Sangamon Sun

Veteran Illinois State Sen. Steve McClure (R-Springfield) said he doesn’t try hiding his disappointment with the turn Illinois has taken during the COVID-19 pandemic and the effect it has had on small businesses, as he believes government entities could work together much more effectively. 

“It’s really sad because, as they say, the small business industry is the backbone of the country and we’re watching ours disappear before our eyes,” McClure told the Sangamon Sun. “To see so many of them just being wiped out is really a tragic situation."

An article from The Center Square says the new TrackTheRecovery.org analysis found that since the beginning of the year the state has lost more than a third of all small businesses. 

Illinois' small businesses are in peril. | File photo

Overall, data compiled by Harvard and Brown universities and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation shows that as of Nov.16, the number of small businesses open dropped by some 35.4% compared to January of this year, with the industry also experiencing a revenue decline of more than 39% during that time.

“It’s all really tough to accept because I really don’t believe things have to be this way,” McClure said. “I really believe, if given all the data and a chance to be heard, the General Assembly can work together to find ways to make things work for everyone. Instead, the governor has taken everything into his own hands and gone his own way."

National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Illinois State Director Mark Grant points out that running a small business in Illinois was already quite the challenge even before the pandemic hit, given such factors as higher property taxes and workers’ compensation.

McClure said he sometimes wonders if the governor truly understands the impact his actions are having on people and businesses struggling to hold on.

“Every day, I see businesses closing and I get calls and emails from small business owners and their employees wondering what they do now," McClure said. "I see the pain and know we should be doing more to help people."