Topeka, Kan. (WIBW) – The Kansas Chamber of Commerce’s 2023 Legislative and Policy Agenda outlines how the governing body plans to grow Kansas business by removing barriers to job growth, workforce development and business expansion.
Actively improving the country’s business ventures, the Chamber will study a number of policies and seek bills such as:
- Support legislation that would allow corporate taxpayers to choose between the current three-factor allocation formula and a new, sales-based, single-factor formula (tax).
- Support the establishment of a new tax credit for employers participating in Kansas registered apprenticeship programs (education and workforce development).
- Support policies to make child care more affordable and accessible to Kansas workers by relaxing overly restrictive employee-to-child ratios and increasing child care capacity (education and workforce development) across age groups.
- Support legislation requiring disclosure of third-party litigation financing (law reform).
- Supports lowering prejudgment rates to bring Kansas in line with other states (law reform).
- Support legislation to prevent local governments from banning consumer products and plastic containers (Regulatory Affairs).
- Support efforts to achieve regionally competitive electricity prices and delivery costs and ensure uninterrupted service regardless of source (energy and environment).
- Support for more review of the structure of the Kansas Corporation Board and modifications to its appointment process in support of the state goal of regionally competitive electricity rates (energy and environment).
Chamber President and CEO Alan Cobb said he has seen the challenges the state faces in the business community and believes population growth continues to negatively impact economic prosperity.
“Insufficient population growth remains an obstacle to greater economic prosperity,” Cobb said. “And our legal environment has turned in favor of the trial bar.”
“Some economic indicators in Kansas have improved. Our regulatory environment has improved and our employment laws are among the best in the nation,” Cobb said. “Unfortunately, the work is not done. Actions taken by other states to make them more attractive for investment and workers. We must act to become competitive.”
All of the measures added to the agenda were gleaned from Chamber member working groups and in-person meetings across Kansas, through research obtained from its annual Business Leaders Poll, the Kansas Tax Modernization Report and the Kansas Competitiveness Analysis Report.
To view the 2023 Legislative and Policy Agenda, click here.
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