State & Federal Newsletter Updates
IDCEO - Southern Region Weekly Update - March 11, 2022
Welcome to March and Women’s HERstory Month. DCEO has begun our exciting month of celebrating and elevating HER story. See below for details. We have also announced our Regional Planning to Spur Economic Recovery (RISE) program this week. This program offers competitive grants to help local governments and economic development organizations create new regional or local plans to promote economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. More details on this program and an upcoming technical assistance session are below. Make sure to check out our social media throughout the month as we highlight businesses in honor of Women’s HERstory Month and provide more program updates. As always, please reach out with any questions. Don’t forget to “spring” forward this weekend. Daylight Savings time begins on Sunday.
Newsletter Topics include:
- Regional Planning to Spur Economic Recovery (RISE) Program
- Celebrating Women’s HERstory Month (webinars)
- Join DCEO’s Team
- Expanding Access to Capital in Illinois: How Illinois Financial Institutions can drive profit and purpose through the Illinois Advantage Illinois Loan Program
- Be a Successful Grantee – Illinois Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA)
- American Rescue Plan Funds (ARPA) for Non-entitlement Units (NEU) of Local Government – Program Updates
- Connect Illinois Round 3 Funding Now Open
- Back to Business Grant Program
- Following DCEO & Connecting with Team RED
- Team RED Virtual Office Hours for 2022
- IEPA Office of Energy – Energy Efficiency Upgrade at Public Wastewater Treatment Plants Funding Opportunity
- IDOT Planning & Research Grant Program
- Rural Energy for America Program
- USDA’s Rural Innovation Stronger Economy (RISE) Grant Program
- IDOT Building Blocks of Success
- Delta Regional Authority
Illinois State Treasurer - March 2022 E-Newsletter
Treasurer’s Note - Helping Ukraine
Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked, immoral, and unjustified invasion of neighboring Ukraine must not stand.
Certainly, this premeditated invasion imperils all of Europe and stokes fears not felt since World War II. Putin’s aggression has global implications.
The instability Putin needlessly created can be seen right here at home in the eyes of our neighbors: The Ukrainian Village in Chicago is home to the third largest Ukrainian population in the world.
Why did Putin do this? It is difficult to understand a madman.
Since Putin launched this brutal and senseless attack, we have been bombarded with questions on how this despotic behavior touches Illinois and its finances.
- No, the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office does not have any investments in Russia.
- Yes, we support efforts to divest Russia-issued securities and investments. While we typically do not advocate such action because removing our voice from a company silences our efforts to increase shareholder value, the stakes simply are too high. That is why I am leading a bipartisan effort at the national level to divest investments in Russian companies.
- Yes, the United States should stop buying Russian oil. Although Russian oil makes up a tiny fraction of the U.S. supply, stopping the flow of currency is critical to squeezing Putin and his billionaire cronies.
- Yes, there are small ways in which you can help. The easiest is to donate to a trusted non-profit that is working to ease this humanitarian crisis. Be cautious of firms you do not know or cold calls seeking donations over the telephone or via email. Unfortunately, there are a lot of bad actors in the world who use catastrophes to prey on others.
The United States, and we in Illinois, must not tolerate Putin’s war on a sovereign nation. He must be stopped immediately and punished for the pain and suffering he is inflicting upon the Ukrainian people, as well as his own citizens in Russia. We must do our part to ensure this aggression is repelled and is never allowed to occur again.
Together, with our strength, I am confident we can do so.
Sincerely,
Michael W. Frerichs
Illinois State Treasurer
Newsletter Topics include:
- Using Your 529 Bright Start College Savings
- Time Change this Weekend - Don't forget to SPRING forward one hour on March 13th at 2 a.m.
- ICash Letters -
Charitable Trust -
Help is Available to Non-Profits
ISTC Technical Assistance Program News - March 2022
This newsletter is a service of ISTC's
Technical Assistance Program (TAP) and is funded through a grant from U.S. EPA. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.
US Department of Labor - March 11, 2022
Update from the US Department of Labor Newsletter
Davis-Bacon update proposed after 40 years
For the first time in 40 years, we’re proposing comprehensive updates to the Davis-Bacon Act, which would speed up prevailing wage updates, improve efficiency and ensure prevailing wage rates keep up with actual wages. Updating these regulations will ensure workers on federal projects are being paid fairly, and help contractors recruit and retain skilled workers as we rebuild America.
Report: Stifling competition hurts workers
A new Treasury report found that corporate concentration and anti-competitive practices – such as requiring noncompete agreements and misclassifying employees as independent contractors – have stifled wages for workers and reduced their power in the marketplace. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh joined a White House roundtable this week to discuss the report’s findings with workers who have experienced anticompetitive barriers firsthand.
A crypto-caution for 401(k) plan fiduciaries
Cryptocurrency has gained popularity and notoriety, but the market’s development is still uncertain. Our new guidance on 401(k) plan investments in cryptocurrencies warns fiduciaries about potential risks to the retirement savings of America's workers and their families.
Deputy Undersecretary of Labor for International Affairs Thea Lee met with President Felix Tshisekedi and others last week to discuss strengthening and enforcing workers’ rights, especially in the minerals sector. It was the first visit by a high-level Department of Labor official to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in nearly 20 years.
Creating good infrastructure and transportation jobs
Secretary Walsh and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg this week announced a partnership to promote the creation of good infrastructure and transportation jobs with a focus on equitable workforce development using funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The Department of Labor is also partnering with the Trucking Alliance to promote apprenticeship as a pathway to lucrative driving jobs.
In 2021, we recovered more than $230 million for more than 190,000 workers. Yet thousands of dollars remained unclaimed because employees changed jobs, moved or changed their name. This tool can help us find them.
We’re strengthening our partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division to protect workers from employer collusion, ensure compliance with labor laws, and promote competitive labor markets and worker mobility.
More Articles on Online Version...
To see all departmental news releases, please visit our news release page. Our latest news releases include the following:
- US Department of Labor announces $85M in available funding to support underserved youth, young adults in communities stricken with violence, poverty
- US Department of Labor announces proposed amendments to Prohibited Transaction Exemption filing, processing procedures
- US Department of Labor to provide compliance training to logistics, warehousing, transportation employers in Acadiana on March 17
- Court orders Akron promotional products company to pay $189K in back wages, damages to workers after US Labor Department investigation
- Court orders home care agency to pay more than $4.5M in back wages, damages to 503 workers after US Department of Labor investigation, litigation
- US Department of Labor cites North Carolina electrical construction company after two 19-year-old apprentices fatally electrocuted in Adger
- New Kensington landscaper ordered to pay $150K in back wages, penalties after federal investigation, lawsuit
