Business Advocacy

Making your voice heard on regulatory issues The Chamber’s Public Affairs team is always working to advocate for business interests with local, state and federal legislators. But many members may not be aware of another aspect of the Chamber’s work: regulatory issues. Regulatory issues, often decided by appointed government bodies, can be more difficult in…

Connecting with our military leaders For those in the business community who have ever wondered how our military institutions operate, or for those that are interested in learning about how they can work with the military in a business capacity, mark August 15 on the calendar. On that date, the Chamber is leading a day…

Looking at Jefferson City with fresh eyes The first year in a new job can be challenging, stressful, exciting or nerve-wracking. If that new job happens to be serving in the Missouri General Assembly, it could be all of the above. Three freshman representatives from the Springfield area visited the Chamber’s Governmental Relations Committee on…

State leaders echo need for workforce development The State of Missouri faces several challenges in coming years, and few are more pressing than the ongoing shortage of skilled workers. But the state is uniquely positioned to tackle those challenges head-on if leaders are willing to take them on. That was the message from a June…

House budget chair offers look back at 2017 session For Rep. Scott Fitzpatrick, (R-Shell Knob), his first year as chairman of the Missouri House Budget Committee was a challenging one based on the state’s $500 million dollar budget shortfall. Despite tough budget choices for the legislature to make, there were many business successes to point…

State legislative session brings major business successes, but work remains The 2017 Missouri legislative session ended May 12, and several priorities from the Chamber’s state legislative agenda made it across the finish line, marking a successful year for the state’s business climate. In addition to Missouri’s Right to Work legislation, which passed early in the session and was…

April election spells a win for economic growth All six candidates running for Springfield City Council who were endorsed by the Springfield Good Government Committee won their respective races on April 4 by significant margins. Mayor Pro Tem Ken McClure won election as Springfield’s new mayor, while incumbent council members Phyllis Ferguson, Craig Fishel, Jan…

Legislative Update: Progress on Chamber priorities, work remains in last five weeks of session The 2017 legislative session is headed toward the finish line, with only five weeks until adjournment on May 12. The first few months of session have been productive, with many Chamber priorities making steady progress or crossing the finish line. Here…

Chamber encourages members to vote YES on the Springfield R-12 bond issue The Chamber board of directors encourages members to support the Springfield Public Schools bond issue on the April 4 ballot. At its February meeting, the Chamber’s board of directors unanimously voted to support the bond issue, accepting the recommendation of the Chamber’s Local…