It is with a great deal of humility that I present my first message to the membership as the new IADA Executive Director. I have been privileged to represent the Illinois dealership industry at the State Capitol as your IADA Director of Legislative Affairs for the past 37 years, so my transition to assuming the responsibilities as the Executive Director should be very seamless. Our goal at IADA will be to continue to lead a strong, unified voice for all dealers and ensure that the various legislative and regulatory agencies know the Illinois dealership industry is a compelling group to be reckoned with — one that speaks and works together.
On behalf of the IADA Board of Directors and staff, I would like to thank all our members for supporting association activities this past year. 2021 was again a year like no other, with cancellations and revisions due to the COVID situation. We are encouraged by some more recent news and look forward to a year that will hopefully look a bit more normal with person-to-person contacts.
For 2022, lawmakers plan to meet through April 8 for a legislative session focusing on fiscal issues and passing a budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The April adjournment date leaves legislators time to campaign ahead of this year’s primary, pushed back to June 28 due to delays in last year’s redistricting process. The redistricting process will lock in legislative boundaries for the next 10 years.
As always, the upcoming elections will determine which party will control the daily operations of the two legislative chambers beginning in 2023. In addition to all the General Assembly member seats being up for election, the Governor’s, Secretary of State’s, Attorney General’s, Comptroller’s, and Treasurer’s offices are also up this campaign year.
Ensuring that the legislators understand our industry and the impact that proposed legislation could have on your business is a primary function of your IADA team. Being successful on this front relies on the relationships we have built and continue to build with Representatives and Senators from every locality on your behalf.
We encourage you now more than ever to get involved in our legislative grassroots efforts. When contacted for assistance, take a moment to reach out and help educate legislators on pending legislation impacting your business! We will support you with key messaging and contact information, and we need your voices at the grassroots level to be effective.
Thank you for your support and involvement with IADA!
