Minnesota Chamber of Commerce

Minnesota Chamber delivers victories in challenging session

Governor Dayton and the Minnesota Legislature convened this year with a common focus on jobs. For some, jobs meant passage of a bonding bill and Vikings stadium. We pursued a broader agenda to improve the business climate for all employers and employees in our state.

The Minnesota Chamber delivered on several fronts. We worked hard on advancing pro-jobs legislation and blocking bills that would increase the cost of doing business in Minnesota. We continue to make progress on your priorities. That said, the 2012 session had its disappointments, too.

The good news is that many of our priorities passed the Legislature. The bad news is that the Governor either vetoed or blocked key measures important to job creation. That's disappointing as these public policy initiatives are essential if Minnesota employers are to compete in today's global economy. Strengthening the business environment will improve the lives of all Minnesotans.

There is no doubt that the dominance of the stadium debate added to the challenges of this year's session. Though the stadium was not one of our top priorities, we believe the Vikings are an important statewide asset that we need to keep. It was important to resolve this issue this year so we can focus on next year's projected budget deficit, tax reform, workforce development and alignment, and other priorities of the statewide business community.

This Jobs Scorecard is a brief overview of the role that pro-business lawmakers played in advancing your priorities and blocking many "anti-jobs" proposals. We hope you will use it as a guide for your post-session and pre-election conversations with your legislators. As has been our tradition, the Minnesota Chamber will be publishing and sharing a more detailed Voting Record in the weeks ahead. Our immediate priority is the November 2012 elections; we must maintain our pro-business majorities in the Legislature. Rest assured, we appreciate the support of our 2,300 members and are honored to represent your interests at the Capitol.

WHY JOIN? GERDAU REINVESTS IN ST. PAUL 2012 JOBS SCORECARD HOW IMMIGRATION LEADS TO GROWTH AND JOBS REGIONAL MEETINGS
	Minnesota Chamber delivers victories in challenging session Governor Dayton and the Minnesota Legislature convened this year with a common focus on jobs. For some, jobs meant passage of a bonding bill and Vikings stadium. We pursued a broader agenda to improve the business climate for all employers and employees in our state. The Minnesota Chamber delivered on several fronts. We worked hard on advancing pro-jobs legislation and blocking bills that would increase the cost of doing business in Minnesota. We continue to make progress on your priorities. That said, the 2012 session had its disappointments, too. The good news is that many of our priorities passed the Legislature. The bad news is that the Governor either vetoed or blocked key measures important to job creation. That's disappointing as these public policy initiatives are essential if Minnesota employers are to compete in today's global economy. Strengthening the business environment will improve the lives of all Minnesotans. There is no doubt that the dominance of the stadium debate added to the challenges of this year's session. Though the stadium was not one of our top priorities, we believe the Vikings are an important statewide asset that we need to keep. It was important to resolve this issue this year so we can focus on next year's projected budget deficit, tax reform, workforce development and alignment, and other priorities of the statewide business community. This Jobs Scorecard is a brief overview of the role that pro-business lawmakers played in advancing your priorities and blocking many "anti-jobs" proposals. We hope you will use it as a guide for your post-session and pre-election conversations with your legislators. As has been our tradition, the Minnesota Chamber will be publishing and sharing a more detailed Voting Record in the weeks ahead. Our immediate priority is the November 2012 elections; we must maintain our pro-business majorities in the Legislature. Rest assured, we appreciate the support of our 2,300 members and are honored to represent your interests at the Capitol.