At one point, Illinois was a beacon for businesses all around the world.
These days, the opposite is true after decades of Democrat control.
But Lori Lightfoot is cackling in delight after Illinois passes this anti-business measure.
Illinois’s state government will not rest until the state is completely bankrupt
Businesses have fled the Midwest in recent decades as a direct result of Democrat political control.
Unions, special interests, and drug addicts come before businesses and commuters for most Democrat lawmakers in states like Illinois, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, and the results are devastating.
Cities like Detroit and Chicago now resemble bombed-out Ukrainian cities after jobs and businesses fled due to anti-business regulations.
Illinois is easily the most extreme far-Left controlled state in the Midwest, and just last Monday, Illinois became even more hostile to businesses.
That’s when Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a law that will force businesses to give employees paid time off based on how many hours they work per week.
According to the new law, employers must provide at least 1 hour of paid time off for every 40 hours worked. The law takes effect on January 1, 2024.
This paid time off can be used for any reason whatsoever.
One wonders if that would retroactively include now former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot who was recently booted from office by Windy City voters.
After signing this radical bill in Downtown Chicago last week, Governor Pritzker claimed “Too many people can’t afford to miss even a day’s pay … together we continue to build a state that truly serves as a beacon for families, and businesses, and good paying jobs.”
What Governor Pritzker did not mention is the number of businesses that will flee the state as a direct result of this anti-business bill.
Many small businesses already operate with razor-thin profit margins, if there is any profit, and this new measure will force employers to lose even more money.
Illinois has authorized a number of anti-business measures in recent years.
That includes enshrining a ban in the state constitution to stave off future passage of a state Right to Work law, which would prevent union bosses from having workers fired if they disagree with being forced into the union and, by extension, unions’ overwhelming support of Democrat politicians.
States should prioritize making their states open for business
If states like Illinois wish to bring businesses to the state, passing expensive socialist laws like mandatory paid time off is not the right way to do it.
Lowering taxes, taking power away from union bosses, and cutting back on red tape are all ways that states can bring business to their state.
Illinois is more interested in playing politics than in improving its economy.
As it stands, Illinois is staring down the barrel of an economic meltdown due to its massive billions in unfunded liabilities, and this bill will certainly make Illinois’s rocky economic condition even worse.
Stay tuned to Blue State Blues for any updates to this ongoing story.
