David Lominack Board Chairman, 2016 Phillip Kilgore Vice Chairman, Business Advocacy Jason Elliott Chairman, Legislative Issues Committee Jason Zacher Katie Busbee ADVOCACY MANUAL Vice President of Business Advocacy Government Affairs Manager [email protected] [email protected] To continually improve the quality of life in our community 864.239.3718 864.239.3748 by inspiring and facilitating business success. 2016 24 Cleveland Street greenvillechamber.org Greenville, SC 29601 upstatechamber.org let’s do something that matters today THE GREENVILLE CHAMBER AND THE Transportation and Infrastructure UPSTATE CHAMBER COALITION PRINCIPLE: An effective, well-funded transportation network is needed to accelerate growth. It is past time to increase the STAND SUPPORT CHAMPION user fee for gasoline and prioritize maintenance so we can expand critical economic corridors. More than More than 13 POLICY POSITIONS Chambers 8,000 200,000 businesses employees We support quick passage of a comprehensive transportation funding bill currently on the Senate calendar. Our state needs new, substantial, and recurring funding for infrastructure. Business Knows When to Invest We support the General Assembly giving municipalities the right to call for capital projects referendums. When times are good, business leaders know we must invest in our future and resist efforts to maintain the status quo. We expect significant new state revenue for 2016-2017. Our state had a South Carolina’s challenging end to 2015, but investments in infrastructure, education, Gas User Fee and workforce today will set up our great state for future success. Has Not Increased 121% Since 1987 increase 135% increase An effective, well-funded We must ensure we have 71% 0% increase $3.75 1 transportation network 2 a well-funded and efficient increase $135,000 is needed to accelerate education system from early 171 growth. It is past time childhood to post-college 100 16.75¢ 16.75¢ $61,100 to increase the user fee for gasoline training for our workforce. We can $1.59 and prioritize maintenance so we can invest now or pay a heavy economic expand critical economic corridors. price down the road. 1987 2015 1987 2015 1987 2015 1987 2015 Gas USDOT Median Gallon User Const. Home of We support initiatives to grow As tourism becomes a Fee Index Price Milk 3 and nurture our entrepreneurs 4 bigger share of the Upstate and existing businesses economy, we will work so they can become the next with partners across the great American success stories. state to boost this booming industry. 48th $1,248 90,242 We will work with our state and Congressional delegations to streamline Gasoline Tax Rank Cost Per Driver State Highway Lane Miles government and restore faith in our elected leaders. We will champion South Carolina has Additional cost per driver in the South Carolina maintains the 5 the third-lowest gasoline tax Greenville-Spartanburg metro area fourth-highest lane-miles vigorous but civil discourse to find solutions to our challenges. in the United States. because of poor roads. of state roads in the country. Source: American Petroleum Inst. Source: TRIP Source: U.S. DOT Education and Workforce Expand and Grow Our Businesses PRINCIPLE: We must ensure we have a well-funded and PRINCIPLE: We support initiatives to grow and nurture our efficient education system from early childhood to post- entrepreneurs and existing businesses so they can become the college training for our workforce. We can invest now next great American success stories. or pay a heavy economic price down the road. POLICY POSITIONS POLICY POSITIONS We support a crafted, jobs Business license fees need to be streamlined and standardized targeted bond bill for higher across municipalities to ease the burden on small business. education capital projects 114,000 unfilled and workforce development. Bridging the Gap We support legal If we do not invest in our education reforms that improve system and align our workforce, We support additional we will be short 114,000 our state’s legal climate. 36th college-educated workers by 2030. State Legal System Rank funding for the state’s Source: University of South Carolina We support removing neediest students and the DHEC board from Up from 39th a decade ago, schools, but not at the expense of Upstate districts that have the permit approval but our legal system is still not business-friendly. a severely limited ability to raise their own funding. process. Source: Institute for Legal Reform With $1.3 billion in new money available for 2016-2017, we We support increased support increasing state per-pupil funding in the Education funding for the Commerce Department’s Office of Innovation. Finance Act. We support strong solutions to strengthen our Unemployment Insurance safety net and lower the burden on small business. We support equitable state funding for higher education. We support exploring private, market-based Medicaid reforms that will offer alternative coverage options and take advantage 3100 of available federal funds. Education $2,801 Current Finance Estimate per EF A Act 2600 Formula 19 $2,220 5 Number of Actual 11 14 Historical ______________________ State Fortune 500 +17 EFA 1 Base 2100 Companies in Funding 20 Increase in Entrepreneurship Student Southeast U.S. S.C. ranked 29th for startup 15 Source: Forbes activity in 2015, up 17 spots Cost 1600 from its ranking in 2014. 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Source: Greenville County Schools FISCAL YEAR ENDING Source: Kauffman Foundation Boost our Fast-Growing Tourism Sector 2015 Advocacy in Review PRINCIPLE: As tourism becomes a bigger share of the ACHIEVEMENT: Much was made about a Upstate economy, we will work with partners across our state lack of action in 2015, but we scored notable 2015 to boost this booming industry and support economic growth achievements: Advocacy in our hospitality industry. • Because of your activism, a 10-cent gas Totals user fee increase was approved by the POLICY POSITIONS S.C. House. This stalled in the Senate, but it was a great first step. We will work with tourism development agencies across the 2 • We led the state’s business community STAFF Upstate and the Lowcountry to maximize our state’s commitment on removing the Confederate Flag LOBBYISTS to boosting this increasingly powerful Upstate industry. from the Statehouse grounds. • The Trespasser Bill was approved — protecting landowners if a trespasser is 117 injured with no fault by the owner. 70% $1.1 Billion 9,500 MEETINGS Hotel Occupancy Tourism Spending Jobs Created • Congress approved Greenville leads the nation, Visitors to Greenville generated The number of jobs created by reauthorization of the Southeast, and the state this much in direct spending and tourism spending in Greenville County, the Export-Import Bank. in average hotel occupancy. $64.5 million in tax revenue. with $234 million in salaries. Source: VisitGreenvilleSC • We led a unified effort to oppose 9 lowering ozone standards that would PRESIDENTIAL hurt the Upstate economy. The EPA rules CANDIDATE Promote Good Government leave the Upstate well within attainment. VISITS • We were proud to support Senator Scott in PRINCIPLE: We will work with our state and Congressional changing the Affordable Care Act to delegations to streamline government and restore faith re-define a small business as 100 employees, not 50. This headed off 647 in our elected leaders. We will champion vigorous but civil ADVOCACY major healthcare cost increases for small discourse to find solutions to our challenges. businesses. HOURS POLICY POSITIONS ACCESS: We held more than a dozen events that got our members up close with state 4,605 We support the strong Ethics Reform package passed and national leaders including Gov. Haley, EVENT by the S.C. House in 2015 and urge the Senate to approve Sen. Lindsey Graham, Attorney General Alan ATTENDANCE it and send it to Governor Haley without further delay. Wilson, and nine presidential candidates. South Carolina ranks 36th out of 50 states EDUCATION: More than two dozen people ethics for risk of corruption. We received “F” grades attended the first edition of our Upstate D- ranking in 7 of 13 sub areas, including ethics enforcement, — a school to 19,540 accountability, and FOIA. Political Leadership Institute EMAIL UPDATES Faith in Government Source: Center for Public Integrity train business leaders for public office. Congressional Officials Greenville State Senate Delegation Sen. Lindsey Graham [R] Sen. Tim Scott [R] Sen. Tom Corbin [R] Washington: Washington: District 5, Greenville & Spartanburg counties 290 Russell Sen Office Bldg 167 Russell Sen Office Bldg 501 Gressette Bldg., Columbia 29201 Washington DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510 Columbia: (803) 212-6100 | Greenville: (864) 834-9915 P: (202) 224-5972 P: (202) 224-6121 [email protected] Upstate: Anderson: 130 S. Main St, 7th Floor 303 West Beltline Blvd Sen. Mike Fair [R] Greenville, SC 29601 Anderson, SC 29625 District 6, Greenville County P: (864) 250-1417 P: (864) 224-7401 Chairman, Corrections and Penology Committee http://www.lgraham.senate.gov http://www.scott.senate.gov 211 Gressette Bldg., Columbia 29201 Columbia: (803) 212-6420 | Greenville: (864) 246-4257 Rep. Trey Gowdy Rep. Jeff Duncan [email protected] [R] Fourth District [R] Third District Sen. Karl Allen [D] Washington: Washington: District 7, Greenville County 1404 Longworth HOB 116 Cannon HOB 610 Gressette Bldg, Columbia 29201 Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515 Columbia: (803) 212-6040 | Greenville: (864) 235-9049 Phone: (202) 225-6030 Phone: (202) 225-5301 [email protected] Greenville: Anderson: 104 South Main Street 303 West Beltline Blvd Sen. Ross Turner [R] Greenville, SC 29601 Anderson, SC 29625 District 8, Greenville County Phone: (864) 241-0175 Phone: (864) 224-7401 512 Gressette Bldg. Columbia 29201 https://gowdy.house.gov http://jeffduncan.house.gov Columbia: (803) 212-6148 | Greenville: (864) 288-9513 [email protected] Statewide Officials Sen.