Ammons Touts New Small Business Assistance, Committee Progress

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – In a Thursday press conference, state Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana, touted the accomplishments of the House Small Business, Tech Innovation and Entrepreneurship committee. Several major policy initiatives have passed the committee, all focused on providing relief to small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and removing barriers to entry for professionals in underserved communities.

“I am proud of the work my committee has done to help Illinois’ small businesses,” Ammons said. “The legislation we passed was the result of listening to hours of testimony from expert stakeholders and holding vigorous debate in committee. Small businesses are the foundation of Illinois’ economy, and they deserve our attention and assistance. I look forward to continuing to lend a hand to hard-working Illinois families who have been hit hard by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Ammons passed House Bill 4993 out of committee, legislation which creates a fund to distributing money to chambers of commerce which have financially suffered during the pandemic. The funding will only go to chambers with less than 1,500 members. Ammons crafted this legislation with the help of the Small Business Advisory Council.

House Bill 5575, another Ammons bill, also passed. It creates the Comprehensive Licensing Information to Minimize Barriers (CLIMB) task force to address major barriers underserved communities are facing, specifically unfair and outdated business licensing requirements. High costs of licensure disproportionately affect low-income entrepreneurs and business owners without extra capital to spend. The task force will study solutions on how to remove similar barriers.

“It is disappointing that none of my Republican colleagues were interested in joining us to do this work, despite numerous invitations,” Ammons said. “Regardless, I feel confident that we are providing Illinois’ small businesses with much-needed assistance, and we will continue to do so as long as necessary.”