Advocating for You - September, 2018

FEDERAL

The KC Chamber is pleased to announce an exciting new partnership with former Kansas City, Missouri Council member and all-around Kansas City Champion Jan Marcason who, as a part-time contract consultant, will represent the KC Chamber in a number of local convenings including Kansas City Council meetings, economic development gatherings, transportation, and transit convenings, to name a few. Jan will serve as the Chamber's eyes, ears and advisor on issues related to Kansas City policy, community improvement, city challenges and opportunities.

The KC Business Leadership Council  held their September meeting where they heard suggestions for community improvement from Randy Wisthoff, Director of the KC Zoo, and Crosby Kemper III, Director of the KC Library. Wisthoff outlined the workforce and economic benefits a thriving zoo could provide the Greater KC area. Additionally, Kemper discussed the communal benefits of providing the surrounding KC community with an operable and technologically stimulating library environment for children and instructors. The KC Chamber strongly supports any efforts pertaining to workforce development and improving public education and welcomes Wisthoff and Kemper's proposals to improve two local public locations that would attract employment and offer additional educational and social exposure to the youths of the Greater Kansas City area.

Jackson County Charter Opposition: The KC Chamber Board of Directors voted to oppose the proposed Jackson County Charter Amendments that will appear on the November ballot. The lack of citizen input into the proposals is the primary reason for the Board's opposition. In August, the Chamber sent identical letters to the County Executive and County Legislature asking that the amendments be removed from the November ballot and asked that a charter review commission be appointed to, among other things, collect citizen and business input and to then recommend appropriate changes to the county charter to be voted on at a later date. The Chamber believes a citizens charter commission is the usual process and considered good government practice when a city or county considers changes to its charter.

Conservatory Big 5: The Chamber Board of Directors also voted to change its Big 5 initiative to "Building a New World-Class Conservatory at UMKC." The action follows the university's decision to focus the site for the new facility within 2.5 miles of campus. The Chamber Board's vote reflects the position that replacement of the Conservatory's current outdated facilities is of primary concern. The Conservatory must have amenities that equal the quality of its music, dance, and theater faculty and students. The Chamber believes a world-class conservatory at UMKC will create a more robust arts scene in Kansas City and attract globally renowned talent to our region.

 

KANSAS

The Chamber Board of Directors hosted two of the Kansas 2018 gubernatorial candidates, Democratic Senator Laura Kelly and Independent Greg Orman at its September meeting. Republican Kris Kobach has accepted an invitation to speak with the Board at its October meeting. Senator Kelly told the Chamber Board members that, if elected, she will focus on education, particularly early-childhood learning; infrastructure investment; and creating a welcoming Kansas for diverse populations. Mr. Orman said he joined the race because he did not believe the current two-party system was effective. He would like to focus on creating an environment that is conducive to business growth, address gaps in healthcare coverage, and work to keep education talent in Kansas.

 

KANSAS AND MISSOURI

Chamber staff have been accepting and processing official testimony submissions from Chamber members for consideration in the 2019 Kansas and Missouri State Agendas. Rather than oral, in-person testimony, the testimony process is being conducted via our submission form, allowing for a more streamlined and cohesive process. After Chamber staff works closely with our lobbyists, the agendas will be sent to the Chamber's Public Policy Council for approval before they are The KC BizPAC, a political action committee in collaboration with the KC Chamber and the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City, has made its final recommendations of support for Missouri and Kansas Legislative candidates in the 2018 November elections. The KC BizPAC has made its recommendations of support for races in Kansas and Missouri that can be found here. KC BizPAC is not affiliated with any political party. Rather, it's organized to support those state and local candidates who have taken responsible positions on issues involving business and the economic well-being of the Greater Kansas City area and the states of Kansas and Missouri. sent to the Chamber Board for final approval in either the November or December Chamber Board meeting. These agendas will be posted on our website as a resource for Chamber members to use as an advocacy tool in their respective state governments. Thank you to all members who have helped in this crafting process. 

 

BIZPAC SUPPORT

The KC BizPAC, a political action committee in collaboration with the KC Chamber and the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City, has made its final recommendations of support for Missouri and Kansas Legislative candidates in the 2018 November elections. The KC BizPAC has made its recommendations of support for races in Kansas and Missouri that can be found here. KC BizPAC is not affiliated with any political party. Rather, it's organized to support those state and local candidates who have taken responsible positions on issues involving business and the economic well-being of the Greater Kansas City area and the states of Kansas and Missouri.

 

LEADERSHIP EXCHANGE

Workforce Best Practices in Denver: The annual KC Chamber Leadership Exchange (LEX) trip occurred Sept. 23-25 in Denver, Colorado. As part of the trip, the over 140-member delegation learned of some of the unique workforce development initiatives happening in Denver and in Colorado. The delegation heard the benefits of Denver's universal pre-K program which has already seen improvements in reading levels. The Chamber team also heard from leaders of Emily Griffith Technical College, which is recognized nationally as a leader in career readiness education and credentialing students to enter the workforce. The team also heard from leaders of Metropolitan State University-Denver that outlined their keys to success in preparing students for future workforce demands. The KC Chamber looks forward to exploring how some of these best practices can be applied in the Kansas City area to develop a better network for workforce development at all skills and ages.

Transportation Best Practices in Denver: LEX delegates heard from regional transportation leaders in Colorado to discuss how the state is preparing for rapid changes in transportation and how they are adapting to the ever-changing needs in transportation. The economic stakes for antiquated transportation systems are high. For every one-hour delay in traffic on I-70 in the state, it costs drivers and the economy $1 million. Additionally, for every 10% decrease in traffic congestion, there is a 1% increase in economic productivity. The Chamber looks forward to working with state leaders in both Kansas and Missouri to take proactive and innovative measures to maintain and update transportation infrastructure that is critical to economic growth.