Clayborne named 2017 Legislative Champion by Hispanic American Construction Industry Association

BELLEVILLE – Senate Majority Leader James F. Clayborne, Jr., D-Belleville, was named 2017 Legislative Champion by the Hispanic American Construction Industry Association for his work in passing Senate Bill 262.

SB 262 incentivizes diversity and inclusion of minority owned businesses among state vendors. Under the new law, if a company fails to file a report outlining how they will utilize local minority owned companies, they will be not be allowed to bid on state contracts for a year.

Clayborne made passing this crucial piece of legislation one of his biggest priorities during the spring legislative session.

“There simply isn’t enough economic opportunity and jobs to build a middle-class life for too many people across Illinois,” Clayborne said. “This bill will incentivize companies to invest in a diverse workforce and helps us bring jobs to the communities that need them the most.”

The legislation was passed unanimously by both the Senate and House of Representatives and was signed into law by the governor in August.

— The Illinois Business Journal