The Spartanburg Area Chamber supports a comprehensive statewide comprehensive economic development plan to help to more effectively recruit new business and industry to South Carolina.

• The Chamber will educate legislators and gubernatorial candidates of the necessity of a statewide comprehensive economic development plan.

The Chamber supports funding USC Upstate at an equitable level to other public universities in South Carolina.

• Chamber advocates have urged Upstate Caucus members to add this issue to its legislative agenda for 2010

The Spartanburg Area Chamber supports drilling for natural gas off the coast of SC and supporting nuclear facilities in Oconee and Cherokee Counties

• It is estimated that over 2000 jobs will be created and an additional $250M plus will be generated in SC.

The Chamber will advocate for state spending caps to be implemented along with a budget stabilization fund that the legislature can dip into during down economic times.  With $1 billion in liability, the Employment Security Commission must be restructured to responsibly and efficiently support the unemployed and to prepare the unemployed for workforce needs.

• H.3442 is set for debate again early in the session.  It creates the Department of Workforce, combines ESC and workforce development and makes Department of Workforce a cabinet agency.

The Chamber will continue to support health care cooperatives to allow small business to pool together to purchase health insurance.

• Chamber lobbyists have been meeting with Blue Cross Blue Shield policy makers and the SC Department of Insurance to find ways to tweak the SC Health Care Cooperative legislation that passed in 2008 to encourage insurance providers to create plans to fit this model.

The Chamber believes that effective tort reform will help lower business operating costs, which will allow business to be more profitable and to pass these savings to the consumer, while creating a better global economy.  Additionally, tort reform will help in recruiting new business to SC.

• Chamber lobbyists along with the SC Civil Justice Coalition have drafted H.3489 and S.350 to run as companion bills through the legislative process.

• A Senate Judiciary subcommittee held meetings through the summer and fall.

• House Majority Caucus and Upstate Caucus have set this legislation as a priority in 2010.

The Spartanburg Area Chamber will oppose the Employee Free Choice Act at the Federal level and to support the anti-EFCA state legislation that would amend the state's constitution to guarantee a worker's right to a secret ballot when voting in a union election.

• The SC Senate is set to debate H.3305 (passed the House) in January.  Chamber lobbyists and grassroots will strongly encourage passage.