The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, issued its 2026 Main Street Agenda for Illinois. The agenda includes the top legislative priorities for small businesses going into the new General Assembly session.

“Illinois small businesses invest in their communities—they contribute a lot to this state,” said NFIB Illinois State Director Noah Finley. “It’s time that policymakers in Springfield recognize that and take steps to make Illinois a friendlier place to invest, hire, and do business. NFIB will continue to work with legislative allies to tell the small business story and advocate on behalf of Main Street businesses in Illinois.”

NFIB’s 2026 Main Street Agenda includes the following:

–  Oppose Costly Tax Increases– NFIB will oppose efforts to increase taxes on Illinois’ small business community, such as job taxes, service (or labor) taxes, vehicle-miles-traveled taxes, higher income taxes, retail delivery taxes, etc.

–  Workforce Development– NFIB will support legislation that removes barriers to worker entry and hiring and/or promotes workforce development. NFIB also supports greater transparency in the use of existing workforce development funds.

–  Oppose Job-Killing Mandates – NFIB will engage the legislative and bureaucratic process to prevent and alleviate these costly and job-killing burdens on Illinois’ small business community. NFIB will also oppose measures, mandates, and energy policies that increase the cost of doing business in Illinois.

–  Support Small Business Tax Relief – NFIB will support tax credits, deductions, and other forms of tax relief for small businesses to even the playing field and encourage Main Street investment and hiring.

–  Oppose Expanded Civil Liability – NFIB will oppose attempts to grant new “rights” to sue small businesses, especially when those “rights” are given to activist groups with no previous legal standing to interfere.

View the full agenda here.