Business Advocacy

Fort Wood continues to impact Springfield The officer in charge of Fort Leonard Wood made his first visit to the Chamber on June 23 to offer an update on what is happening at Missouri’s largest military base and its impact on Springfield. In April 2015, Maj. Gen. Kent D. Savre became Commanding General of the…

Attorney General Chris Koster analyzes Missouri government Potholes in Missouri roads know no friends—or political parties. “Democratic tires and Republican tires hit potholes equally,” said Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster, explaining that transportation funding can be an issue of common ground for lawmakers in both parties. Koster was the featured guest June 15 during the…

Reflecting on six years in the Capitol When Lincoln Hough visited the Chamber June 10 to speak to the Governmental Relations Committee, he offered a look back at six eventful years as representative of the state’s 135th district, covering the eastern portion of Springfield. He will not run for reelection in November, instead running for…

New laws and regulations to impact businesses The U.S. Department of Labor’s recently announced change to the rules regarding who is eligible for overtime pay will likely present challenges to Chamber members. To summarize: Workers who make less than $47,476 per year must be paid overtime, even if they’re classified as manager or a professional.…

Why free trade is crucial to economic growth The Chamber’s International Business Council brought in the U.S. Chamber’s executive director for international policy on May 17 to present his take on the current environment for international trade and some of his group’s international trade and related priorities for 2016. Christopher Wenk pointed out the importance…

What’s the Chamber doing for you in Jefferson City? The 2016 Missouri legislative session ends May 13, and the Chamber has worked since January to advocate for the priorities of business: testifying on legislation, speaking one-on-one with legislators, and leading stakeholder visits, just to name a few. It’s vital that elected officials consider business needs…

Connecting members with decision makers An important aspect of the Chamber’s mission is facilitating connections—between business owners but also between members and decision makers at local, state and national levels March was a good month for making connections, as two state legislators visited the Springfield Chamber offices to offer their views of state-level progress and listen…

Mid-session legislative recap As the Missouri General Assembly reaches the midway point of the 2016 session, Chamber staff continue to make weekly visits to the capitol, monitoring more than 140 bills on behalf of our members. We will encourage lawmakers to move on top priorities including transportation, workers’ compensation reforms, workforce and economic development and education…

Making the case for better roads Making democracy work is, well, hard work. Elected officials are bombarded with information from staff, lobbyists, advocates and voters back home. Tweets, texts and emails compete for attention with floor speeches, committee meetings and phone calls. So when a constituent walks into the middle of this cacophony, the effect…