The Indiana Chamber of Commerce laid out its agenda as lawmakers prepare to return to the Statehouse next year to craft a two-year budget and consider dipping into the state’s $6 billion surplus to improve public health outcomes, education and workforce development.
The Talent Resource Navigator was established with a $2.5 million investment from Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment Inc.
The Indiana Chamber of Commerce said David Ober will start his new position as vice president of taxation and public finance in late June.
Kevin Brinegar has led the statewide business advocacy as president and CEO for the past 20 years.
Business leaders say they had to play defense with the GOP-dominated state Legislature for most of this year’s legislative session but emerged mostly successful.
The Indiana Chamber of Commerce is again calling for legislation that it says would remove some of the local hurdles such projects now face.
Indiana House and Senate Republican leaders appear to be at odds on how to handle legislation to address employer vaccine mandates and end the state’s public health emergency.
In an effort to relieve workforce shortages and encourage vaccinations, the chamber is partnering with the Franciscan Health Immunization Department to offer free Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine clinics on site to employers in all 92 counties.
Thompson is the first African-American to lead the chamber board and is the CEO and chairman of four businesses, including Thompson Distribution and First Electric Supply.
House Republican leaders want to reduce the personal property taxes businesses pay on equipment, claiming it is one of the last tax obstacles in recruiting new businesses and spurring growth for businesses already here.
The Indiana Chamber of Commerce said the findings underscore the reality of the “Great Resignation” throughout the country.
Business tax cuts and nixing government-imposed vaccine mandates will be among the legislative priorities for Indiana Chamber of Commerce next year, and top GOP lawmakers mostly appear to be on the same page.
The contest is open to all businesses, from veteran manufacturers to budding entrepreneurs. To participate, a company does not need to be headquartered in Indiana, but the product it enters must be manufactured in the state.
During the chamber’s annual legislative preview event—which was held virtually this year as a safety precaution—the organization announced its top five priorities for the session that starts in January.
The report evaluated Indiana in four general areas—talent, business climate, infrastructure and creative culture—and considered educational attainment, per-capita income, government spending, health insurance premiums, smoking and obesity rates, energy prices, internet connectivity and entrepreneurship.
The Indiana Chamber of Commerce said it used responses from business leaders to help it make recommendations to the governor for how to reopen the economy.
Passageways announced it would make its employee and board collaboration software free to aid not-for-profit organizations and government agencies challenged by the coronavirus pandemic. This week, Passageways expanded the offer to Indiana Chamber of Commerce members.
The chamber, in announcing its endorsement Tuesday, said the backing of Holcomb, a Republican, marks only the second time it has endorsed a candidate in a gubernatorial race.
The Indiana Chamber of Commerce on Monday said one of its top legislative priorities was to get state lawmakers to pass laws to decrease the smoking rate of Hoosiers and get vaping products out of the hands of young people.
