Business Advocacy
Connecting businesses with federal funding information
Connecting businesses with federal funding information When the federal government passed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) in 2021, it spelled an additional influx of federal dollars into state and local coffers. For Missouri, it meant $2.6 billion of additional funding for a wide range of uses – including help for businesses and support for…
Read MoreMaking the business community’s voice heard in the Capitol
Making the business community’s voice heard in the Capitol The 2022 state legislative session saw significant successes for the business community and its priorities – and those wins do not happen by accident. Chamber volunteer leaders and staff were in constant contact with legislators and lawmakers throughout the session to advocate for the Chamber’s 2022…
Read MoreVeteran lawmaker reflects on unusual but successful legislative session
Veteran lawmaker reflects on unusual but successful legislative session Lincoln Hough has been in the Missouri Senate for four years and previously served three terms in the state House of Representatives. But as the senator told a packed room on May 31 during a meeting of the Chamber’s Governmental Relations Committee, the 2022 legislative session…
Read MoreRecapping a challenging but successful state legislative session
Recapping a challenging but successful state legislative session The 2022 legislative session of the Missouri General Assembly ended on May 13, and while the year brought a series of unique challenges, it ultimately proved to be quite successful for the business community and for southwest Missouri. Numerous bills passed both chambers of the legislature and…
Read MoreSGF Business Insider – May 2022: How Do We Recover Financially from the Pandemic?
SGF Business Insider – May 2022: How Do We Recover Financially from the Pandemic? In this episode, Chamber President Matt Morrow talks with Greene County Commissioner John Russell and ARPA Grant & Equity Specialist Dr. Lyle Foster. They talk about how funding from the American Rescue Plan (ARPA) is being directed to small businesses and nonprofits in our…
Read MoreMaking progress in a complicated legislative landscape
Making progress in a complicated legislative landscape State Senator Dave Schatz has a lot on his plate. Not only does he represent Franklin and St. Louis counties in the Missouri State Senate, but he also leads the upper chamber as the president pro tem – meaning it’s his job to keep legislation moving through his…
Read MoreSummarizing years of progress in the Springfield region
Summarizing years of progress in the Springfield region Since 1994, the Chamber has convened community leaders from the public, private and non-profit sectors for the Community Leadership Visit. The delegation of leaders travels to a peer city to learn from their experiences and bring back ideas that will benefit our region. The 2021 CLV initiative…
Read MoreFinalists announced for 2022 Small Business Award
Finalists announced for 2022 Small Business Award Five area businesses have been named as finalists for the 2022 Small Business Award. The finalists were determined based on written applications that include essays on company history, management philosophy, responses to challenges, innovation in product and service offerings and contributions to the community. Entries are scored by…
Read MoreState rep discusses outlook in General Assembly
State rep discusses outlook in General Assembly When State Rep. Alex Riley visited the Chamber in early March to offer a legislative update to the Governmental Relations Committee, he shared that one of the biggest issues hanging over the General Assembly was the gridlock in the Senate due to ongoing battles over the redrawing of…
Read MoreBoard leaders advocate for business priorities
Board leaders advocate for business priorities Leaders from the Chamber’s Board of Directors visited the state Capitol on March 3 to advocate for board-approved business community legislative priorities. The delegation included Board Chairman John Oke-Thomas of Oke-Thomas + Associates, and Chairman-Elect Joselyn Baldner of Central Bank of the Ozarks, along with other members of the…
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