The Voice for Business

The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce is the state's largest and premier business advocacy organization. As the statewide voice of business, the Chamber represents more than 2,400 businesses of all types and sizes across Minnesota. The Minnesota Chamber excels at offering private-sector solutions to public-sector problems.

Chamber Vision: Working together to make Minnesota the best place for business.

Chamber Mission: The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce is committed to advancing public policy and job growth strategies that create an environment for businesses statewide to prosper.

A Century of Accomplishment

The business community's priorities focus on policies that will protect the interests of all companies. We are preparing to advance another member-driven agenda in 2009 with confidence that we represent the interests of all types and sizes of businesses throughout Greater Minnesota and the Twin Cities. Protecting the bottom line of businesses is integral to ensuring a vital state economy. Our policy sessions across the state are the beginning of an exhaustive process that ensures our agenda reflects our members' priorities.

Our priority issues for the 2009 Legislature are:

Stage Budget
Priority: Balance the state budget without a general fund tax increase.

Workforce
Priority: Ensure that businesses have an adequate supply of skilled workers to compete in today's global economy by advancing reforms in the K-12 public education system.

Transportation Efficiency
Priority: Ensure that taxpayers receive the greatest value for every dollar spent on the state's infrastructure system.

Climate Change
Priority: Climate change legislation should be addressed on the national - and international - levels. State lawmakers should not pass any state or regional cap-and-trade policy due to the negative economic impact on businesses and families, and the extremely high probability that a state-specific program will not solve or even reduce the problem.

Nuclear Power
Priority: Change the existing state law so nuclear power is an option for generation of additional and necessary base-load power.

The Minnesota Chamber's strength is our consensus agenda. Your feedback is necessary and valuable as we work together to maintain a vibrant business climate in Minnesota. Please direct comments on your priorities to Jennifer Byers at (651) 292-4673 or jbyers@mnchamber.com.

When the Minnesota Chamber speaks, policy-makers listen. Founded in 1909, the Chamber has been a trademark for accomplishments on behalf of the business community. Groundbreaking workers' compensation and property tax reform are hallmarks of Chamber-led efforts.

The Minnesota Chamber delivered noteworthy results in 2008, including:

Guaranteed that the state budget shortfall was resolved without a general fund tax increase
Blocked two separate measures that would have increased the statewide property tax for commercial/industrial properties
Blocked increase in corporate income taxes for businesses receiving tax-increment financing or tax abatements
Blocked the repeal of the foreign operating deduction and the repeal of research and development credits
Supported legislation, effective September 2010, so individual consumers and purchasers will have access to information on providers' cost and quality and how the data compare with their peers
Supported creation of "health care homes" so individuals have a relationship with a health care provider or team of providers to help navigate the health care system
Supported legislation, effective 2012, so providers will have the ability to establish a package price for "baskets of care," thus providing pricing that is meaningful and understandable for consumers
Blocked proposal to take money from nonprofit health plan reserves - money paid by the fully insured market and individuals - to balance the state's budget
Achieved long-term funding for roads, bridges and transit
Reduced the Twin Cities metro sales tax for transit from one-half cent to one-quarter cent
Ensured that a study will be completed to determine the economic impact and potential revenue for a regional cap-and-trade system before any plan is implemented to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Restored half the dollars that were originally cut from Q Comp, the alternative compensation system that bases a portion of teachers' salary increases on performance
Defeated a proposal to let students receive a high school diploma without passing the state-required GRAD test - Minnesota Graduation-Required Assessments for Diploma
Blocked double-dipping for benefits by allowing terminated employees to collect severance pay and unemployment benefits
Defeated new criteria for extending unemployment benefits that would like deplete the Unemployment Insurance fund by 2010
Defeated extending unemployment benefits for specific groups of employees that do not meet existing criteria

Solving problems for your business

Grow Minnesota! - We help you stay and expand in Minnesota.
Minnesota Waste Wise - We save you money by identifying ways to reduce waste.
Business Services - We improve your bottom line by securing better rates on life and disability insurance and assisting in administering employee benefits.
Minnesota Business Gives - We provide local recognition for business philanthropy and contributions.
Leadership Minnesota - We give business leaders an exclusive look at what makes the state's economy tick.
Courts/regulatory agencies - We intervene and advocate on behalf of statewide business interests.
Leadership Fund PAC - An affiliate of the Minnesota Chamber that supports legislative candidates who support business issues.

Representing Business Statewide

Our relationship with local chambers of commerce is the foundation of our grassroots network and its success at the Capitol. The Minnesota Chamber works with all local chambers to speak as one voice on critical issues that affect the economy.

Special recognition goes to the following chambers to date that, by resolution, have committed to be Federation partners in 2008. These chambers formally support the business community's priority issues for 2008.

In addition, these chambers are Grow Minnesota! partners, our private-sector initiative committed to retaining and growing Minnesota companies. We applaud their pledge to represent statewide business interests with a unified voice.

Austin Area
Brainerd Lakes
Burnsville
Cambridge Area
Chanhassen Area
Chaska Area
Dakota County Regional
Eden Prairie
Faribault Area
Greater Mankato Growth, Inc.
Hastings Area
International Falls Area
Litchfield
Northfield Area
Owatonna
Redwood Area
River Heights
Rochester Area
Saint Cloud Area
Thief River Falls
Twin Cities North
TwinWest
Waconia
Waseca
Willmar Lakes Area
Winona Area

Become a member and help forward the statewide business community's agenda.

This web site is developed and owned by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. Any use or reprinting is strictly prohibited without prior consent of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce.