Illinois State's Tax Incentive Overhaul Advances amid Chamber Criticism; Arkansas Venture Center Launches With $500K Grant From State; Compromise Would Keep Missouri In Common Core; Kansas has Low Cost of Living Overall, Salina Lowest; Famous Chamber of Commerce Quotations (Leadership): Winston Churchill

House Speaker Michael Madigan advanced a proposed overhaul of one of the state's special tax incentive programs Wednesday with an eye toward helping areas of high unemployment and poverty.
But Doug Whitley, president of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, contended the proposed changes are too complicated to work, although he said the state needs to focus on employment.

“I can't think of a more complicated way to engage in economic development,” he said, saying he was “beside myself” when he reviewed the bill. He doubted businesses would apply because the legislation appeared to be a “barrier” to business. Read More: Chicago Tribune

Arkansas Venture Center Launches With $500K Grant From State

The Arkansas Venture Center officially launched Tuesday morning in downtown Little Rock with a $500,000 matching grant from Gov. Mike Beebe.
The Venture Center is a membership-driven, nonprofit organization co-founded by local entrepreneurs Mike Steely and Lee Watson. It offers entrepreneurial services related to startup acceleration, corporate innovation and technical training. Memberships are $150 per year with student and veteran discounts available.
Since November, the AVC has been operating out of the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce, host of Tuesday's announcement and one of the center's founding sponsors. More than 750 people have attended AVC's 42 weekly and monthly programs and events -- more than 60 hours worth of programming -- since November. Read more: Arkansas Business

Compromise Would Keep Missouri In Common Core 

State lawmakers are close to a deal that would keep the Common Core education standards in Missouri schools until a panel of teachers can review the nationally-crafted expectations.
Missouri is one of 44 states that signed on to use the Common Core in 2010. But as schools have aligned their teaching and materials to the new expectations, parents have pushed back. They're concerned the standards, which have been endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education, will mean a loss of local control for Missouri schools.
Earlier legislation would have repealed the Common Core and barred schools from continuing to implement the standards. A compromise would let Missouri schools keep the Common Core for now, but give the state an out if a panel of educators tasked with standards setting could recommend a better alternative.
Jay Atkins, a lobbyist for the Missouri Chamber of Commerce, calls it "transparency" legislation. Read more: WCUR 89.3

Kansas has low cost of living overall, Salina lowest

Shawnee County has a cost of living about 8 percent lower than the country as a whole, according to a group that compiles economic data. The Council for Community and Economic Research estimated in the first quarter the Topeka metropolitan statistical area has a cost of living of about 92.4 on their scale, where 100 is the nationwide average of 288 urban areas.
The Topeka MSA includes Shawnee, Jackson, Jefferson, Osage and Wabaunsee counties, but the prices for the area all were collected in Shawnee County, said Marsha Sheahan, spokeswoman for the Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce. Read More: The Topeka Capital-Journal

Famous Chamber of Commerce Quotations (Leadership):


“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” ~ Winston Churchill


 Forbes 13/50