Big package of business incentives has passed the Illinois House

Posted on May 23, 2024
HB 817 has passed the House, 98-14. (Dave Dahl/WJBC)

By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – A big package of business incentives, called the “quantum bill,” has passed the Illinois House.

The governor wants Illinois to be the epicenter of quantum computing – the Silicon Valley of the Midwest. State Rep. Dave Vella (D-Rockford) carried the bill.

“It has been projected that the incentives included in this bill will win us projects that will generate an estimated $21 billion in new state revenues,” said Vella.

State Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer (R-Jacksonville) said the state has it all wrong.

“About a decade ago, our budget was in the low $30 billion,” he said. “We have a proposed budget of almost $53 billion this year. The idea behind business growth and having more businesses and more taxpayers is that everyone should have to pay less. Unfortunately, the way it works is that as our economy grows, politicians in Springfield get more money to spend.”

HB 817 has passed the House, 98-14.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]

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