SCHAUMBURG – Not only does the privately-funded Technology & Manufacturing Association work hard to provide events, services, opportunities and training for its small and mid-size manufacturers, the TMA represents their members to lawmakers in Springfield and Washington D.C.
TMA’s Advocacy Team, consisting of state lobbyist David Curtin, government affairs consultant Rich Carter and communications consultant Fran Eaton, work together on several levels:
- To alert TMA members of legislative developments affecting their businesses;
- To encourage TMA members to develop relationships with their federal, state and local policymakers through personal visits, written and verbal communications and other interactions;
- To inform TMA members through regular TMA Legislative Briefings with active lawmakers and policymakers;
- To survey candidates on topics of importance to small and midsize manufacturers and issue election questionnaire findings;
- To get involved in political campaigns by supporting candidates that understand issues affecting small and midsized manufacturing;
- To update TMA members with an annual Legislative Scorecard that reports how lawmakers are voting on issues of importance to them.
And the list doesn’t stop there.
ADVOCACY HIGHLIGHTS
Check out highlights of just some of TMA’s Advocacy efforts in the right hand column.
State Rep. Tony McCombie encourages TMA members to “get their legislators in their buildings.”
State Sen. Bill Cunningham recalls how he first got involved in dealing with the effects of the Biometric Information Privacy Act and why he worked to make changes in it over the past legislative session.
State Rep. Tom Weber shares how impressed he was during a visit with TMA former Board Chairman Nicole Wolter’s HM Manufacturing facility.
Other short segments focus on TMA’s efforts to amend the Biometric Information Privacy Act in the 2023-2024 Illinois General Assembly session.
Those highlights are just a sampling of the rich information TMA provides its lawmakers on a regular basis.
TMA ADVOCACY BRIEFINGS
In addition, the TMA state lobbyist David Curtin has organized an impressive group of state lawmakers into the Small and Midsize Manufacturers’ Caucus (the SaMM Caucus). The caucus works together to promote legislation that encourages manufacturing by working through crucial topics such as regulation reform, education updates and tort law consideration.
Several SaMM Caucus members have joined TMA’s Advocacy Team in public discussions and interviews over the past two years.
Available via YouTube, TMA provides insight from the following SaMM Caucus members and business policymakers during the 2023-2024 session:
- State Rep. Tony McCombie
- Former State Rep. Tim Ozinga (former co-chair of SaMM Caucus)
- State Rep. Dan Ugaste (current co-chair of SaMM Caucus)
- State Senator John Curran
- State Sen. Dave Koehler
- State Sen. Jason Plummer (co-chair of SaMM Caucus)
- State Sen. Seth Lewis
- State Sen. Bill Cunningham
- State Sen. Craig Wilcox
Similar conversations are planned as the Illinois General Assembly returns in November 2024.
Visit the TMA YouTube Page at https://www.youtube.com/@TMAMidwest
For more information on TMA Advocacy efforts, write info@tmaillinois.org
