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As a small business owner in Illinois, I witness firsthand how hard it can be to keep the doors open. Between high taxes, rising operating costs, and lately, a legal system that increasingly feels stacked against us, small businesses like mine are being pushed to the brink.

At B&B Vending, we take the utmost pride in serving our community, supporting local jobs, and giving back to the economy. But proposed legislation moving through Springfield, Senate Bill 328, threatens to make it even harder to survive. If signed by Governor Pritzker, this bill would open the door to more lawsuits, drive costs up, and discourage businesses from investing in the Prairie State.

This ill-advised legislation opens Illinois’s courts to out-of-state trial lawyers, allowing them to file lawsuits against local businesses—even when their claims have little or no connection to Illinois—simply because those businesses are registered to operate here.

That is not justice; it's a cash grab and a handout from trial lawyer-friendly lawmakers. This will undoubtedly overwhelm our already strained courts, making it harder for Illinois residents with legitimate claims to get the timely justice they deserve.

If Governor Pritzker wants to ensure that Illinois remains a welcoming state for business, he must veto SB 328. Illinois courts must stay focused on justice for Illinois residents, not become a playground for non-native trial lawyers seeking extra profit.

Trenton Butler is the owner of B&B Vending in Dahlgren, Illinois.