BRAND - Amazon Release Shows Amazing Growth in Illinois

On August 10, 2015 Amazon announced a first fulfillment center in Illinois

Since the initial building’s launch, Amazon has opened eight other fulfillment centers, two Prime Now hubs, an Amazon Fresh site, a sortation center, four delivery stations, an Amazon Books store, and a corporate office in the Prairie State.

This expansion has resulted in Amazon investing hundreds of millions of dollars into Illinois’s economy, both in fulfillment infrastructure and compensation to its 10,000 current employees. As a snapshot, according to a report by the company’s Economics team, Amazon’s investments in Illinois from 2014 through 2016 resulted in an additional $200 million to the state’s economy. Using Input-Output methodology and multipliers developed by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Amazon estimates its investments in the state have created an additional 7,000 indirect jobs on top of the company’s direct hires.

News Release

LEGISLATION - Illinois Bill Gives Research Animals Chance at Adoption

A bill currently at the Illinois State Capitol, if passed, would create the Research Dogs and Cats Adoption Act.

This act would require “(i) an institution of higher education located in this State that receives public funds for scientific, educational, or research purposes or (ii) a facility that provides research in collaboration with an institution of higher education with the use of public funds and that confines dogs or cats for scientific, educational, or research purposes and plans on euthanizing the dog or cat for other than scientific, educational, or research purposes must first offer the dog or cat to an animal rescue organization.”

The bill is sponsored by both Democrats and Republicans and gives animals a chance for a home who may otherwise have just been euthanized.

The Beagle Freedom Project is actively lobbying for this bill to pass since beagles are very often used in research.

Testing done on beagles in university and other research facilities includes medical/pharmaceutical, household products and cosmetics.

The Illinois motion dovetails with the Beagle Freedom Bill promoted by the organization.

In 2014 Minnesota became the first state to pass the Beagle Freedom Bill and it has been successfully implemented. In 2015 this law was also passed in California, Connecticut and Nevada.

In addition to Illinois, the Beagle Freedom Project is currently supporting a similar bill in New York.