Prairie State Wire

The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), a prominent small business advocacy group in Illinois, is calling on lawmakers to oppose several proposed expansions of mandate regulations. According to the NFIB, these expansions could hinder small businesses and stifle competition.

Noah Finley, NFIB Illinois State Director, expressed concerns about the impact of prevailing-wage mandates on small contractors. "Prevailing-wage mandates create administrative complexity and paperwork requirements for small contractors," said Finley. "By raising the cost of doing business, these mandates effectively box smaller contractors out of public contracts, reducing opportunities for competition, cost containment, and innovation."

Several bills are currently under consideration:

- SB 164 proposes expanding Illinois' prevailing-wage mandate to federal construction projects managed by state or local governments if the federal rate is less than or equal to the state rate. This bill has been posted to the Senate Labor Committee this week.

- HB 1056 aims to extend the prevailing-wage mandate to include fixed works on publicly owned property. It is scheduled for review by the House Labor & Commerce Committee this week.

- HB 1189 also seeks to apply the prevailing-wage mandate to federal construction projects administered by state or local governments under similar conditions as SB 164. This bill passed through the House Labor & Commerce Committee last week.

- HB 1247 targets sewer inspection projects using closed-circuit television for identifying structural issues within sewer systems. This bill has been posted to the House Labor & Commerce Committee this week.

The NFIB's stance highlights ongoing debates over regulatory measures affecting small businesses in Illinois.