{"id":2480927,"date":"2025-08-31T13:27:02","date_gmt":"2025-08-31T17:27:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/legislator-warns-bad-illinois-policy-continues-to-hurt-business-investment\/"},"modified":"2025-08-31T13:28:23","modified_gmt":"2025-08-31T17:28:23","slug":"legislator-warns-bad-illinois-policy-continues-to-hurt-business-investment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/legislator-warns-bad-illinois-policy-continues-to-hurt-business-investment\/","title":{"rendered":"Legislator warns bad Illinois policy continues to hurt business investment"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Flegislator-warns-bad-illinois-policy-continues-to-hurt-business-investment%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2480927&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dei-disaster-petition-circulating-within-secret-service-community-warns-of-potential-insider-threats\/\" title=\"DEI Crisis: Secret Service Petition Raises Concerns About &#039;Insider Threats\">article discusses concerns raised<\/a> by Illinois State Representative Brad Halbrook about the state&#8217;s business climate.Despite a relatively <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/after-win-streak-trump-plateaus-white-house-report-card-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"After win streak, Trump plateaus: White House Report Card - Washington Examiner\">high approval rate<\/a> for business operation applications, Illinois struggles with low conversion of business applications into actual open establishments, with only 5.6% succeeding in the first year-ranking third-lowest in the Midwest adn below the national average. Halbrook attributes this to Illinois&#8217; high taxes, heavy regulation, and <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >restrictive policies largely driven<\/a> by the Democratic majority, including the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/maine-city-taxpayers-may-lose-services-to-cover-migrant-housing-costs\/\" title=\"Maine City Taxpayers May Lose Services to Cover Migrant Housing Costs\">highest property tax<\/a> and the second<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/illinois-democrats-force-gas-stations-to-advertise-their-delay-of-a-2-cent-gas-tax-increase\/\" title=\"... Democrats Force Gas Stations To Advertise Their Delay Of A 2-Cent Gas Tax Increase\">-highest gas tax<\/a> in the nation. The state has experienced a significant loss of businesses-218 in 2023 alone, and over 2,600 since 1994, a trend that worsened post-pandemic. He warns that rising costs and stringent policies continue to hinder business growth and investment, pushing companies to relocate to more business-kind states like Florida, tennessee, Texas, and North Carolina. <br \/> <!DOCTYPE html><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Legislator warns bad Illinois policy continues to hurt business investment<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2215876\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>(The Center Square) &ndash; With businesses in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/illinois\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Illinois<\/a> now suffering on multiple levels, state Rep. Brad Halbrook argues it&rsquo;s clear the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/state-legislatures\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">state<\/a> has become its own worst enemy when it comes to charting a clearer pathway.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/census-bureau\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">U.S. Census Bureau<\/a> statistics show only 5.6% of business applications across the state ultimately turned into establishments open for business within the first year, equating to the third-lowest conversion rate in the Midwest and falling well below the national average of 6.1%.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3788773\/louisiana-colleges-steadily-enrolling-medical-students-law-dentistry-pharmacy-mixed\/\">LA colleges steadily enrolling medical students; law, dentistry and pharmacy mixed<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3788733\/seattle-prepping-for-potential-protests-over-christian-concert\/\">Seattle PD prepping for potential protests over Christian concert at Gas Works Park<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3788734\/du-quoin-state-fair-gets-50-million-senator-defends-two-state-fairs-illinois\/\">Du Quoin State Fair gets $50M as senator defends two state fairs in Illinois<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The data comes despite the state ranking near the top across the region for approval to operate applications submitted.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s extremely difficult to start and grow a new business in Illinois because everything that the Democrat majority does leads to higher costs, more regulation and more restriction,&rdquo; Halbrook, R-Shelbyville, told The Center Square. &ldquo;We are now the No. 1 property tax state in the nation, No. 2 in gas taxes and the list goes on. Businesses are going to go where there&rsquo;s less regulation, less taxing and a more ready supply of the workforce and Illinois is doing everything they can to make it more difficult.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Illinois lost 218 businesses to other states in 2023, and since 1994, that number jumps to 2,616, with the count tripling since the start of the pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>Halbrook said the bottom may still be yet to surface.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/3788532\/chicago-mayor-order-resisting-trump-crackdown-crime-illegal-immigration\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CHICAGO MAYOR SIGNS ORDER RESISTING TRUMP CRACKDOWN ON CRIME AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s people that have to live here, whether they&rsquo;re in the farming business or have a business that just has to stay, but it&rsquo;s just going to get more difficult,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Their cost of doing business is going to continue to increase, their margins either shrink or their prices go up, or both. We just have to continue to sound the alarm of how these policies that the Democrats pass every spring and every fall are detrimental to living and working, raising a family and growing a business in the state.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Florida, Tennessee, Texas and North Carolina rank among the top states for attracting businesses from other states, with California, New York and Maryland near the bottom.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Illinois policies continue to harm business growth, warns lawmaker<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2869,"featured_media":2480928,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AP060621046931.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[62353,6413,48423],"class_list":["post-2480927","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-business-investment","tag-illinois","tag-policy-impact"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AP060621046931.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2480927","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2869"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2480927"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2480927\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2480931,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2480927\/revisions\/2480931"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2480928"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2480927"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2480927"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2480927"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}