State Rep. Jehan Gordon (D-Peoria) and State Rep. Mike Smith (D-Canton) co-hosted a roundtable discussion with the Illinois Retail Merchants Association (IRMA) Wednesday in an effort to gain a greater understanding of the economic obstacles facing merchants across Illinois and especially in our region.
“The road toward fiscal recovery will be long and difficult, however, by keeping those lines of communication open between those who speak on the behalf of Illinois citizens and state government, we can work together to develop policies that will help support and rebuild the retail and business economic sector,” Rep. Gordon said.
The central Illinois lawmakers heard first-hand about how the fluctuating market is affecting local companies and what steps are necessary to continue implementing new legislation that will provide businesses with greater prospects for success in the future.
“These meetings are an ongoing effort to develop personal relationships between local business leaders and their elected officials, to inform elected leaders on the intricacies of retail that many people don’t see or realize simply by going in to a store, and to highlight the importance of the retail sector to Illinois’ economy and their community and charitable involvements that often get overlooked,” said Rob Karr of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association.
“This group represents hundreds of Illinois businesses both small and large, which translates into jobs and opportunities for the citizens of this state,” Rep. Smith said. “That is why I believe it is so important to meet with various organizations like the retail merchants to get a better understanding of this issues and needs of local companies to find out what we can do to help support them during this difficult economic time. As legislators we remain committed to creating avenues for future employment while working to sustain current jobs in Illinois.”
For more information, please contact Rep. Gordon’s constituent office at (309) 681-1992 or Rep. Smith’s constituent office at (309) 353-6276.
