Business leader calls reopening plan out of balance

Posted on May 18, 2020
President and CEO of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, says the only way to bring Illinois back from the coronavirus-induced economic problem is to reopen business.(PHOTO:Illinois Chamber of Commerce)

 

By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD– A state business leader calls Gov. JB Pritzker’s approach to reopening Illinois business “out of balance.

“What we want to do is to go ahead and spur demand, because there is no substitute for demand in the economy,” said Todd Maisch, president and CEO of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. “You can’t write enough government checks to go ahead and fix the economy. You have got to let businesses who want to rehire and reopen do so, but under safe conditions.”

Maisch doubts very much will get done in Springfield this week, saying the budget situation carries more questions than answers.

“The governor has already talked about, between the two fiscal years (FY 20 and FY 21), a $7.3 billion deficit,” Maisch said. “We don’t see the additional federal aid coming out of Congress this week — (U.S. House Speaker Nancy) Pelosi (D-Calif.) and (Senate Majority Leader Mitch) McConnell (R-Ky.) are continuing to go back and forth — so I don’t see how you do that budget.”

Fiscal Year 2020 ends June 30. A budget vote after May 31 takes a three-fifths majority to pass.

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