The Kansas Chamber on Thursday released its 2024 Legislative and Policy Agenda, laying out its priorities for the upcoming legislative session. The comprehensive plan focuses on reducing the cost of doing business in Kansas, removing barriers to expansion and job growth, and growing the state’s economy.
“The Kansas business environment does have a few competitive aspects, including a good regulatory climate and some of the best employment laws in the nation,” said Chamber President and CEO Alan Cobb. “Unfortunately, there are still barriers to Kansas being a preferred place, nationally and internationally, where dynamic business leaders choose to invest, innovate, and live, and to create opportunities and prosperity for all Kansans.
Cobb continued, “Our work is not done. Actions taken by other states have made them more attractive to investment. We must act to become competitive and to reduce the cost of doing business in our state. If we don’t, Kansas will fall behind”
Cobb said the Chamber’s 2024 agenda proposes five priorities that will help the state address the challenges and seize on the opportunities before it.
- Reduce the Tax Burden
- Adopt Legal Reform
- Implement Regulatory Reform
- Adopt Work Comp Reform
- Improve Energy Costs
The agenda includes Chamber positions on numerous issues and policies it will track, the Chamber will be actively pursuing about a dozen bills, including:
- Supporting legislation which phases in single-factor sales-based formula (Taxation)
- Supporting the implementation of a workforce pathway system to provide parents, students and agencies with data to better track program effectiveness and student outcomes through their education and career paths (Education & Workforce Development)
- Support legislation that requires disclosure of third-party financing of litigation (Legal Reform)
- Supporting legislation prohibiting local governments from banning consumer merchandise and plastic containers (Regulatory Affairs)
- Supporting stronger legislative oversight of executive branch rule and regulatory authority (Regulatory Affairs)
- Supporting policies that ensure reliable and available electric generation services from a diverse mix of energy fuel sources. (Energy & Environment)
- Supporting equitable allocation of transmission and energy costs among regional ratepayers. (Energy & Environment).
“During the 2024 legislative session, we also will ask the Kansas Legislature to use a portion of the significant budget surplus to lower the tax burden on all Kansans. Competing states, especially those in our region, have worked to lower their tax rates and have placed Kansas at a great disadvantage,” said Cobb.
Input for the agenda is gathered from the Chamber member task groups and in-person meetings throughout the state as well as from research from its Annual Business Leaders Poll, Kansas Tax Modernization report, and the Kansas Competitiveness Analysis report.
Click here to read more about the Chamber’s 2024 Legislative and Policy Agenda, including the full list of priorities and issue positions.
