Your Chamber This Week: March 18

March 18 - 22

YOUR CHAMBER THIS WEEK

Gov. Pillen, Jordan Larson Address Chamber's

Annual Meeting

The Grand Island Chamber’s Annual Meeting was held March 13 at Riverside Golf Club, with nearly 500 partners hearing from Gov. Jim Pillen and Husker volleyball legend Jordan Larson, a three-time Olympic medalist. The Chamber’s Business of the Year Award was presented to Eakes Office Solutions; the Richard Good Distinguished Service Award was presented to DJ Eihusen, CEO of Chief Industries. The event marked the last official Chamber duty for Outgoing President Cindy Johnson, who was recognized by Gov. Pillen and others for her 20 years of leadership.

For photos of the event, be sure to check out the Chamber’s social media channels on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Also, see this video posted by The Independent (subscription).

A special thanks to our event sponsors: Amur, Chief Industries, Cornerstone Bank, Eakes Office Solutions, Five Points Bank, Hornady, NorthWestern Energy, and Tom Dinsdale. Thank you to our dessert sponsor – Babcock Real Estate, our media sponsor – IdeaBank Marketing, and our Speaker’s Reception sponsor – Unity Eye Centers. Your support ensures the success of one of the most popular networking events of the year!

Voter Toolkit for Chamber Partners

Fewer than 60 days remain until Nebraska’s primary election on May 14. To ensure the voice of business is heard, the Grand Island Chamber has assembled this Voter Toolkit with resources to help Nebraskans:

- Register to vote (deadline is April 29)

- Vote early (begins April 15)

- Request an early ballot

- Find your local drop box

- Find your polling place (polls open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. CT)

- Get answers to Election Day FAQs

- Learn about Nebraska’s new voter ID law (voters must bring a government-issued photo ID to obtain a ballot)

For information on our local elections, see the Hall County Election Commission site and this list of candidates.

In the race to represent a large portion of Grand Island in the legislature, incumbent Dist. 35 Sen. Ray Aguilar will face former state lawmaker Dan Quick in November. Only odd-numbered legislative districts are up for election in 2024. This list shows all legislative races statewide.

Study: EPIC Tax Would Make Nebraska Uncompetitive

As previously reported, the Grand Island Chamber board recently voted to oppose the proposed EPIC Option Consumption Tax, which would replace Nebraska’s income and property taxes with a far-reaching, high-rate consumption sales and excise tax.

Now the conservative Tax Foundation has released this study suggesting the EPIC plan would require a statewide tax rate of 21.6% or more, which would make Nebraska uncompetitive. See this map . EPIC would also likely result in substantial cross-border shopping and would not prevent local governments from enacting their own consumption taxes, “meaning the total rate could be much higher than advertised,” the study notes.

HR Roundup: Hall County Unemployment Hits 4.6%

Nebraska’s latest unemployment rate was 2.5%, fifth lowest in the U.S.
Hall County’s latest unemployment rate was 4.6%, despite there being more than 1,320 job openings countywide.
Legislation (LB 1170) is pending at the Nebraska Legislature that would reduce the maximum number of weeks for unemployment benefits, from 26 weeks to 16 weeks.
More employees nationwide may soon be eligible for overtime pay under a new change proposed by the Biden administration, experts say. Business groups are opposed to the change.
Earlier this month, a federal judge in Texas vacated the National Labor Relations Board’s joint-employer rule. The decision is unlikely to be the final word, experts say. Businesses may want to take this opportunity to prepare.

Nebraskans Asked to Check Accuracy of Broadband Access Data

Nebraskans are being asked to examine this broadband availability map to see if it accurately describes their access to high-speed internet. The map, which shows much of the Grand Island area with 90% to 100% of locations served, will be used to determine how the state spends federal money to expand high-speed internet services. Read more.

We Want to Hear From You!

If you haven’t already, please take a couple minutes to complete this brief and anonymous survey to provide important feedback on your Grand Island Chamber. Deadline is 5 p.m., Friday, March 29.