TOPEKA, Kan. (WBW) – The Kansas Chamber of Commerce’s 2023 Legislative and Policy Agenda outlines how the governing body plans to expand Kansas business by removing barriers to job growth, workforce development and business expansion.
While proactively improving the state’s business, the Council considers a number of policies and pursues bills such as:
- Supportive legislation that would allow corporate taxpayers to choose between the current triple-division formula and a new single-level sales-based formula (tax).
- Support the establishment of a new tax credit for employers participating in a Kansas registered training program (education and workforce development).
- Support policies to make child care more affordable and accessible for Kansas workers by relaxing overly restrictive worker-to-child ratios and increasing child care capacity across age groups (Education and Workforce Development).
- Support Act Require Disclosure of Third Party Litigation Financing (Amendment Act).
- Support lowering prejudgment interest rates to bring Kansas in line with other states (legislative reform).
- Legislation to support local governments banning consumer goods and plastic items (regulatory issues).
- Supporting efforts to achieve regionally-competitive electricity prices and supply costs, as well as ensuring uninterrupted service regardless of source (energy and environment).
- Support reforms to the Kansas Corporation Commission structure and appointment process to support statewide competitive electricity rates (energy and environment).
Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Alan Cobb said he sees government challenges in the business community and believes population growth is negatively impacting economic prosperity.
“Population growth continues to be a barrier to greater economic prosperity,” Cobb said. And our legal climate has become perfect for the test bar.
“Kansas has shown improvement in some economic metrics. Our regulatory environment has improved, and our labor laws are among the best in the country,” Cobb said. “Unfortunately, the work is not done. Measures taken in other regions have made them more attractive for investments and workers. We have to move to be competitive.
All measures added to the agenda were gathered from research from Chamber member workgroups and in-person meetings in Kansas, the annual Poll of Business Leaders, the Kansas Tax Modernization Report and the Kansas Competitiveness Analysis Report.
To view the 2023 Legislative and Policy Agenda, click here.
Copyright 2023 WIBW All rights reserved.
