TMA Applauds Increased Support for Manufacturing in Springfield
With the 2023 Spring Session of the Illinois General Assembly nearing a close, the Technology & Manufacturing Association (TMA) released its annual Legislative Scorecard for 2022 which shows an encouraging increase of support for manufacturing among Illinois House and Senate members.
Of the votes tracked by TMA, the average scores among state senators increased from 46% to 57%, and the average scores among state representatives increased 14 points to 58%. TMA's Legislative Scorecard tracked lawmakers' votes on HB5412, SB157, SB208, HB5471, SB2940, and HB3296.
12 state senators scored 100%, with 15 scoring above 70%. 17 state representatives scored 100%, with 27 scoring over 70%.
State senators that scored 100% on TMA's Legislative Scorecard include: Dan McConchie (R-26), Dave Syverson (R-35), Neil Anderson (R-36), Win Stoller (R-37), Sue Rezin (R-38), John Curran (R-41), Sally Turner (R-44), Steve McClure (R-50), Chapin Rose (R-51), Darren Bailey (R-55), Terri Bryant (R-58), and Dale Fowler (R-59).
State representatives that scored 100% on TMA's 2022 Legislative Scorecard include: Amy Grant (R-42), Keith Wheeler (R-50), Tom Weber (R-64), Dan Ugaste (R-65), Tony McCombie (R-71), Daniel Swanson (R-74), Jackie Haas (R-79), Andrew Chesney (R-89), Randy Frese (R-94), Avery Bourne (R-95), Dan Caulkins (R-101), Thomas Bennett (R-106), Blaine Wilhour (R-107), Adam Niemberg (R-109), Paul Jacobs (R-115), David Friess (R-116), and Patrick Windhorst (R-118).
See the full list of legislators and their 2022 scores on the scorecard here: https://tmamidwest.com/nb/may-2022/16
“Small and midsized manufacturers make up the bulk of the industry in Illinois and they are becoming more engaged in how their state legislators vote in Springfield,” said TMA Executive Vice President Dennis LaComb. “There is a lot of work yet to do to lower costs and streamline regulations, but it's encouraging to see support for manufacturing grow in Springfield.”
TMA Lobbyist David Curtin notes that TMA is looking forward to even better scores in 2023 as TMA collaborates with legislators who are members of their bipartisan Small and Midsized Manufacturing (SaMM) Caucus.” Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are eager to show support for Illinois manufacturing while small and midsized manufacturers are ready to share their ideas with our state's decision-makers. We're seeing this new collaboration already bear fruit, and it's exciting because as we strengthen our manufacturing sector in Illinois, we can create more jobs for our skilled workers, we can grow our economy, and we can even help improve the state's budget,” said Curtin.
About TMA: Founded in 1925, the Technology and Manufacturing Association is an independent trade organization exclusively focused on assisting small and mid-size manufacturers by providing a diverse portfolio of benefits and services, including: community, information, training, resources, and advocacy. TMA has nearly 1,000 members representing over 35,000 manufacturing employees and more than 25 million square feet of manufacturing plant.