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SAVE THE DATE!
Fantastic 50 Awards
April 27, 2017
Westfields Marriott, Chantilly
Virginia Chamber Annual Dinner
May 11, 2017
The Jefferson Hotel, Richmond
Energy & Sustainability Conference
May 24, 2017
Greater Richmond Convention Center
7th Annual Health Care Conference
June 8, 2017
Greater Richmond Convention Center
2017 Virginia Workforce Conference
September 28, 2017
Greater Richmond Convention Center |
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President's Message
The 2017 General Assembly session is scheduled to adjourn
sine die tomorrow, Saturday, February 25th. Both chambers are scheduled to vote on the $107 billion budget bill,
HB 1500, today. Below, you'll find a recap of some of the items that were included in the final budget conference report that may impact your business. We were pleased that the General Assembly restored funding to the regional economic development activities of the Virginia Growth and Opportunity Board (GO Virginia), and also supported a budget amendment to require state agencies to notify the General Assembly when they return federal grants, a measure that will promote transparency.
On Monday, Speaker Bill Howell announced that he does not plan to seek re-election and will retire after serving for 30 years in the Virginia House of Delegates. Howell has served as Speaker for the past 15 years, and has been a steadfast advocate for policies that improve our business climate. We join the many Virginians thanking him for his exemplary service to the Commonwealth and wish him well in his retirement.
You can read his full statement on his retirement
here
. On Wednesday, the House Republican Caucus elected current House Majority Leader Kirk Cox as Howell's successor as Speaker, and Delegate Todd Gilbert as the new House Majority Leader.
As the General Assembly session comes to a close,
our government affairs team will begin working on the 2017 Legislative Report Card, our annual publication that provides analysis of legislators support for the business community's priorities. We'll release the 2017 Report Card at our Annual Dinner on May 11. I hope you'll make plans to join us for this and other upcoming events. We will also be monitoring the Governor's actions on legislation and will be updating "Bills We're Watching" to reflect the final result of the bills we tracked.
Following this issue, Chamber Briefings will resume its normal monthly schedule given the adjournment of the 2017 General Assembly Session. Be on the lookout for our next update in March!
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Bills We're Watching
Our bill tracking system, "Bills We're Watching," provides a quick and easy way for our members to stay abreast of all legislation pertinent to business. Short, concise summaries of each bill are provided along with the Chamber's "thumbs-up" or "thumbs-down" position.
Click on the image above to view Bills We're Watching.
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Budget Conferee Report
The House and Senate budget conferees agreed on a budget on Wednesday evening. Some items of note from the conference report included:
- Budget amendment for additional funding to the regional economic development activities of the Virginia Growth and Opportunity Board. The Virginia Chamber supported this amendment.
- Budget amendment for state agencies to report the return of federal grants. The Virginia Chamber supported this amendment.
- Additional funding was provided for the Virginia Occupational Safety & Health Voluntary Protection Program and the Office of Consultation Services. The Virginia Chamber supported this amendment.
In addition, the General Assembly:
- Reversed funding for a new Virginia International Trade Corporation.
- Required VEDP to submit its strategic plan, marketing plan and operational plan to the JLARC's Special Subcommittee on Economic Development no later than December 1, 2017 for review.
- Reduced funding for VEDP's Business-Ready Sites Program by $562,500.
- Authorized the Governor to award additional grants not to exceed $4 million in aggregate between July 1, 2017, and June 30, 2018, to eligible companies under the existing Virginia Economic Development Incentive Grant (VEDIG) program.
- Reduced funding of $1 million from the Commonwealth's Development Opportunity Fund (COF). The COF is a discretionary incentive available to the Governor and administered by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership to secure a business location or expansion project for Virginia.
- Reduced funding by $3 million for the Pulp, Paper and Fertilizer Advanced Manufacturing Performance Grant Program Fund.
- Reduced funding by $500,000 for the Tourism Grant Incentives Program.
- Reduced funding by $1.2 million for the Virginia Biosciences Health Research Consortium's research initiative.
- Restored the proposed $4 million reduction to the Global Genomics and Bioinformatics Research Institute.
- Established a system to monitor potential fiscal distress among local governments and provides a mechanism for potential state and private sector assistance.
- Provided $7.3 million to boost funding for 42 small school divisions that have lost five percent or more of their students from 2011-2016.
- Provided $1.35 million to measure land subsidence as part of a long-term plan to inject treated wastewater into the ground in Hampton Roads in order to slow or stop subsidence.
- Requires a study by the Virginia Supreme Court on the use of community service instead of fines in criminal cases, as well as on the impact of requiring more community service options.
- Included pay raises for state employees, public school teachers, university faculty, Virginia State Police and employees in sheriffs' offices and regional jails.
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Bill to Require Business Leadership on Board of Education Heads to Governor's Desk
This session, we have been telling you about
HB 2341, a bill that the Virginia Chamber championed to reserve 2 seats on the Board of Education for those with experience in business.
We are pleased to report that the bill has now passed both Houses and heads to the Governor's desk for signature.
This provision will ensure that there is a diversity of experience in the direction and management of the Board and will bring valuable private sector business experience to the table as the Board considers policies that will prepare students for success in the workplace.
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Tax Bills Await Governor's Signature
HB 2058/SB 962 would consider out-of-state businesses to have nexus in the state for sales tax purposes if they store inventory in the state has passed both the House and Senate and is pending approval from the Governor. The House version of the bill has already been approved by the Governor, while the Senate version awaits his signature.
HB 2246/SB 1438 would establish a tax amnesty program in the state to be run during the 2017-2018 fiscal year for 60 to 75 days, as determined by the Tax Commissioner. The program would be open to any taxpayer that is required but has failed to file a return or to pay any tax administered by the Department. The House version of the bill has already been approved by the Governor, while the Senate version awaits his signature.
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Business Briefs
Each week, we'll be posting links to an assortment of news stories from around Virginia. These stories highlight coverage of the Virginia Chamber as well as a sampling of business news from around the Commonwealth.
Click here to view this week's Business Briefs. |
Chesapeake Bay Commission and McAuliffe Administration to Host Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week & Inaugural Back to the Bay Signature Event
In 2016, the General Assembly passed House Joint Resolution 31 to designate the second week of June as Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week. Legislation establishing the week was enacted in Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania.
The designation was championed by the Chesapeake Bay Commission.
Our chairman Dennis Treacy spoke on Wednesday morning at a press conference on Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week. You can view Dennis' remarks here. The Chamber is working with the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay to encourage local businesses to get involved.
Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week will include an annual, signature event called Back to the Bay. The event will be held at Mason Neck State Park in Lorton, Virginia, June 10, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
You can learn more about how to participate by clicking here.
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150 Loudoun High School Students Join Forces with One of Virginia's Most Innovative Companies to Tackle Real-World Problem
 In today's rapidly changing world where technology and innovation are reshaping the workplace, traditional class projects like building volcanoes and telescopes are no longer enough to prepare our students with the knowledge they need.
A global pioneer in spinal surgery equipment and techniques, K2M's mission is to improve the lives of patients suffering from the most difficult and challenging spinal pathologies. As part of its effort to continue making a difference for patients and surgeons around the world, K2M recognizes innovation needs to start in the classroom.
In partnership with the Academies of Loudoun, the Loudoun County Chamber and the Virginia Chamber Foundation, K2M is serving as an industry partner for the Virginia Innovation Challenge, an initiative to help strengthen the linkages between the classroom and the workplace by allowing students to experience first-hand, problems they might solve in the real world. K2M has invited local students to help them improve treatment for scoliosis with new innovations on bracing products and processes.
K2M CEO Eric Major recently welcomed 150 students from the Academies of Loudoun for a tour of the company's state-of-the art facility in Leesburg, followed by lunch with K2M staffers, who serve as project mentors. Students will work in teams to collect data, conduct research, collaborate with mentors and present product prototypes and solutions in a shark-tank competition in late spring.
Through the Virginia Innovation Challenge initiative, the Virginia Chamber Foundation and local chambers of commerce in Loudoun, Lynchburg, Roanoke, Montgomery County and Charlottesville, are partnering with schools and the employer community to expand work-and-learn opportunities and help prepare Virginia students with the skills needed in today's global economy.
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Trump Orders Agencies To Create "Regulatory Reform Task Forces"
Flanked by some of the nation's top manufacturing executives, President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday directing federal agencies to each create task forces to identify burdensome regulations to modify or repeal. The order requires agencies to establish a team of dedicated officials to "research all regulations that are unnecessary, burdensome and harmful to the economy and therefore harmful to the creation of jobs and business" and make recommendations to repeal or simplify them. The President said the executive order will ensure that each agency across government has a "real team of dedicated people" that will consistently review regulations inside their respective department.
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General Assembly Resources
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Interested in International Expansion? Take Advantage of VITAL!
The Virginia Chamber is proud to partner with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership on VITAL, the Virginia International Trade Alliance. As a VITAL partner, our member companies have access to steeply discounted rates for international market research as well as international trade shows and international trade missions facilitated through VEDP.
Click below for more information:
If you or a company that you work with is interested in learning more about VITAL, please contact Samantha Quig, Corporate Communications Director, at [email protected] or 804-237-1457.
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