January 2011

In This Issue:

• Message from the Chair: New Year
• Event Recap
• Policy Clearinghouse Blog Digest

If you have any comments about this e-newsletter, or would like to recommend news items or reports for future issues, please email Chaaron Pearson at ACCE.

Message From the Chair:
New Year

Jay Byers
Senior Vice President, Public Policy
Greater Des Moines (IA) Partnership

2011 is a year of change.  Not only is there different party leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives, but states all across the country saw changes in their governor’s mansion and their state legislatures.  These changes can bring new opportunities and even a few challenges to the business community.

As our states struggle to come to grips with budget issues, they will also be tasked with immigration reform, education reform, transportation funding and other issues important to our business and the overall economy.  This means that we have a lot of work to do.  It is important for the chamber to take leadership when facing these tough issues. 

Tackling these issues head on requires a strong network.  The ACCE Government Relations division provides strong peer support as well as up-to-date information.  Did you miss the Pew Center on the States series on state budgets?  Make sure you take advantage of those resources posted on www.acce.org. 

Another change coming with the New Year is the addition of Chaaron Pearson to the Policy Clearinghouse and Government Relations team.  Ian has been promoted to Vice President of Communications and Networks, so Chaaron will be the dedicated ACCE staffer for all items GR.  She is a recent master of public administration graduate and did her undergraduate work in economics.  She’s been with ACCE for over three years working with membership and sponsorship and we are glad that she was able to make the move to policy work. 

I look forward to hearing how chambers across the nation have taken advantage of the opportunities that sprung from the 2010 election season.  Be sure to keep up with the Policy Clearinghouse blog to see what policy issues are popping up all around the country. 

Event Recap

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 on our website.

From the Policy Clearinghouse Blog

The ACCE Policy Clearinghouse Blog has moved. You can now find the most recent state and local public policy news and information on the ACCE website.

Recent posts from the Policy Clearinghouse Blog:

• Public Policy Clearinghouse 2010: Year in Review
  A look back at the policy news makers in 2010.

• Oregon: Transforming Healthcare
  Oregon is taking healthcare reform into its own hands, led by their governor John Kitzhaber. 

• Governors look to gain from Illinois Tax Hikes
  Is the Prairie State destined to lose business due to the personal and corporate income tax hike?

• Blog Series: Changing of the Guard
  • Part 1: Wisconsin 
  • Part 2: Ohio
  • More to come

Other interesting posts from around the blogosphere:

• The INFRASTRUCTURIST: New Report Ranks Congestion in American Cities

• Stateline: State of the state speeches calendar

• The ChamberPost: DuPage Airport Authority of Illinois: A Model for Good Government Reform and Regional Economic Growth

• Stateline: Republicans face obstacles in redistricting

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.