CHICAGO – State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) announced the local recipients of the Business Interruption Grant (BIG) Program’s second round of funding.

“I was honored to work with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to secure funding for our local businesses in the 8th District,” Villivalam said. “Small businesses are the engine of our economy and must be prioritized for economic relief to help them through this difficult time.”

Round 2 BIG funding was awarded to over 6,100 small businesses across the state, including 194 small businesses in the 8th Senate District. $227 million was distributed in Round 2, totaling $276 million in small business relief since the program began.

Originally published in Journal & Topics, January 20, 2021.

The Niles Chamber of Commerce and Industry will celebrate its 50th anniversary during an online leadership celebration at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 28, where Mayor Andrew Przybylo will deliver his annual State of the Village address and members of the chamber’s board of directors take their oath of office.

The event will also see chamber members honored for significant 2020 anniversaries while other speakers, including U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-9th) and State Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-8th), give updates from Washington, D.C., and Springfield, along with outgoing chamber President Vince Gendusa and incoming Chamber President Christine Pusateri.

Entertainment will be provided by students from Maine Township High School Dist. 207, Niles High School Dist. 219 and Notre Dame College Prep.

CHICAGO – To set a standard of dignified working conditions in new industries, State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) passed the Future of Work Act in the Illinois Senate on Wednesday.

“Our economy is changing dramatically to adapt to the pandemic, new industries and technology,” Villivalam said. “Illinois must be a leader in building an equitable future for working families by establishing clear and dignified standards of work.”

The Future of Work Act would establish the Future of Work Task Force to assess new and emerging technologies that have the potential to impact employment and wages, develop a baseline of job standards and working conditions, facilitate workforce development and research best practices on how to deploy technology to benefit working people.

Originally published on Law360, January 5, 2021.

Illinois would provide income tax credits to businesses for each employee hired who had previously been unemployed because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, under three separate but related bills introduced in the state Senate.

S.B. 4006, S.B. 4010 and S.B 4020, which were introduced Monday and sponsored or co-sponsored by Sen. Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago, would allow credits for businesses that hire employees who are unemployed as a result of the pandemic immediately prior to their hiring.

S.B. 4010 and S.B. 4020 would both provide credits to employers that hire a qualified resident to a new full-time job for taxable years between Jan. 1, 2020, and Jan. 1, 2025. The bills would provide $2,500 per hire for businesses with 100 to 500 employees and $5,000 for businesses with up to 100 employees. S.B. 4010 would also establish a $1,500 credit for businesses with over 500 employees.

Both bills would also increase credit amounts by $500 per hire if the employee resided in designated areas meeting a threshold poverty rate, unemployment rate or participation rate in free child lunch or nutrition assistance programs.

S.B. 4006 provides credits similar to S.B. 4020's but would not limit them to employees that are hired to a new full-time job and does not offer additional amounts for hires from designated areas.

The bills have been referred to the Senate Assignments Committee for review.