Policy Positions

Advocacy

One of the benefits of being a member of the Chamber is we work hard to ensure our legislators know what our position is on issues that impact local businesses and our community.  Your local Chamber operates as an independent 501c6 organization. So although you may hear about the Missouri and US Chambers taking a position on an issue, we may or may not agree with their position.  Also, your local Chamber does not endorse any political party or candidate.

Issue for Chamber Consideration

Being an organization with a small staff, it is difficult for us to keep up-to-date with all of the issues that impact our members. If you know of an issue that could affect business and you think the Chamber should consider taking an official position on the issue, scan or click on the QR Code below to fill out the online form and submit it for consideration. The issue will then be sent to our Public Policy Committee to review.  If the issue is not part of our current legislative agenda, a recommendation from the committee will be sent to the board which will vote on whether to support, oppose, or take no action.

NOTE:  Anyone wanting to speak or present on an issue or initiative at the Chamber's Public Policy Committee will be asked to fill out this form.

Public Policy Positions

Transportation & Infrastructure

Having up-to-date transportation systems in place is a vital piece of economic development as well as a key component to the quality of life of St. Charles County residents. The St. Charles Regional Chamber believes transportation and infrastructure are vital to the region’s economic growth. Our region’s transportation system provides critical connections between residents, job centers, schools, emergency services, and other vital resources and amenities.

• Support sustainable funding for a comprehensive transportation system
  • Missouri’s highway system is the 7th largest in the U.S. with more than 33,000 miles of state highways and more than 10,000 bridges, yet in 2013 Missouri ranked 41st in revenue per highway mile in funding it’s system. As more electric and fuel-efficient cars are purchased, the need for fuel decreases, which will continue to decrease the revenue received through the motor fuel tax. We cannot maintain and build a 21st century surface transportation system through outdated funding methods and support and encourage legislators to look at various sources. Adequate funds must be available for the maintenance and improvement of the state’s transportation system. Investment in transportation improvements is a major economic engine that drives job creation, personal income and adds value to Missouri’s economy. The Chamber supports the creation of a sustainable transportation funding plan.
• Bike / Pedestrian
  • As residents continue to seek a healthy lifestyle and various transportation options and companies seek a good quality of life for their employees, we cannot ignore the need for trail / multi-use path options for individuals who want to walk or bike safely. We encourage transportation officials and legislators to consider including funding for these when making improvements or constructing new highways and roads.
• Public Transportation
  • As St. Charles County continues to grow, unemployment rates remain low, and our senior population increases, there is a need for a more reliable source of public transit. Additionally, studies have shown that millennials like having transportation options. We support and encourage action and funding to increase the availability of a public transportation throughout St. Charles County and the region keeping in mind how autonomous vehicles and busses impact any potential system.
  • Public transportation is both a workforce and economic development tool in our communities statewide.
  • We must adequately fund and modernize public transit systems so that they are more accessible and efficient for residents and visitors alike.
• Increase funding for broadband
  • More than 1.2 million Missourians do not have access to high-speed internet. Increased funding is needed to expand broadband access across the state, including more rural areas of St. Charles County. Broadband access is critical to ensure Missouri remains competitive in a 21st century economy.

Education & Workforce Development

A well-educated and capable workforce is imperative to Missouri’s economic success. The St. Charles Regional Chamber supports a broad-spectrum approach to educating and training Missouri’s students and workers. STEAM programming, virtual classrooms, rigorous academic standards that meet employer needs, curbing the need for remediation in post-secondary education and the workforce, striving to include business leaders in the classroom, worker training and certification programs are important tools for Missouri.

• STEAM
  • STEAM is an educational approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking. The end results are students who take thoughtful risks, engage in experiential learning, persist in problem-solving, embrace collaboration, and work through the creative process. These are the innovators, educators, leaders, and learners of the 21st century! The Chamber supports the efforts of local school districts and legislators to fund and support STEAM initiatives.
• Adequately support all levels of education
  • The St. Charles Regional Chamber supports efforts to provide every Missouri child with access to a top-notch education and workforce training. We support efforts to adequately fund all levels of education from Pre-K through 12 to post-secondary. We support the full funding and allocation of resources for innovative programs and those with a proven track record of success, including adequate broadband internet access for all Missouri students. We believe that well-educated, competent and capable students are the key to Missouri’s long- term economic health and competitiveness. The St. Charles Regional Chamber supports engaging businesses in the process of educating and training Missouri’s students.
  • Well-educated, competent and capable students are the key to Missouri’s long-term economic health and competitiveness. Therefore, we oppose cuts to higher education and support increasing funding levels to postsecondary institutions, including community colleges and universities.
  • Additionally, we support the funding and accessibility of student scholarship programs, like the A+ program.
• Support efforts to expand, fund and incentivize alternative career training pathways, including apprenticeships, internships, externships and other on-the-job training programs
  • A well-prepared workforce is imperative to Missouri’s economic success. This requires raising early awareness of and opportunities for alternative career training pathways, including workplace-based training programs that can closely align training with the specific needs of an occupation or industry. Job-training funding aids in the attraction of new business and the expansion and retention of existing businesses.
• Expand Missouri’s A+ Scholarship Program to include students pursuing industry-recognized certifications that are non-associate degree bearing.
  • Aligning the program with industry certifications will empower students with career-ready skills, help fill critical workforce gaps, and enhance Missouri’s economic prosperity.
• We support a broad-spectrum approach to upskilling and right-skilling our state’s workforce to address labor shortages and help businesses’ growth.
  • This includes adequately funding our existing workforce development programs, like Fast Track, MoExcels Workforce Initiative, Missouri One Start Upskill Credential Training Program, and other job training programs. It is also important to advocate for new policies that are responsive and flexible to businesses’ needs to recruit and retain skilled workers today while anticipating employment needs of the future. Additionally, we support increasing resources for programs that assist justice-involved individuals who are seeking to re-enter the workforce.
• Maintain and grow our workforce, while taking steps to retain our existing talent, including incentives for workers in high-demand fields such as technology.
• Childcare is a pivotal statewide workforce and economic development issue.
  • Parents’ re-entry into the workforce can be hindered by childcare provider shortages. Missouri should increase the accessibility, availability, and affordability of high quality childcare.
• Business owners recognize that accessible and affordable housing options and public transit resources are crucial to attracting and retaining a skilled workforce.
  • We support growing access to affordable housing and transit options through increased state appropriations for key housing and community development programs as well as other state and federal incentive programs for the creation of affordable housing and transit.

Economic Development

• Encourage entrepreneurial and small business development
  • We support initiatives and programs that enhance entrepreneurial growth by increasing access to investors that provide for the crucial need for seed and early stage venture capital in Missouri companies.
• Support for Right To Work
  • The Chamber supports Right To Work.  Every one of Missouri’s neighbor states, except Illinois, have already passed Freedom to Work protections. If Missouri joins the 27 other states in the U.S. that have enacted this law, we can finally compete on a level playing field for jobs and business investment. Also, site selectors turn a blind eye to Missouri and other states that mandate union membership. When Gallup interviewed national site selectors, they learned Missouri is losing a staggering 40 percent of potential company relocation and expansion opportunities because we don’t have Freedom to Work.
• State investment in tourism supports economic growth, job creation and tax revenue.
  • We support increasing funding of tourism promotion and other tourism-related programs as it would positively impact many communities across the state.
• Invest in entrepreneurship
  • Enhancing the ability of entrepreneurs and small businesses to create their businesses and products while providing incentives to investors is a pathway to securing Missouri’s future as a hub for innovation and technology. Restoring funding for the Missouri Technology Corp. (MTC) is one potential policy option that could support this effort.
• We support comprehensive efforts to maximize Missouri’s position as an emerging technology hub.
  • By enacting innovative policies and increasing investment, and training our workforce for high-tech jobs, our state can grow its global tech and innovation footprint.
  • Supporting a friendly regulatory environment for e-commerce is another essential part of creating a thriving technology environment in Missouri as the world moves into the digital age.
  • Supporting Missouri businesses’ ability to buy, sell, or trade goods and services efficiently, free of burdensome government regulations, not only supports growth of Missouri’s business community, but also demonstrates the state’s commitment to embracing the digital age and leading from the front as a technology hub.
  • We also support fostering an AI-friendly and automation-friendly regulatory environment in the state to help fill in the gaps where skilled workers may be scarce.
• Economic development is predicated on public safety.
  • We support our law enforcement officers and first responders and believe Missouri should adequately invest in public safety departments and programs. This will help keep our communities safe.
• Missouri should increase access to funding and other resources for small businesses, start-ups, and entrepreneurs to help them confidently start, grow, or expand. Local communities should have a voice when new statewide regulations are being considered, as the interests of Missouri’s diverse small business community are a priority for localities.
• Economic development drives growth, creates new job opportunities and facilitates an improved quality of life.
  • Missouri should embrace an all-of-the-above approach in utilizing and offering innovative economic development tools and tax incentives to help its local communities and businesses thrive. We advocate for less burdensome regulations, easy-to-understand agency resources, fiscal responsibility from the state government, and similar initiatives to help retain and support existing businesses.We support continued statewide efforts to improve access to broadband, as it is vital for Missouri’s economic growth.
• Support the principle that any future changes to property tax must be accompanied by a reliable, sustainable alternative funding source to ensure continued full and equitable funding to all essential services (schools, fire districts, libraries, public safety agencies and more).
  • Ongoing reductions in these entities’ revenues jeopardize their ability to provide safe classrooms, quick emergency responses, and accessible community resources.

Business Climate

• Protect small businesses and Missouri jobs from the impact of burdensome and costly regulations.
• We support civil justice reforms that discourage frivolous lawsuits which burden Missouri’s judicial system and harm the state’s business climate.
  • We advocate for legislation that protects businesses from costly, unfounded legal claims by strengthening standards for filing civil suits and we support policies that reduce legal uncertainty and ensure fair, efficient resolution of disputes to foster a more competitive economic environment.

Other

• Support the Missouri Nondiscrimination Act (MONA)
  • ​The Missouri Nondiscrimination Act prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the workplace by extending the existing Missouri Human Rights Statute to include lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT), and allied people. We believe its passage encourages diversity and will attract business to Missouri.
• Preserve communities of interest when drawing state legislative districts.
  • Communities of interest are groups of individuals who are likely to have similar legislative concerns and would benefit from common representation. We support keeping communities of interest whole in redistricting processes.
• A safer Missouri is a stronger Missouri.
  • The state should dedicate adequate funding for public safety. This includes funding for the expansion of mental health and substance abuse treatment and prevention programs, public safety staffing enhancement efforts, and innovative tools to reduce crime.
• We support efforts to overhaul Missouri’s initiative petition process as it affects voters statewide.
  • The sharp increase in the number of initiative petitions filed coupled with confusingly worded ballot language on very complex constitutional proposed changes underscores the need to reform the process.
• Our state’s robust military community is a large asset.
  • We should remove barriers to retention of our honorable military members and their families so that they make Missouri their permanent home to both work and live.
• We strongly support a system of free enterprise and oppose efforts by the government to intervene in business decisions.
  • The government should let businesses decide how to run its own workplace(s). We oppose out-of-state interests and anti-business entities who use the ballot initiative process to create burdensome business mandates.