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Kentucky Chamber shares legislative hopes for 2021 session, provides insight on covid-19 relief at Southeast Kentucky Chamber meeting
Pandemic relief and recovery were the main focuses of Kentucky Chamber President Ashli Watts during a virtual meeting hosted by the Southeast Kentucky Chamber on Thursday to discuss the state chamber’s priorities for the 2021 legislative session which kicks off in January.
Watts opened up Thursday’s meeting touching on covid-19 vaccines in Kentucky. She said she had spoken with Ky. Gov. Andy Beshear prior to the meeting and had been informed that all front-line health workers and first responders are scheduled to receive the vaccine by January, when EMT and EMS workers are expected to be vaccinated.“66 percent of covid deaths in Kentucky have been in our long-term care facilities,” said Watts, noting that those facilities should be receiving the vaccine as early as December 15. She said the Kentucky Chamber is suggesting that those vaccines take place on site at the workplace.
From there, Watts transitioned to discuss the top priorities of the state chamber for the 2021 legislative session which, according to Watts, include: Infrastructure, covid-19 liability protections, modernization of the state’s unemployment insurance program, tax reform, substance use disorder and recovery, reform of the state’s criminal justice system, investing in education, focusing on childcare, and supporting Kentucky’s signature industries.
In terms of infrastructure, Watts said the Chamber is urging for a gas tax to help raise money to fix existing infrastructure as well as to provide for new infrastructure needs across the state.
“The gas tax is really a consumption-based tax where you can see the improvements,” said Watts. “We do not have enough money in our road fund to pay for our existing infrastructure, or to maintain [it].”
Watts said the tax will help to ensure the movement of expansion projects such as the Mountain Parkway expansion. She said she believes Gov. Beshear and the legislature are in support of the tax.
Covid-19-related liability protections for businesses was another hot topic for the chamber. Watts mentioned the notion of businesses facing litigation due to covid-19 contraction at their business. She said the federal bill relating to covid-19 liability protections has been “condensed quite a bit” to not include much protection for businesses but said the state chamber is promoting a bill that will allow for more protections on the state level.
“We want to make sure that as long as [businesses are] doing everything in their power to follow the law and keep people safe, we think there should be protection in that,” said Watts. “We have a strong sense that we will be able to approve this on the state level.”
When discussing unemployment insurance in Kentucky, Watts mentioned the $800 million federal loan Kentucky borrowed earlier in the year to replenish the unemployment system, due to the large number of covid-related claims, noting that the loan was necessary.
“How we pay that back is simply on the backs of employers,” she said, noting that employer stakes in unemployment will rise in 2021. “Know that we are really working on this and we are working on a solution to help everyone out.”
Watts ended her presentation by stating that anyone with questions, comments, or suggestions for the state Chamber should contact either their local chamber of commerce or the state chamber. For more information about the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, visit them online at www.kychamber.com. For more information about the Southeast Kentucky Chamber, visit them online at www.sekchamber.com, or call 606.432.5504.
More information: Josh Little | Director of Operations, Southeast Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
Mike Huber of the Indy Chamber and Jeff Rea of the South Bend Regional Chamber Webinar for ACCE: Creating a Successful Post-Merger Culture
With the COVID-19 crisis, many chamber leaders are considering alliances and mergers to increase investor value, advance community-wide goals and position their organizations for future success. Watch a recording of ACCE's recent webinar, featuring a panel of chamber CEOs who discussed how an intentional approach in creating focused, productive and mission-driven teams has resulted in successful new organizations.
Town SquarePublications (www.townsquarepublications.com) can help you accomplish your chamber's gloss map, directory, community guide or publication needs at no expense to the chamber. Please email John Dussman at jdussman@tspubs.com or call (847)-427-4633.
New Berlin Chamber: Tentative 2021 Event Schedule Has Been Set
At last week's board meeting we discussed our tentative schedule of events for 2021. With many unknowns surrounding Covid-19 conditions, including distribution of the vaccines that are being distributed, we will move forward with a series of events beginning in February. We will start out virtually and move to in person events as conditions allow.
The current plan calls for the following activities
· February 18, 2021 Annual Legislative Update meeting. This will be a virtual video conference meeting.
· April 22, Annual Luncheon, Business of the Year meeting. Tentatively scheduled at New Berlin Hills. This may change to either a fully virtual event or a hybrid with a small socially distanced event that is live streamed.
· June 21, our 22nd Annual Golf Outing at New Berlin Hills.
· August 26, Membership meeting scheduled as a breakfast event from 7:30 - 9 am.
· We are looking into the possibility of holding a New Berlin Night at a Brewers game on Saturday August 21. That would be a 7:30 p.m. game. Again depending on conditions with the virus, this would be a fun city celebration after a year and a half or so of Covid restrictions.
· November 18, Membership meeting from 11:30 a.m.- 1:30 p.m.
· December 9, Annual Holiday Party.
· Discover New Berlin, we are currently looking to hold this as an outdoor event in either June or July. We are researching all of our options to ensure we have a successful community event. More details to follow.
They say you can’t go home again, but Doreen Buntrock is proof that is not true.
As the former Hartford Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director steps back into the role she held for eight and a half years, from 1997 to 2005, she brings with her a refreshing mix of past, present and future.
“A lot has changed since I left, but at the same time so much is the same,” she said. “There have been advances with technology and social media and some businesses are different, but Hartford is still a warm and welcoming community.”
When Buntrock left the Chamber 15 years ago, she never dreamed she would one day be returning to her previous post. However, she is glad life led her back this way.
“It never really left me,” she said. “I love Hartford. The people are great and there is so much to experience here.”
With a tagline of “It’s happening here in Hartford,” the community is “the heart of Washington County,” said Buntrock, and she has big plans for the area. During her first go-round at the Chamber, Buntrock was a force to be reckoned with, kicking off major community staples like the Balloon Rally, Hartford Leadership program, and Chamber Check program. She also started the WIN partnership with the West Bend Area Chamber and helped put Hartford on the map with a Discover Wisconsin tourism promotion.
“It’s so much fun to be creative and do things for a community that is open to it,” she said.
From the industrial park to the business community to the schools, Hartford is solid, said Buntrock, and she hopes to keep building on that foundation.
“There is always more work to do,” she said. “Our job is to nurture and promote, and this is an amazing place to do that. We already have so many great places and we want to bring in the new. We want people to stop here and stay for awhile, not just pass through.”
While COVID-19 and its implications have changed certain things, there is still a lot to do and the show will go in, Buntrock emphasized.
“There are things you can still do safely like stroll the Riverwalk, attend events like Midnight Maddness on Dec. 11, or even just drive through our beautifully-decorated neighborhoods,” she said. “Things are still happening, just in a different way. It’s our job at the Chamber to be a strong partner and be there for our businesses at this time.”
With four daughters and 10 grandchildren that range in age from four months to 20 years old, the Chamber director also hopes to revive a spirit of volunteering in the city. “I want the young people to see the great quality of life we have and learn to give back,” she said. “I am hoping individuals of all ages will embrace that and participate in any way they can.”
Another way to help is to “shop local,” she said, noting that the Chamber Check program is an easy way to do just that. “That’s the best thing you can do for your community right now. The checks work like gift certificates and can be used at any of the Chamber member businesses.”
As she begins her new but also familiar venture, Buntrock does so with great excitement and high hopes for Hartford.
“We already have so much to offer and we are just going to keep growing this wonderful and inviting community,” she said. “When you come to Hartford, you’re not a stranger. We welcome you and we want you here.”
Those interested in volunteering for the Chamber or related events can call (262) 672-7002. Read more: Express News
Grand Rapids Area Chamber: Leadership Lesson Series
2020 has been riddled with unforeseen challenges, and most of us have spent months in survival mode. With a new year on the horizon, it's time to reflect and reset.
Join us for focused intentionality at our final Leadership Lesson Series of the year, Priority Action Planning for the New Year. Led by Jane Gietzen, Director of Information Services for Spectrum Health and Leadership Grand Rapids Class of 2003 Alumna, this workshop will assess how time is being spent and guide attendees in developing an action plan to make shifts that will bring priorities into alignment.Thursday, December 17
8:00 - 9:30 a.m.
Learn More
Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann stopped by the Pascagoula Performing Arts Center where he spoke on many topics, including some of what the legislature accomplished this year. “We re-organized the board that does all the prep for teaching our children how to do technical things. We devoted 75 million dollars to broadband expansion and that was matched by the co-op so we get 150 million dollars reaching in more than 50 thousand Mississippi homes that will have access to broadband to teach their children with.”
One of Hosemann’s proudest legislative moments of 2020 is the adoption of Mississippi’s new state flag, which he proudly presented to the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce. “I think it’s reflective of the fact that we got 72 percent of the vote. Now, that’s almost impossible. If you’re a really good politician you might get 58 percent, we had a record turnout of 1.2 million people and 72 percent voted for the new flag.”
Members of the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce say it is an honor to have Lt. Governor Hosemann visit the Gulf Coast and present them with the new state flag. Jackson County Chamber of Commerce CEO Paige Roberts said, “This is honestly one of the greatest honors of my life. The chamber and I worked very hard in support of changing the flag and then in support of getting this flag. We are so proud and thrilled that the people of Mississippi spoke such volumes.” Read more: WXXV 25
The Starksville Community Resource Guide is available at the Greater Starkville Development Partnership today! Thank you to Mike Tagert the GSDP team for their help and direction putting this together!
Town Square Publications (www.townsquarepublications.com) can help you accomplish your chamber's gloss map, directory, community profile or publication needs at no expense to the chamber. Please email John Dussman at jdussman@tspubs.com or call (847)-427-4633.
Do you want to know what free services are available for small businesses in Mississippi? How can these services help grow and support your business?
Join us on Wednesday, December 16, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. as we welcome Deven Busby, Director of WIN Job Center in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Ms. Busby lead a discussion concerning free services and programs offered through the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act and how entrepreneurs with small businesses can benefit from this Congressional Act.
Click here to Join
Don’t Wait to Apply!
The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) is informing small businesses and communities that the application period for the Business Interruption Grant (BIG) program will close at 5pm on Tuesday, December 15.
DCEO and its grant administration and outreach partners are reminding small business owners to get their application in if they haven’t already. Applying is easy, and DCEO along with its grant administrators Accion and WBDC have developed a menu of resources and technical assistance to help small businesses in need qualify for grants. Resources and more info are available HERE.
DCEO has received over 40,000 applications through the program since it launched in June. Since that time, the department has issued $168 million to over 6,300 small business owners spanning over 500 cities around the state with more awards going out in the coming days.
The State of Illinois anticipates that it will award the remainder of the $270 million in funds through this program in the coming weeks. DCEO will continue to follow the funding priorities outlined under the program including reaching heavily impacted industries, businesses located in a disproportionately impacted areas (DIAs) and downstate communities, and small businesses with annual revenues of $5 million or less and/or businesses that have not received other forms of emergency assistance like PPP.
BIG was created by Governor Pritzker and the General Assembly in response to the unprecedented burdens COVID-19 has placed on small businesses around the state. BIG grants, leveraging federal CARES Act dollars, provide grants tailored to business losses, with amounts ranging between $5,000-$150,000. The average grant provided to date is $25,000. Grant funds may be used toward operational expenses, including PPE, rent and utilities, payroll, and more.
For more information on BIG eligibility, how to receive assistance with submitting your application, and to review the application, please visit DCEO’s program website.
Business Interruption Grants Program (BIG)
Auburn Hills Chamber: Pure Michigan Small Business Relief Initiative to Provide $10 Million in Grants
The Pure Michigan Small Business Relief Initiative will utilize federal CARES Act funding to provide $10 million in grants to meet the urgent need of Michigan small businesses disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Applications for businesses to apply will open Tuesday, December 15, 2020 and you may apply at this web address: www.michiganbusiness.org/relief. Grants will be awarded in the amount of up to $15,000 per eligible business on a “first-in” basis. Grant funds will assist eligible small businesses directly impacted by COVID-19 meet urgent working capital needs including payroll expenses, rent or mortgage payments and utility expenses in the following industries:
· Restaurants, bars and other food and beverage service providers
· Travel and tourism destinations including lodging providers
· Live event venues and movie theaters
· Conference and meeting facilities
· Ice skating rinks, indoor water parks and bowling centers
· Gyms and fitness centers
To qualify for grant support, businesses must meet eligibility criteria including, but not limited to:
· Being a business in one of the targeted industries listed above
· Must be in compliance with all State and local orders related to COVID-19, including, but not limited, to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
· Be a for-profit entity (i.e., a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, or LLC)
· Have a physical establishment in the Michigan County of Application and is NOT a home-based business
· Provide goods or services to multiple clients or customers
· Be current, or in a payment plan, on all local, state, and federal taxes due through 1/1/2020
· Have an active and valid state license(s)/registration(s), if applicable
· Is not an adverse party to litigation involving the State or municipality
· Business or Business owner has not filed for bankruptcy in the last 10 years
· Can identify a need for payroll, rent or mortgage payments, and/or utility expenses necessary to continue/restart business operations relative to the total grant amount
· Had annual gross revenues in 2019 greater than $25,000
· Has at least two employees, including the owner(s)
· Has fewer than 50 employees (including full-time, part-time, and owner(s) on a world-wide basis.
Application Opens Tuesday, December 15
#ChamberHeart: Reston Chamber of Commerce and Reston Community Center: Thanksgiving Food Drive Update
Thanks to the generosity of our community, approximately 4,250 pounds of food and goods and $485 worth of gift cards were collected, sorted, packed and delivered to Cornerstones. That's enough food to feed 325 families for up to three months. We couldn't have done it without the Reston Community Center, our partners, and all the community members who donated and volunteered. In a season of exceptional hardship, their kindness will be profoundly appreciated.
Good morning #ChamberWorld! It's going to be a great day!
