Rockford Sun

As a small manufacturer in Rockford, I’ve seen firsthand how rising costs continue to put serious pressure on businesses. At Circle Boring & Machine, we take pride in what we do—providing high-quality work and good-paying jobs to our community. But staying competitive in Illinois is becoming increasingly difficult.

Small businesses today face a relentless wave of expenses: mounting compliance requirements, new fees, and the ever-present threat of frivolous lawsuits. It’s a perfect storm of compounding costs, and it’s hitting manufacturers especially hard.

Lawsuit abuse is a major part of that equation. Illinois' legal environment has shifted from accountability to one that enables exploitation. For small business owners like me, frivolous lawsuits often mean higher premiums, costly legal fees, and time spent fighting claims instead of doing what we do best: creating jobs and serving customers.

The legislature's latest attempt to blatantly ignore the needs of small businesses is Senate Bill 328, which would make matters worse by turning Illinois into a general jurisdiction state. If passed, this bill would open the door to even more lawsuits from out-of-state plaintiffs, even if the case has little to do with Illinois. SB 328 would make our state even more hostile to job creators and, consequently, more inviting to opportunistic trial lawyers.

To protect the vitality of small businesses across our state, policymakers must enact meaningful legal reform that curbs lawsuit abuse, restores balance to our courts, and ensures that Illinois remains a place where businesses can not only survive but thrive.

John Ekberg is a co-owner of Circle Boring & Machine Company in Rockford, Illinois.