Message from the Chair: Notes From the Midst of the Busy Season
 Jay Byers
Senior Vice President, Public Policy
Greater Des Moines (IA) Partnership
There aren’t really any slow periods in chamber work, but for government relations professionals spring is certainly the busy season. Spring 2011 is no exception.
Washington has generated plenty of headlines over the past few weeks, but few were more important for chambers and small business advocates than the repeal of the 1099 provision in the Affordable Health Care Act. Chambers had been working hard with their small business members to seek the repeal of the provision that would require additional burdensome reporting from small businesses. The hard work paid off when the Senate voted for repeal on April 5, 2011 and sent the bill to President Obama’s desk for his signature.
In state houses across the country, this has been a busy and contentious start to the year. Policy conversations have focused on spending cuts as states look to close their budget gaps. Chambers have stepped up to take a leadership role in offering solutions for education reform, immigration policy, and other issues important to businesses. With support from the Pew Center on the States and ACCE, chambers in Kentucky, Arkansas and several other states have successfully advanced corrections reforms efforts that enhance public safety while saving taxpayer dollars.
There is plenty going on around the country in the public policy and government relations arena. Be sure to keep an eye on the Policy Clearinghouse Blog to see what your chamber government relations peers are doing. Also, mark your calendars and make plans to be in Los Angeles, August 3-6 for ACCE’s annual convention. There will be a great lineup of pointed government relations programming during the workshop sessions, and after all the developments of this spring, we’ll all need an opportunity to share experiences and prepare for the fall. Check ACCE’s convention website for more details and to register.
Upcoming Government Relations Events:
April 26, 1pm EDT: Using and Fighting Community Rankings – FREE Peer-to-Peer Webinar
This webinar features a candid look at how chambers use and fight community rankings from a communications and policy perspective.
Call Presenters:
Don Meyer, Vice President, Marketing and Communications for St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association
Chuck Meadows, Vice President, Economic Development Policy for Metro Atlanta Chamber
May 5, 1pm EDT: Utah Compact and Immigration – FREE Peer to Peer Call
The Salt Lake Chamber has joined forces with other prominent Utahans in proposing the Utah Compact. Learn more about the Utah Compact and the importance of chamber involvement in the immigration debate.
Call Moderator: Robin Riggs, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Salt Lake Chamber
From the Policy Clearinghouse Blog
Recent posts from the Policy Clearinghouse Blog:
Other interesting posts from around the blogosphere:
For more policy-focused commentary and links, check out the Policy Clearinghouse Blog.
Looking for Policy Clearinghouse news on twitter? Follow @ChaaronACCE for the latest information from ACCE’s Policy Clearinghouse.
Pew Center on the States: The Looming Crisis – Getting a Grip on State Budgets and Spending
Resources are available from the Pew Center on the States state budget series. Each session featured both an issue expert from the Pew Center to provide an overview of national data and trends and a business leader to share experience in a specific state. You can find the slides and audio from each presentation as well as additional resources and documents from our link: The Looming Crisis.
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