The Maryland Chamber’s Board of Directors approved the 2012 Business Agenda during its November meeting. The agenda outlines the Chamber’s priorities for the coming year and guides the organization’s advocacy efforts. Thank you to all the outstanding volunteers that participated on Chamber committees and helped draft the Agenda.
The Maryland Chamber’s mission is to advance Maryland as a national and global competitive leader in private sector economic growth and job creation. To that end, the Chamber’s top priorities for 2012 are:
- Create a competitive business climate that encourages job growth and investment, limits workplace regulation and ensures a competitive and fair tax structure.
- Ensure the implementation of the federal health care law in Maryland promotes competition and transparency.
- Restore trust in the Transportation Trust Fund and, once achieved, increase funding of desperately needed transportation projects throughout the state.
View the complete Business Agenda on the Chamber’s website, or download a printable PDF here.
If you have any questions about the Agenda, contact the appropriate member of the Chamber’s public policy team:
Ron Wineholt, Vice President – Government Affairs
rwineholt@mdchamber.org
Issues: Budget & Taxes, Civil Liability, Economic Development, Education, Health Care, Insurance, Procurement
Allyson Black, Vice President – Government Affairs
ablack@mdchamber.org
Issues: Commercial Law, Employment Law, Environment, Labor Relations, Transportation, Unemployment Insurance, Workers’ Compensation
The Maryland Chamber will hold its 2011 Business Policy Conference on November 2 and 3 at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Resort in Cambridge.
Attend this event to learn more about important public policy issues and network with hundreds of Maryland business leaders. This year’s conference will focus on economic competitiveness, transportation funding, health care, immigration law, environmental sustainability, and more. The event will also feature a CEO panel
M&T Bank Regional Economist Gary Keith will be back to open the conference with his presentation on Maryland’s competitiveness (here is his 2010 presentation). There will also be a session featuring CEOs from different industries giving their perspectives on Maryland’s economy, and the Maryland General Assembly’s presiding officers, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. and House Speaker Michael E. Busch, are confirmed for breakfast on November 3. In addition, we are organizing a panel discussion that will bring together representatives from business, government and the news media to discuss how social media and open government initiatives are changing how we stay informed during the legislative session.
Speakers include:
- Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller
- House Speaker Michael Busch
- Sen. Rob Garagiola (D-Dist. 15)
- Del. Heather Mizeur (D-Dist. 20)
- Sheela Murthy, President of Murthy Law Firm
- Gary Keith, Regional Economist, M&T Bank
- Carolyn Quattrocki, Executive Director, Governor’s Office of Health Care Reform
- Amy M. Nice, Executive Director, Immigration Policy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
- Tom Hood, CPA, Executive Director & CEO, Maryland Association of CPAs
- Many More
View the working agenda.
Special thanks to IWIF for once again serving as the event sponsor.
Register Today
Maryland Chamber members can save $30 by registering before September 30. The early bird rate is $295. Registraiton will be $325 after that. The nonmember rate is $425. Register online or contact Kristen Solis at (410) 269-0642, (301) 261-2858 or ksolis@mdchamber.org.
Accommodations
Overnight accommodations should be made directly with Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay. Click here or call 1-888-421-1442. Reserve by October 3 to receive the Maryland Chamber block rate – $189 single or double, plus $18 resort fee and taxes.
The Maryland Chamber is hitting the road for a series of regional meetings. Our goal is to bring together members at locations across the state to discuss the economy and the legislative issues that impact Maryland businesses.
The Maryland Chamber is working on our Business Agenda in preparation for the 2012 session. In addition, the General Assembly will hold a special session in October to address congressional redistricting.
After the Governor’s speech to the Maryland Association of Counties last weekend, it seems less likely that lawmakers will address issues beyond redistricting during the special session. But, issues like taxes or transportation funding could dominate the 2012 session. Maryland Chamber staff will keep you up to date as we get closer to the October.
We hope you can join us for one of the meetings. During each event, one of our lobbyists will provide a legislative update. Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback to let us know what we can do better. The meetings will also be a great opportunity to network with local business leaders.
Space is limited, so please register soon. The Chamber benefits from your feedback, and your participation makes our advocacy efforts stronger.
View a complete list of legislative briefings is available on our calendar of events.
WBAL Radio posted a great interview with Senate Budget and Taxation Committee Chairman Ed Kasemeyer yesterday. The interview covers a number of topics including upcoming B&T hearings, this fall’s special session, the state budget, taxes, transportation funding and more. Kasemeyer said he doesn’t think the General Assembly will consider new taxes during the special session, which is expected to begin on October 17. Listen to the full interview here.
The Maryland Chamber will testify before Kasemeyer’s committee next week on the topics of applying the sales tax to professional services and taxing internet sales. We’ll post an update after the hearing. If you have any questions, contact Ron Wineholt at rwineholt@mdchamber.org.
