Members of the Illinois Rental Dealers Association (IRDA) gathered last month in Springfield, Illinois, for the organization’s first State Legislative Day since 2019. The event was excellent, attracting 15+ members of the Illinois General Assembly to visit with the group throughout the day.
The day began with a meet-and-greet at the Stratton Building; more than ten legislative members – many of them new to the assembly and the industry – stopped in at the open house to chat about RTO, including State Senators Terry Bryant and Erica Conway Harriss, and State Representatives Amy Grant, Jennifer Sanalitro, and Dave Severin.
Later, the IRDA members met with leaders of both the Illinois State House and Senate: Senate President Don Harmon; Senate Republican Leader John Curran; House Assistant Majority Leader Jay Hoffman; and House Republican Leader Tony McCombie.
“We didn’t have a specific ‘ask,’” explained IRDA President and SKC Enterprises‘ VP of Corporate Strategy and Culture Kelly Martin. “We focused on sharing the rent-to-own story – especially the 30-year legacy of the state’s bipartisan RTO bill, the unique matchmaker role we play between our customer’s needs and the products that meet them, and our ever-growing impact on our many communities via our team members.”
Following the lawmaker visits, IRDA participants agreed upon a date of September 20, 2023, for the IRDA Fall Education Sessions. Again held in Springfield, that event will bring together RTO workers from around the state to learn from expert speakers and engage in thoughtful discussions.
“We’re excited to re-energize our industry’s presence in the state of Illinois,” Martin concluded. “And we’ll continue to provide opportunities for legislative awareness, education, and action to our colleagues statewide.”
