., Tuesday and Wednesday, April 14-15.

During those trips Quad Citians will discuss a local agenda that includes the following goals. 

Quad Cities priorities

• Support the vibrancy of downtowns by improving perceived public safety and homelessness.
• Reduce the region’s housing deficit by supporting development of housing at all price points.
• Promote alignment of building codes and other local regulations among Quad Cities municipalities. (See more details here).
• Collaborate with local governments to promote investment in amenities that attract and retain talent.
• Promote creative use and expansion of incentives for industrial and mixed-use development.
• Promote business-friendly, fiscally-responsible tax policy.
• Work with municipalities to promote funding opportunities for local businesses.
• Promote transportation connectedness throughout all communities.
• Promote implementation of complete streets throughout communities and in new developments.
• Engage with and support the modernization of infrastructure, benefiting economic development efforts and quality of life.

Federal priorities

• Promote investment in regional infrastructure needs, including rail, bridges, ports, roadways and the Quad Cities International Airport.
• Secure funding for the critical Supply Chain Site Development Program and other site-readiness initiatives.
• Advocate for fair trade policies that support growth and development of Quad Cities businesses and reduce uncertainty. Read more here.
• Support reauthorization of Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), with full funding and modernization to maintain and enhance local control.
• Support bipartisan changes to the U.S. immigration system that assist employers with difficult-to-fill roles.
• Grow investment in and incentives for child care availability and affordability.
• Promote easing of the regulatory burden on apprenticeship programs.
• Aggressively pursue federal research funding to support institutions and research capabilities in the Quad Cities region.
• Maintain and grow investment and resources on the Rock Island Arsenal.
• Encourage a light-touch regulatory approach that emphasizes stability, predictability and fairness.
• Promote repeal of burdensome, outdated regulations that impact Quad Cities businesses as well as permitting reform.
• Support targeted improvements in United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) during the six-year review process.
• Support passage of a new Miscellaneous Tariff Bill and reauthorization of other trade assistance programs.

Iowa legislative priorities

• Secure Iowa’s participation in the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Compact.
• Monitor and address business and utility concerns with the utility regulatory environment, focused on growing reliable energy capacity for the Quad Cities.
• Protect and grow investment in workforce training and post-secondary education.
• Promote creation of new programs to assist community investment in site readiness.
• Grow investment in child care availability and affordability.
• Grow investment in amenity development through programs such as Destination Iowa and CAT grants.
• Support strategies and investments that address the mental health challenges of local communities and public safety concerns.
• Support passage of tourism improvement district (TID) legislation.
• Support Centennial Bridge reconstruction​​​​​​.
• Maintain and enhance developer incentives, including Tax Increment Financing (TIF), the Workforce Housing Tax Incentive and similar programs.
• Support continued implementation of responsible income tax reductions.
• Protect existing business incentives and tax credits while promoting changes that enhance competitiveness.
• Mediate legislation aimed at eliminating swipe fees on taxes and tips.
• Engage in property tax negotiations to support growth while protecting public services.
• Encourage a light-touch regulatory approach that emphasizes stability, predictability and fairness.
• Support government efficiency efforts that provide certainty and flexibility for businesses when working with the state government.
• Support efforts to enter into licensing reciprocity agreements that support bi-state employment.
• Promote reform of Iowa’s three-tier alcohol system.
• Read more here.

Illinois legislative priorities

• Advocate for funding and deployment of the Chicago-to-Quad Cities passenger rail connection.
• Share the impact of and advocate against further regulatory burdens on businesses.
• Maintain existing site-readiness funding and secure funding for the Quad Cities.
• Support investment in child care availability and affordability.
• Support investment in four-year, community and technical colleges that serve the Quad Cities region.
• Support increased funding and flexibility for employee training programs.
• Align state workforce goals and funding under a single leadership.
• Support strategies and investment to address the mental health challenges of local communities and public safety concerns.
• Promote funding for private workforce training programs.
• Deliver new funding for housing, quality of life and redevelopment.
• Promote business-friendly tax policy and oppose efforts to place the full burden of state budget growth on the business community.
• Promote reform of the Illinois replacement tax.
• Support repeal of the Illinois COVID-19 era Net Operating Loss cap.
• Extend authorization for the River Edge Zone Historic Tax Credit program.
• Support expanding business improvement district legislation to include the Quad Cities.
• Advocate for increased efficiency and transparency for government contracting and payment for awarded government contracts.
• Support Centennial Bridge reconstruction.
• Encourage a light-touch regulatory approach that emphasizes stability, predictability and fairness.
• Support licensing reciprocity agreements that support bistate employment.
• Monitor and engage with utility regulatory changes to modernize and enhance energy capacity.
• Read more here