The Grandview Chamber of Commerce is active in government at the local, state, and federal levels. In times of tough budgets, the Chamber has been able to get funding to help our members conduct their businesses. The Chamber is dedicated to making sure laws passed do not negatively affect our members or the business community. Our mission is to make Grandview an even better place to live, learn, work and play.

The Legislative Committee is comprised of members from the Grandview Chamber of Commerce and the South Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.  This joint committee meets three times a year around the Legislative Session. We meet in October, November, and January. If you’re interested in serving on the committee, please contact Liz Ogle.

Purpose:  To Provide leadership, information, and advocacy that enhances the economic environment and represents the political interests of the Grandview and South Kansas City business communities.

Goals: 

  • Research, develop, educate, and recommend issue positions to the Chamber Board of Directors

  • Poll members to establish the legislative concerns and opinions of the Chamber membership

  • Annually develop a Legislative Priorities list to reflect the concerns and opinions of the membership

  • Sponsor monthly breakfast meetings with local, state, and federal government officials to explore critical issues

  • Fully educate members about critical issues and inform members, the general public, and appropriate officials of Chamber positions adopted by the Board of Directors

  • Sponsor public forums on issues for candidates

  • Establish positive, interactive relationships with organizations and elected officials

  • 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 and Missouri One Start job training, and advocating for new policies that are responsive and flexible to businesses’ needs to recruit and retain skilled workers today while anticipating the employment needs of the future.

    Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. Therefore, Missouri should increase access to funding and other resources for small businesses, start-ups, and entrepreneurs to help them confidently start, grow, or expand.

    Childcare is a pivotal workforce development issue. Working parents’ re-entry into the workforce can be hindered by childcare provider shortages for children of all ages, but especially for those under two years old. Missouri should increase the accessibility and availability of high-quality childcare for working parents.

    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.

    Public transportation is both a workforce and economic development tool in our communities statewide. We must adequately fund multi-modal public transit systems so they are more accessible and efficient for residents and visitors alike.

    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.

    A strong education system is key to Missouri’s long-term economic health and competitiveness. We support efforts to adequately fund all levels of education, from elementary to higher education. Additionally, we should increase funding and accessibility of student scholarship programs, like the A+ program.

    The state has a detrimental reputation for its unfair legal climate. Therefore, Missouri must implement significant reforms to ensure our legal climate is not an impediment to economic competitiveness. We support a wide variety of reforms, including modifying the statute of limitations, to bring more fairness to our court system.

    We support comprehensive efforts to maximize Missouri’s position as an emerging technology hub. By enacting innovative policies, increasing investment, and training our workforce for high-tech jobs, our state can grow its global tech and innovation footprint.

    State investment in tourism supports economic growth, job creation, and tax revenue. We support increased funding of tourism promotion and other tourism-related programs, as it would positively impact many communities across the state.

    The state has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make significant investments due to a very positive ongoing budgetary outlook. We encourage Missouri’s leaders to utilize these funding opportunities to make investments that have a transformational impact on communities statewide. Conversely, we oppose efforts to risk vital funding streams needed for our state’s infrastructure. The state’s economic growth depends on having reliable and modern infrastructure systems, which include our vast network of roads and bridges.

    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 their own workplace(s).

  • Workforce Development: Provide adequate funding to support programs and other initiatives to help train employees in high-demand career and technical education fields.

    Childcare: Support affordable access to childcare for workers in Missouri.

    Transportation: Support a long-term, sustainable transportation funding plan that delivers a sound asset management-based approach to maintaining existing roads and bridges, improving safety, and providing for economic development. We also encourage equitable investment in all modes of transportation including roads and bridges, rail, public transit and bicycle/pedestrian facilities, and Missouri’s waterways.

    Violence: Support legislation to reduce violence in our communities, specifically, efforts to pass Blair’s Law to make discharging a firearm with criminal negligence in cities a state offense.

    Business and Economic Development. The Chambers support efforts to attract and maintain a strong workforce as well as a system of fair and equitable taxes, tax incentives and tax credits that encourages business and economic growth and development of the South Kansas City and Grandview areas. We also support efforts to enhance public safety and strengthen judicial tools, making our communities a safe place to live, work and do business.

    Workforce Development

    • Provide adequate funding to support programs and other initiatives to help train critical employees in high-demand career and technical education fields.
    • Support legislation to help create attainable workforce housing including the continued funding of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) program.
    • Support affordability and accessibility to childcare for workers in Missouri.
    • Support legislation to create incentives and eliminate penalties for retired workers to return to the workforce.

    Economic Development

    • Support enhancing initiatives to improve the climate for small business growth and development including seed capital funds and programs, additional funding for state innovation centers and small business and technology development centers, and funding for the Missouri Technology Corporation.
    • Oppose discriminatory legislation that will detrimentally impact Missouri economic development and growth.
    • Support the 2023 Kansas City Consensus Agenda for Economic Development.

    General Business

    • Support tort reform initiatives including measures to protect employers from frivolous lawsuits and eliminating joint and several liability.
    • Oppose legislation to eliminate the earnings tax in Kansas City and St. Louis.
    • Support legislation that extends the length of time between required elections to approve the earnings tax to at least 10 years.
    • Oppose efforts to change how Community Improvement Districts and Transportation Development Districts are created and governed in the state of Missouri.
    • Support legislation that strengthens judicial tools, including supporting courts that serve nonviolent offenders, to fight violent crime.
    • Support efforts to pass Blair’s Law to make discharging a firearm with criminal negligence in cities a state offense.

    Energy Efficiency and Reliability

    The Chambers encourage investments in energy reliability and efficiency and support policies that provide balance between public health and environmental protections without unreasonable economic burdens on industry, business, and Missouri residents.
    • Support policies that encourage expansion and further development of renewable energy to deliver affordable and reliable energy to the Kansas City region and other high demand areas.
    • Support legislation to create and adopt a renewable energy program for natural gas and hydrogen projects that would attract millions of dollars in capital investment and create domestic, clean energy sector jobs in Missouri.

    Health Care

    The Chambers support initiatives that promote improved health and wellness of community members.
    • Support including dental healthcare for families and children through the Medicaid program.
    • Support a comprehensive statewide response to the substance use epidemic with additional resources, to include prevention, Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), recovery support and recovery housing components.
    • Support legislation that reforms regulations regarding specific eligible provider credential requirements and licensure reciprocity practices at both the state and federal levels to maximize the labor market for Missouri healthcare organizations.
    • Provide long-term funding for the rollout of the 988 Suicide Prevention Hotline.
    • Support reevaluating state programs that offer rehabilitation services for healthcare workers.
    • Support reducing burdensome restrictions regarding the independent practice of experienced APRN/NP's, thus effectively expanding the labor pool for prescribers, which assists healthcare providers with better meeting the needs of the communities they serve.

    Education

    The Chambers support all levels of education and special education funding to strengthen the quality of education in the area, thus improving the business viability and workforce development of the region.

    • Pre-K through Grade 12 Education

    o Encourage efforts, both local and state, to provide sufficient funding for universal, high quality pre-k education for all Kansas City Metropolitan area residents with the inclusion of the public school districts as key players in providing those services.
    o Support legislation that requires all charter schools and MOCAP approved virtual programs to be held to the same standards as all public schools with accreditation status.
    o Oppose legislation that allows charter school expansion into districts where tax revenues are not sufficient to support the overhead of multiple educational institutions.
    o Support legislation that promotes equitable and inclusive educational opportunities for our diverse learners.
    o Support expansion of statewide broadband to ensure all students have access to high-speed internet services and that these services are affordable for all families.

    Higher Education

    o Support continuation of the Missouri A+ Program and efforts to maintain or increase participation and funding to cover at least 12 credit hours a semester per student.
    o Support Missouri Community College Association’s request for $30 million increase to support Missouri community colleges and move them closer to funding provided to state universities.

    Transportation

    The Chambers support a long term, sustainable transportation funding plan that delivers a sound asset management-based approach to maintaining existing roads and bridges, improving safety, and providing for economic development. We also encourage equitable funding in all modes of transportation including roads and bridges, rail, public transit, bicycle/pedestrian facilities, and Missouri’s waterways.
    • Support efforts to create a sustainable transportation funding plan to provide the full funding needed to meet Missouri’s transportation needs.
    • Support and monitor the development and implementation of a comprehensive multimodal transit strategy for the Kansas City area that encourages business, retail, and housing development along future high-service and existing interstate corridors, especially I-49.
    • Support the inclusion of American Rescue Plan funds to expand access to public transportation in underserved exurban areas.

    LOCAL PRIORITIES

    Blue River Road Repairs (South Kansas City)
    • Support efforts to seek funding for the repairs of Blue River Road, which is currently closed due to the road washing out.

    Workforce Transportation (South Kansas City & Grandview)
    • Support the development of more transit options to help employers get employees to and from their jobs and training opportunities
    • Support the continuation of free bus service in the Kansas City metropolitan area.