ST. LOUIS – A delegation of over 60 private sector executives and leaders visited Jefferson City on January 17th as part of the St. Louis Regional Chamber’s annual Regional Day in Jefferson City. The Chamber once again joined with partner organizations and local chambers of commerce to discuss regional policy and legislative priorities with members of Governor Greitens’ cabinet and leaders in both the Missouri Senate and House of Representatives.
The Chamber’s top legislative issue for 2018 is passing a statewide Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which will break the cycle of poverty and grow Missouri’s economy by encouraging more individuals to enter the workforce. EITC has strong legislative sponsors in both the House and Senate and the policy closely reflects Governor Greitens’ remarks calling for a system that lifts people out of poverty and into the middle class, based on hard work and personal responsibility. Other priority legislative issues for Missouri include investing in innovation and entrepreneurship through the Missouri Innovation Fund, increased state funding for transportation and public transit, inclusive employment law reform and restoring trust in the justice system.
The delegation shared the Chamber’s top priorities with the General Assembly and had the opportunity to hear from the top executive and legislative leaders about their vision for the future of business in Missouri. The policy priorities continue the Chamber’s focus on advocating for forward-thinking economic policies that will create jobs and grow the regional St. Louis economy.
“The Chamber’s top priorities are all about increasing our economic prosperity for all St. Louisans,” said Hart Nelson, Vice President of Public Policy at the Chamber. “We know the key to supporting our business community is by investing in our regional workforce and infrastructure, and making sure we can attract and retain talented people and companies from across the world.”
In addition to meetings with senior members of the Greitens Administration, the delegation met with Speaker of the House Todd Richardson and Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard. In all, the delegation met with over 30 legislators from the St. Louis region and across the state to advocate for policies that will make St. Louis a more inclusive and attractive place to live, work and invest for all people.
