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Indiana has dubbed itself a "State that works."
Here in Illinois, it seems as though whenever there is a list of state rankings, the news is seldom good. In fact, it is usually just the opposite.
Chief Executive Magazine released a report earlier this year ranking Illinois the third-worst state in the nation for business. In the report, one CEO noted, "Illinois is becoming a worse state to do business in all the time. Other businesses are leaving Illinois, which affects our customer base."
The veto session is underway, and lawmakers have the opportunity to do something to improve the state's business climate.
One simple step lawmakers could take would be to enact meaningful lawsuit reforms. The 2017 Lawsuit Climate Survey, conducted by Harris Poll, ranks Illinois near the bottom of the nation in terms of its lawsuit environment — "48th" worst of the 50 states.
More than 85 percent of the business leaders surveyed by Harris Poll for this report say lawsuit climate is a "significant factor" in determining where to expand and grow.
The reality is companies look to move to states where the legal climate is fair, which is why Illinois' status as the third-worst state in the country for legal fairness is making it extremely difficult to attract new employers.
It is time to change course. Illinois needs more jobs and more opportunities. It is time we followed the lead of other states and finally enacted the reforms we need. The longer we wait, the more bad news we can expect Illinois to have.
TRAVIS AKIN
Illinois Lawsuit Abuse Watch
Marion
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