Chamber Members:
Specific details have yet to emerge as hoped regarding details of the bipartisan federal aid proposal. Lawmakers initially had hoped to have the text finished Monday, though that is now expected later in the week. Sen. Joe Manchin (D., W.Va.), a member of the bipartisan group, said he hoped to start releasing detailed summaries of the proposal’s sections sometime on Tuesday.
We’re two days away from our second Town Hall Conversation. Make sure you check out the full details below to register.
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The Latest on Federal Aid & Gov’t Shutdown Negotiations
Negotiators in the House and Senate are racing to finish a massive end-of-year deal to fund the government and provide help to workers and families struggling through a worsening pandemic. Last-minute sticking points are threatening to push the talks into the weekend or next week and may scuttle an agreement all together despite momentum for a deal that has been building since last week.
Lawmakers are struggling to resolve a long-running dispute over what kind of liability protections to give businesses and other entities operating during the pandemic, one of two big stumbling blocks remaining in their efforts to strike a deal on an emergency relief package. The second, as we reported yesterday, seems to be the final amount for local and state government.
Sen. John Cornyn (R., Texas) said the two issues were essentially paired together to satisfy each party’s demands. “It’s clear that Democrats want additional state and local money and Republicans by and large are asking for some common-sense liability provisions and those are coupled together,” he said.
How long legal protections for firms, schools and nonprofits should last has been a central topic in the discussions, according to lawmakers and aides involved in the negotiations. Republicans have made several offers that Democrats have resisted, according to a GOP aide. Meanwhile, Republicans have balked at a proposal to have a temporary freeze on lawsuits, arguing lawyers would simply wait for that period to end before filing suit.
In a sign of leadership’s involvement in the rank-and-file effort, Senator Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, and Mr. Cornyn, a senior ally of Mr. McConnell, have led the effort on a liability shield. Mr. Cornyn helped craft the Republican liability proposal, which Mr. Durbin has vocally criticized. Sen. Mitt Romney (R., Utah), as part of the bipartisan negotiations, has crafted a proposal that would put a federal liability shield in place for injuries that occurred in 2020, according to a person familiar with the proposal, instead of through 2024, as the GOP plan proposes.
Mr. Romney said after a meeting of the bipartisan group Monday night that lawmakers are discussing establishing a standard of care that would treat people who are injured in the future differently from those who became ill in 2020. There was no consensus Monday night on the details of how that would work, lawmakers said. “There was a good faith discussion and I think we may be able to get there,” Mr. Romney said.
Some further details on government funding have leaked out, building on what was reported yesterday. The package would divvy up the funding based on population size, each state’s relative share of the nation’s infection rate and each state’s share of the total revenue loss this year. State and local governments would be prohibited from using the money on unfunded liabilities or pensions.
Finally, after being thought of as completely out of the picture, personal stimulus checks are creeping back into the discussion. Several sources say that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s opposition to direct payments is softening.
The White House, President Trump and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy are for direct payments as part of a stimulus deal. The administration is going to push hard for checks, and we’re told that if a package comes together, McConnell is not likely to stand in the way — provided the right mix of policies are included. A tentative plan we heard was for the White House to add direct payments into its counter to McConnell’s offer, if and when that comes together.
U.K. Begins Vaccination
The United Kingdom has become the world’s first nation to begin vaccinating its citizens with a fully vetted and authorized Covid-19 shot, a landmark moment in the coronavirus pandemic.
The first person in the U.K. to receive the vaccine is 90-year-old Margaret Keenan. “It’s the best early birthday present I could wish for because it means I can finally look forward to spending time with my family and friends in the New Year after being on my own for most of the year,” Keenan said.
FDA Says Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine Meets Success Criteria
The Food and Drug Administration concluded in a detailed analysis that the first Covid-19 vaccine being considered for U.S. distribution “met the prescribed success criteria” in a clinical study, paving the way for the agency to green-light distribution as early as this weekend.
An outside panel of scientific advisers will review the FDA report Thursday, along with a companion analysis from the vaccine’s manufacturers, Pfizer Inc., and German partner BioNTech BNTX. A favorable recommendation from the panel is expected to be followed within a few days by the FDA granting emergency authorization for the vaccine.
The FDA analysis released Tuesday highlighted various “known benefits” from the vaccine. These included “reduction in the risk of confirmed Covid-19 occurring at least seven days after Dose 2.” The Pfizer vaccine requires two doses for full protection.
In addition, the FDA said another benefit was reduction in the risk of confirmed Covid-19 after the first dose and before the second dose. Another clear benefit, the agency said, was “reduction in the risk of confirmed severe Covid-19 any time after dose 1.”
The reference to reduction in confirmed severe disease was important, as early critics of some of the vaccine trials were concerned that only mild to moderate disease was prevented.
Cannabis Revenue Remains High
As expected, Illinois set a new high for tax revenue on adult-use cannabis in November, in the process closing in on the money generated by liquor taxes.
The Illinois Department of Revenue posted a record $22.9 million in taxes from recreational marijuana in November, following in the footsteps of the record $75.3 million in sales from October, as collections typically lag a month behind sales. With the increase from the previous month’s record of $21 million, the state approached $150 million in revenue generated in the first 11 months of legalization, with another month to go to complete the year.
Legal cannabis came within $3 million of the revenue generated from liquor taxes, as the state collected $25.7 million from booze sales in November.
That might be the end of the record highs for the time being, however. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation reported just last week that sales of adult-use cannabis actually declined slightly in November to $75.2 million, even as sales to so-called cannabis tourists from out of state reached another new high. Overall, the state has generated the $150 million of revenue on sales of $582 million.
The Revenue Department also reported that gas taxes reached a pandemic high of $213 million in November, and hotel taxes cracked $10 million for the first time since COVID-19 hit in March. Gaming taxes, however, barely cracked $100,000. Last November, the state recorded $227 million in motor-fuel taxes, $46 million in hotel taxes, and $161,000 in gaming revenue.
Can Your Boss Restrict Your Holiday Plans?
As the holiday season gets under way amid a Covid-19 surge across the country, employers are taking measures to encourage employees to limit their potential virus exposure and to safeguard workplaces. What is your boss is entitled to know about your holiday plans?
Employers have wide latitude during a pandemic in what they can ask regarding your holiday plans. That includes asking workers to take a pledge to refrain from any risky behavior—as some companies did right before Thanksgiving—and cautioning employees against any conduct that would violate federal or local health guidelines. It varies by state, but if it is a matter of protecting the safety of the workplace, employers can also discipline workers for what they do during off hours. That could include if workers don’t disclose potential exposure to the virus and return to the workplace without quarantining after personal travel or after attending large celebrations.
Limitations on what employers can restrict in your off-time vary by state, but companies generally have leeway when it comes to protecting workplace safety. It is key that whatever rules employers adopt are applied consistently to all employees.
Employers are required under Occupational Safety and Health Administration rules to provide a safe workplace, says Jennifer Merrigan Fay, an employment-law partner in Boston at Goodwin Procter LLP. While companies can’t unreasonably invade an employee’s privacy and make requests such as not to go outside, they can take other unusual, but not illegal, steps during a health crisis aimed at preventing the spread of Covid-19.
Companies can, for example, require employees to disclose any travel plans or recent trips, and can enforce recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or local health mandates for post-travel quarantine periods. Some firms also ask or require employees to sign pledges stating they’ll keep celebrations small, wear a mask or even limit contact with people outside of their household, she said.
Program Notices & Reminders
Business Services Webinar from the Workforce Center of Will County
Join this Webinar to learn how the Workforce Center can assist your business with resources you need to find, hire, and retain hard-working employees.
Wednesday, December 9, 2020 from 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
To register for the webinar please click on the link below:
https://bit.ly/36e7yY8
ComEd Bill Assistance
Small-business customers can visit ComEd.com/SmallBizAssistance or call 1-877-4-COMED-1 (1-877-426-6331) to learn more or apply for the Small Business Assistance Program.
ComEd’s bill-assistance programs also include flexible payment options for residents, financial assistance for past-due balances and usage alerts for current bills. Any customer who is experiencing a hardship or difficulty with their electric bill should call ComEd immediately at 1-800-334-7661 (1-800-EDISON-1), Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to learn more and enroll in a program.
Business Interruption Grant
Funds still remain and the program is still open for application. Please visit:
https://www2.illinois.gov/dceo/SmallBizAssistance/Pages/C19DisadvantagedBusGrants.aspx
SBA EIDL
Low-interest Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are still available to Illinois small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small aquaculture businesses and private nonprofit organizations.
The SBA has opened a Virtual Business Recovery Center to apply online using the Electronic Loan Application via the SBA’s secure website at https://DisasterLoanAssistance.sba.gov/. Business owners and residents should contact the SBA Customer Service Representatives at
(800) 659-2955 for assistance in completing their applications. Requests for SBA disaster loan program information may be obtained by emailing FOCE-Help@sba.gov.
Tell Congress to Make PPP Loans Deductible – Call to Action
The Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020, or PPP, was passed in order to provide small businesses across the United States crucial relief during widespread government shutdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These loans can be forgivable when proceeds are used for payroll, rent, mortgage interest and utilities. Congressional leaders intended for PPP funded expenses to be deductible like other business expenses.
Despite the intent of Congressional leaders, additional legislation is needed to make PPP funds used to pay business expenses deductible. The failure to allow these deductions will have a devastating impact on small businesses struggling to keep their doors open and retain their employees.
Are you a small business owner who thought salary and expenses paid by PPP loans would be deductible? In partnership with the Small Business Advocacy Council (SBAC), we’re asking you to please contact your Congressional leaders and ask them to sponsor and strongly advocate for legislation that makes salary and other businesses expenses paid for by a PPP loan deductible!
You can contact your Senators and House Representative here: https://oneclickpolitics.global.ssl.fastly.net/messages/edit?promo_id=10057
See below for two articles for further information / aid on PPP forgiveness and deductibility
7 Resources for PPP Loan Forgiveness Help
https://www.uschamber.com/co/run/business-financing/ppp-loan-forgiveness-resources?utm_medium=Email&utm_source=SFMC&utm_campaign=MO_Newsletter&utm_content=2020_11_25
Will You Owe Taxes on Your Paycheck Protection Loan?
https://www.uschamber.com/co/run/finance/tax-implications-of-paycheck-protection-loans
SBDC at JJC Update
Here is a list of upcoming programs delivered from the Small Business Development Center through Joliet Junior College:
Video Marketing for Small Business
Date: 12/10/20
Time: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (CST)
Video production once meant bringing in a full production crew to produce a television commercial. Now, a child can produce a quality video on their phone. And that video is a very important component to your website, social media pages, product information, as well as your local advertising. Learn the benefits of video marketing and hear from Mike Puglitsch at Acclaim Media about how easy the process can be. https://ilsbdc.ecenterdirect.com/events/33572
Website Development
Date: 12/15/20
Time: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM (CST)
A website is more than just a placeholder to occupy property in cyberspace. Your website should be the central point that your social media, SEO, email marketing, pay per click ads, content, CRM…. orbit around to generate business for your business. Join Jason McCoy from WSI to discuss how to develop a website that meets your needs. https://ilsbdc.ecenterdirect.com/events/33652
21 Topics in 21 Minutes for 2021 Growth
Date: Scheduled one-on-one session
In less than 30 minutes, the Illinois Small Business Development Center at Joliet Junior College will help you prioritize key 2021 business plans whether it is for your people, your product, your marketing, your sales, your money, or the impact of this crisis. In this short, one-on-one exercise, we will help you determine up to three of the biggest opportunities for growth in the year ahead. We will offer no-cost tools to develop your strategy for success in those areas. Email us at SBDC@JJC.edu and we will send you a link for registration.
Finally, we will host our next Virtual Conference on Thursday, December 10th.
Town Hall Meeting – A follow up on the last 6 months
Please join the Joliet Chamber for an interactive virtual conference with community leaders from various business sectors including education, healthcare, and governmental affairs, for a follow-up conversation to the last Town Hall Meeting.
Panel of Speakers will include Dr. Arvid Johnson from the University of St. Francis, Ruth Colby from Silver Cross Hospital, Sue Olenek from the Will County Health Department, Barry Kolanowski from Senior Services Center, and Mike Paone from the Joliet Chamber. Here is the link to register: http://jolietchamber.chambermaster.com/events/details/2020-webinar-december-10-town-hall-meeting-5978
Stay well,
Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry Staff and Board of Directors
Mike Paone
Vice President – Government Affairs
Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry
mpaone@jolietchamber.com
815.727.5371 main
815.727.5373 direct