Passenger rail, child care, higher-ed funding on leaders’ to-do list

Passenger rail to Moline, broader access to child care, housing tax credits and increased higher education funding are among the pro-business priorities Illinois Quad Cities state lawmakers say they are pursuing in Springfield in 2024. Those priorities also align with the three core topics contained in the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce’s 2024 Legislative Agenda, […]

Passenger rail to Moline, broader access to child care, housing tax credits and increased higher education funding are among the pro-business priorities Illinois Quad Cities state lawmakers say they are pursuing in Springfield in 2024. Those priorities also align with the three core topics contained in the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce’s 2024 Legislative Agenda, Ryan Sempf, the chamber’s executive director of government affairs, told business leaders at its Friday, Jan. 26, Illinois legislative forum. This was the second event in the chamber’s 2024 Legislative Events Series. Next up is the Friday, Feb. 9 event, when the chamber hosts the Quad Cities Mayors Breakfast at Rhythm City Casino, Davenport.

On Friday, Mr. Sempf lauded the quartet of Quad Cities lawmakers in attendance at Bally’s Quad Cities Casino & Hotel, Rock Island, just a week after the Illinois legislative session kicked off. Participating were Sen. Mike Halpin, D-Rock Island; Rep. Gregg Johnson, D-East Moline; Sen. Neil Anderson, R-Andalusia; and Rep. Dan Swanson, R-Alpha. Mr. Sempf – who asked lawmakers to look into their crystal ball to identify the pro-business issues that will be debated in the weeks ahead – also reminded attendees that the chamber’s website has a new interactive bill tracking system. It helps members follow a bill’s progress and allows them to see how their work aligns with the chamber’s three core topics: business and economic growth, quality of place, and workforce and talent development. Lawmakers at the event also lauded the chamber’s legislative work as well the business community’s support for their efforts in Springfield.

Bi-state balance needed

“We work very hard to try to prioritize issues for this region,” Mr. Halpin said. “But it is absolutely helpful and necessary to have organizations and local businesses back up our voices, come down to Springfield to talk to us, and to talk to our colleagues to make sure what we’re telling our colleagues is backed up by the folks in our district.” One area he’s focused on with the chamber, he said, is “trying to balance what we have on this side of the river” with Iowa. “I’m not a fan of racing to the bottom when it comes to workers safety or things like wages. But when it comes to responsible tax credits for developments that are not going to move here otherwise, I think that’s something that we can all get behind,” the senator said. One tax credit he is backing is a workforce affordable housing tax credit that “not only would provide good housing for middle income folks but also allow folks to transition out of older homes into newer housing that frees up inventory for folks that may need additional assistance.” The hope, Mr. Halpin added, is to make a dent in the more than 6,000 housing units lacking in the Quad Cities. “This is a way to help people move up that ladder and allow other folks to come in.” Mr. Swanson added, “If we’re doing all the right things, we’re training our workforce, we still have to make sure we have housing for people when they come here.”

Fair higher-ed funding key

As co-chair of the Senate Higher Education Committee, Mr. Halpin also is working to increase funding for higher education by creating a fairer funding formula similar to the one lawmakers created in 2017 for K-12 education. “It’s important to me to make sure that we have strong educational institutions not just here in the region, but throughout the state of Illinois,” Mr. Halpin said. “We’ve been underfunding higher education for years.” A rewritten funding formula will improve the state’s investment in universities and it will mean “more research dollars, and more opportunities for employment,” he said. It also will put the state “on the path of actually adequately funding higher and and not putting that burden on the institutions to raise tuition.” Mr. Swanson said that when he talks with college and university presidents he asks about deferred maintenance on their campuses. “It’s staggering the deferred maintenance that we have in our universities and colleges and it’s millions and millions and millions of dollars because there hasn’t been grant dollars available,” he said.

During those conversations he also asks campus leaders: “How much do you depend on Amtrak?”  Downstate colleges report that the service is essential to their health, and he and the other QC lawmakers also believe getting that long-promised service to the Quad Cities will boost Black Hawk College, Western Illinois University, Augustana College and other local institutions. The roadblock, Illinois lawmakers said, continues to be the Iowa Interstate Railroad, which owns and maintains 428 miles of track including a key section in Bureau County, Illinois, that must be upgraded to carry high-speed passenger rail traffic from Chicago to Moline.

How to help get train to QC

”We’re in a holding pattern,” Mr. Halpin said. The Illinois Department of Transportation is in discussions with the freight mover to have access to their track and improve their track, but so far, pressure from state lawmakers hasn’t helped. “If you have any relationships with this private entity on the Iowa side, tell them how important it is to your business for them to come to a fair deal,” Mr. Halpin urged local leaders. “Let’s get the job done and let’s get the train here.” Mr. Anderson also said Illinois lawmakers need to continue to talk about worker compensation reform. “I know it’s a tough topic with business and labor but it’s a conversation we have to have,” he said. Among other pro-business bills, Mr. Anderson backs are a measure to eliminate the franchise tax and another that provides tax credits for businesses who provide child care for the employees.

Child care reform essential

“Child care for kids” is a major priority for Mr. Swanson, who serves on the Illinois Early Childhood Education Committee. The need is especially critical for second- and third-shift workers thanks to a state requirement that centers must close at least an hour a day.  So even as lawmakers discuss the need for a stronger workforce, he said, “We’re tying the hands of our families by not allowing them to get to work because they are having child care issues. Look around, how many second- and third-shift parents can’t work because there's no child care for them?” “Setting up a child care center is burdensome,” he added, pointing to a requirement that private home-care centers are required to be inspected. Delays in getting that critical step completed have delayed the opening of such centers and created challenges for staffing them. Mr. Swanson also invited local day care operators to reach out to him so they can share their concerns during the statewide child-care reform listening tours. That’s not the only area where state requirements are challenging the ability to do business. Moline Mayor Sangeetha Rayapati asked lawmakers about the new more stringent CDL license requirements creating a shortage of qualified, licensed CDL drivers. The new more aggressive requirements also are impacting farmers, Mr. Swanson said.