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Issues & AdvocacyLegislative Agenda

2022 Legislative Agenda

The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry has a number of legislative priorities to improve the business community and move our state forward.

overview

Because we know that size equals strength when it comes to lobbying, we use our power to advocate for policies that improve the lives of employees and their employers.

Because we know that size equals strength when it comes to lobbying, we use our power to advocate for policies that improve the lives of employees and their employers.

agenda topics

Here are the topics we’re focusing on in the 2022 legislative agenda.

  • Increase transparency in asbestos litigation by requiring trust claim disclosure
  • Establish Statute of Repose
  • Update Statute of Limitations in certain civil cases
  • Ensure the selection of Missouri judges is open and fair
  • Clarify the collateral source rule
  • Protect innovators from unfairly imposed liability
  • Clarify the standard for co-employee liability
  • Protect Missouri law from overreach from outside the state
  • Provide scheduling and filing deadline certainty
  • Encourage entrepreneurial and small-business development
  • Spur corporate growth and attraction
  • Expand broadband deployment to support economic development statewide
  • Promote tourism programs and protect tourism funding
  • Promote rural development
  • Focus on economic recovery
  • Adequately fund all levels of education
  • Support a comprehensive workforce development approach
  • Maximize business engagement; provide adequate education infrastructure funding
  • Support broad-based public education reform
  • E​​nsure Missouri has reliable, resilient and affordably-priced energy and water
  • Promote a balanced and modernized approach to regulation
  • Support pipeline use
  • Implement responsible water quality standards and support Missouri-based solutions
  • Use reasonable renewable energy standards
  • Protect Missouri’s environment by supporting state regulation of coal combustion residuals (CCR)
  • Support reasonable and consistent taxation of utilities
  • Improve access to quality health care for all Missourians
  • Ensure our health care system is prepared for times of crisis
  • Embrace innovation and meaningful transparency initiatives
  • Limit government-mandated health insurance benefits
  • Maximize health care funding
  • Reduce government burdens so businesses can fuel our economic recovery
  • Protect and strengthen workers’ compensation reforms
  • Reform the workers’ compensation administrative law judge (ALJ) selection process
  • Pass unemployment insurance reforms
  • Protect employers from unfair and harmful workplace rules and mandates
  • Provide state-level safeguards for joint employers
  • Strengthen employers’ intellectual property rights
  • Bring clarity to independent contractor agreements
  • Implement right-to-work
  • Implement paycheck protection
  • Reform Missouri’s prevailing wage law
  • Reform tax policy including providing revenue neutrality, eliminating/avoiding double taxation, minimizing the shift of the ultimate tax burden, providing horizontal equity, providing administrative simplicity, providing a broad base, and eliminating multiple fees and surcharges
  • Phase in full deduction for the federal income tax
  • Reform tax administration
  • Expand state sales tax exemptions
  • Prohibit corporate tax information disclosures
  • Maintain appropriate state tax add-back list
  • Adjust property taxes
  • Equalize local tax treatment
  • Allow single remittance of local taxes and fees
  • Provide tax incentives for S-corporation formation of employee stock ownership plans
  • Provide flexibility and relief during COVID-19 pandemic and recovery
  • Maximize Missouri’s position as an emerging tech hub
  • Build a long-term talent pipeline
  • Prioritize cybersecurity
  • Increase access to broadband
  • Support investment opportunities
  • Shore up the computer chip supply chain
  • Oppose patchwork privacy standards
  • Modernize public sector IT systems
  • Support smart infrastructure projects
  • Advocate for the future of transportation in Missouri, including funding, highways, ports and rivers, rail, air, site redevelopment, workforce and recommendations for the future
  • Implement a primary seat belt law
  • We support a broad-spectrum approach to upskilling and right-skilling our state’s workforce to address labor shortages and help businesses grow. 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 for skilled workers today while anticipating employment needs of the future.
  • Childcare is a pivotal workforce development issue. Missouri should increase the accessibility and availability of high-quality childcare for working parents.
  • We support comprehensive efforts to maximize Missouri’s position as an emerging technology hub. By enacting innovative policies and increasing investment, our state can grow its global tech and innovation footprint.
  • Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. Missouri should increase access to funding and other resources for small businesses, start-ups and entrepreneurs to help them confidently start, grow, expand or recover.
  • Our state’s robust military community is a large asset. We should remove barriers to retention of our honorable military members and their families so that they can make Missouri their permanent home to live and work.
  • 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.
  • Public transportation is both a workforce and economic development tool in our communities statewide. We must adequately fund and modernize public transit systems so they are more accessible and efficient for residents and visitors alike.
  • We support efforts to overhaul Missouri’s initiative petition process, as it affects voters statewide. The sharp increase in the number of initiative petitions filed, coupled with confusingly worded ballot language on complex proposed constitutional changes, underscores the need to reform the process.
  • State investment in tourism supports economic growth, job creation and tax revenue. We support increasing funding of tourism promotion and other tourism-related programs, as it would positively impact many communities across the state.
  • Economic development is predicated on public safety. We support our law enforcement officers and first responders and believe Missouri should adequately invest in public safety departments and programs. This will help keep our communities safe.
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