Dupage Policy Journal

Veteran state Sen. Amy Grant (R-Wheaton) is being saluted for her record of supporting Illinois' manufacturing industry.

The Illinois Manufacturers Association (IMA) recently named the Republican lawmaker a Champion of Manufacturing based on her 2019-20 Springfield voting record on related legislation. Both House and Senate members were evaluated based on votes they took on 34 different bills impacting the industry, with a score of 80% or above required for award recognition. 

An effusive Grant earned an 84% rating.

“There is no greater issue of importance for Illinoisans right now than creating jobs and promoting business growth because it’s the best way to improve our economy and stabilize the state’s finances,” she said. “As a legislator, it is an issue I take very seriously, and it’s an honor to be recognized for my advocacy and support of our manufacturing and business communities.”

IMA President and CEO Mark Denzler noted Grant has wasted little time in making a major impact.

“As a first-term lawmaker, Amy Grant has emerged as a strong advocate for Illinois manufacturing sector,” he said. “She understands the importance of a strong manufacturing economy and she supported the reinstatement of the Manufacturers Purchase Credit, the elimination of the Corporate Franchise Tax, and the creation of the Blue Collar Jobs Act, which collectively resulted in a $300 million tax cut for employers.”

Denzler added Grant has shown the kind of courage needed to take a stance against “burdensome taxes and regulations.”

Founded well over a century ago, the IMA is a nonprofit trade association for Illinois manufacturers. It is regarded as the largest and longest-running statewide manufacturing trade association in the country, with a mission “to strengthen the economic, social, environmental and governmental conditions for manufacturing and allied enterprises in the state of Illinois.”