Chamber Legislative Agenda
Government is one of the biggest influences on business. The Miramar Pembroke Pines Regional Chamber of Commerce is fighting for your business and looking out for your bottom line. We are your eyes and ears at City Hall, the County, the State Capitol and in Washington, D.C. We listen to your concerns and convey your message in the political arena, taking action on legislative issues and regulations that impact our economy.
The Chamber understands that strong communities are the result of strong business communities. We will continue to build strong relationships with our community partners and our legislators in building a better Broward County and a better Florida. We can achieve our goals through our legislative process which includes developing a business driven agenda, hosting a variety of legislative events, and educating our members on the impact of current issues. Our members' input is imperative in executing each phase. During the monthly meeting, local, state and/or federal issues are discussed, along with updates on topics such as current and pending legislation, transportation, roads, etc.
We are the only local Chamber of Commerce that has a partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for our members.
The Miramar Pembroke Pines Regional Chamber of Commerce’s recent partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce offers an array of resources for small business members in the community and unifies the voice of small businesses throughout the country. Through this partnership, small business members of the Miramar Pembroke Pines Regional Chamber of Commerce receive a U.S. Chamber membership at no additional cost. The current political environment poses new challenges to the business community. The U.S. Chamber’s Friends of the U.S. Chamber program works with small businesses in support of an agenda that fosters economic growth, business stability, shareholder security, and consumer protection. Through the U.S. Chamber’s partnership with the Miramar Pembroke Pines Regional Chamber of Commerce, our members are part of the nation’s largest grassroots advocacy network. The U.S. Chamber’s ever-growing Friends of the U.S. Chamber coalition rallies the voices of small businesses throughout the nation to be heard on Capitol Hill.
Advocacy
The Miramar Pembroke Pines Regional Chamber of Commerce recognizes the effects of business costs and tax burdens on businesses as well as the region’s challenges in job creation. To encourage economic growth and investment, the Chamber supports fiscal tax policies and business cost reforms designed to increase competitiveness and create jobs.
Points of Focus:
◦Advocate for and on behalf of business.
◦Communicate in a public forum those issues that may affect the business community.
◦Monitor and work with local and state government agencies on issues, those which pertain to business.
Economic Development
Economic development initiatives are an essential component of a healthy business environment. The Chamber supports legislative policies and actions that provide businesses of all sizes the tools and talent they need to increase their competitiveness and stimulate growth while continuing to attract new industries to our region.
Points of Focus:
◦Leverage the Chamber’s role in the continued collaborative efforts between other agencies to provide incentives, programs, and resources to build and attract business.
◦Drive efforts to retain and/or grow existing businesses.
◦Provide resources for small businesses by recognizing and supporting their needs.
◦Develop and support initiatives to market and brand the region.
Education
The Chamber encourages the development of a strong competitive workforce. We advocate for our educational facilities to be a safe learning environment with a focus on rigorous learning objectives.
Points of Focus:
◦Initiatives that will help to increase early childhood education and graduation rates, thus providing a more skilled work force for business and industry in our region.
◦Support legislation requiring the funding of SRO’s for all public and charter schools at the county or state level for safer schools for our children.
◦Initiatives that will help to increase the number of individuals entering and completing post-secondary training or education.
◦Legislation that provides stable, equitable and adequate K-12 funding for both our public and charter schools.
Transportation
The Chamber will support efforts to strengthen our community’s infrastructure. This will enhance our ability to attract and retain quality businesses, which will lead to improved job opportunities, wages, and quality of life in the Southwest Broward region. Recognizing the importance of a quality, economical transportation system is vital to business, including airports, rail systems, mass transit and highways. The Chamber will support efforts to maintain and improve transportation into, out of, and within the area.
Points of Focus:
◦Broaden the Base of Transportation revenue and consider recommendations made by the Broward Metropolitan Transportation Organization commission including reasonable user fee increases, exploring innovative new funding mechanisms, adequate funding of local roads and reduced reliance on debt.
◦Expand Transportation Infrastructure, focus scarce resources on needed highway capacity expansion projects to accommodate the growing transportation needs of our area.
◦The Chamber supports North Perry Municipal Airport in economic development growth that meets the needs of the area.
Tourism
The beaches of Broward County are enjoyed by residents of the entire Broward County area. Not only do the beaches support tourism and the general economy of the area including Southwest Broward. Beaches play a vital role for our residents in the area of entertainment and add to our quality of life. The Chamber views our beaches as an asset to our economic strength and supports efforts in keeping the beaches of Broward County viable for use by all residents and visitors to the area.
Points of Focus:
◦Support efforts for funding beach renourishment including reasonable use of bed taxes and exploring innovative new funding mechanisms.
◦Support request for state funding to supplement local and federal Broward County Beach renourishment funds.
Legislative Agenda for State
Education/Workforce Development
Advocating for Rigorous Accountability Standards
Continuing to support assessment and accountability systems at all levels of Florida’s education system will help ensure a globally competitive talent pipeline.
Expanding Access to Higher Education
Creating a competitive and highly-skilled talent pool that meets business needs requires solutions that encourage quality education programs and expand need-based aid initiatives.
Innovation and Economic Development
Marketing Florida’s Business-Friendly Climate
Move Legislature to invest $20 million annually to tell Florida’s improving business climate story.
Business Climate & Competitiveness
Streamline Government Regulations and Mandates
Florida has eliminated more than 3,000 outdated, ineffective or disadvantageous regulations. As Florida competes with other states and countries, improving Florida’s permitting and regulatory systems will help our competitiveness. We must continue to fight against costly and duplicative employer mandates, which often strike the pockets of small businesses, and instead focus on creating a positive labor environment where all 67 counties, 405 cities and all state agencies are aligned to help job creators grow Florida.
Providing Increased Opportunities for Growth for Small Businesses
Small businesses create two out of every three jobs in Florida. In order to help small businesses grow, we support programs such as Florida’s Small Business Development Network, which provides guidance to start-ups and first stage businesses. We will also continue to work with the lending community to ensure small business have appropriate access to capital.
The Chamber understands that strong communities are the result of strong business communities. We will continue to build strong relationships with our community partners and our legislators in building a better Broward County and a better Florida. We can achieve our goals through our legislative process which includes developing a business driven agenda, hosting a variety of legislative events, and educating our members on the impact of current issues. Our members' input is imperative in executing each phase. During the monthly meeting, local, state and/or federal issues are discussed, along with updates on topics such as current and pending legislation, transportation, roads, etc.
We are the only local Chamber of Commerce that has a partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for our members.
The Miramar Pembroke Pines Regional Chamber of Commerce’s recent partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce offers an array of resources for small business members in the community and unifies the voice of small businesses throughout the country. Through this partnership, small business members of the Miramar Pembroke Pines Regional Chamber of Commerce receive a U.S. Chamber membership at no additional cost. The current political environment poses new challenges to the business community. The U.S. Chamber’s Friends of the U.S. Chamber program works with small businesses in support of an agenda that fosters economic growth, business stability, shareholder security, and consumer protection. Through the U.S. Chamber’s partnership with the Miramar Pembroke Pines Regional Chamber of Commerce, our members are part of the nation’s largest grassroots advocacy network. The U.S. Chamber’s ever-growing Friends of the U.S. Chamber coalition rallies the voices of small businesses throughout the nation to be heard on Capitol Hill.
Advocacy
The Miramar Pembroke Pines Regional Chamber of Commerce recognizes the effects of business costs and tax burdens on businesses as well as the region’s challenges in job creation. To encourage economic growth and investment, the Chamber supports fiscal tax policies and business cost reforms designed to increase competitiveness and create jobs.
Points of Focus:
◦Advocate for and on behalf of business.
◦Communicate in a public forum those issues that may affect the business community.
◦Monitor and work with local and state government agencies on issues, those which pertain to business.
Economic Development
Economic development initiatives are an essential component of a healthy business environment. The Chamber supports legislative policies and actions that provide businesses of all sizes the tools and talent they need to increase their competitiveness and stimulate growth while continuing to attract new industries to our region.
Points of Focus:
◦Leverage the Chamber’s role in the continued collaborative efforts between other agencies to provide incentives, programs, and resources to build and attract business.
◦Drive efforts to retain and/or grow existing businesses.
◦Provide resources for small businesses by recognizing and supporting their needs.
◦Develop and support initiatives to market and brand the region.
Education
The Chamber encourages the development of a strong competitive workforce. We advocate for our educational facilities to be a safe learning environment with a focus on rigorous learning objectives.
Points of Focus:
◦Initiatives that will help to increase early childhood education and graduation rates, thus providing a more skilled work force for business and industry in our region.
◦Support legislation requiring the funding of SRO’s for all public and charter schools at the county or state level for safer schools for our children.
◦Initiatives that will help to increase the number of individuals entering and completing post-secondary training or education.
◦Legislation that provides stable, equitable and adequate K-12 funding for both our public and charter schools.
Transportation
The Chamber will support efforts to strengthen our community’s infrastructure. This will enhance our ability to attract and retain quality businesses, which will lead to improved job opportunities, wages, and quality of life in the Southwest Broward region. Recognizing the importance of a quality, economical transportation system is vital to business, including airports, rail systems, mass transit and highways. The Chamber will support efforts to maintain and improve transportation into, out of, and within the area.
Points of Focus:
◦Broaden the Base of Transportation revenue and consider recommendations made by the Broward Metropolitan Transportation Organization commission including reasonable user fee increases, exploring innovative new funding mechanisms, adequate funding of local roads and reduced reliance on debt.
◦Expand Transportation Infrastructure, focus scarce resources on needed highway capacity expansion projects to accommodate the growing transportation needs of our area.
◦The Chamber supports North Perry Municipal Airport in economic development growth that meets the needs of the area.
Tourism
The beaches of Broward County are enjoyed by residents of the entire Broward County area. Not only do the beaches support tourism and the general economy of the area including Southwest Broward. Beaches play a vital role for our residents in the area of entertainment and add to our quality of life. The Chamber views our beaches as an asset to our economic strength and supports efforts in keeping the beaches of Broward County viable for use by all residents and visitors to the area.
Points of Focus:
◦Support efforts for funding beach renourishment including reasonable use of bed taxes and exploring innovative new funding mechanisms.
◦Support request for state funding to supplement local and federal Broward County Beach renourishment funds.
Legislative Agenda for State
Education/Workforce Development
Advocating for Rigorous Accountability Standards
Continuing to support assessment and accountability systems at all levels of Florida’s education system will help ensure a globally competitive talent pipeline.
Expanding Access to Higher Education
Creating a competitive and highly-skilled talent pool that meets business needs requires solutions that encourage quality education programs and expand need-based aid initiatives.
Innovation and Economic Development
Marketing Florida’s Business-Friendly Climate
Move Legislature to invest $20 million annually to tell Florida’s improving business climate story.
Business Climate & Competitiveness
Streamline Government Regulations and Mandates
Florida has eliminated more than 3,000 outdated, ineffective or disadvantageous regulations. As Florida competes with other states and countries, improving Florida’s permitting and regulatory systems will help our competitiveness. We must continue to fight against costly and duplicative employer mandates, which often strike the pockets of small businesses, and instead focus on creating a positive labor environment where all 67 counties, 405 cities and all state agencies are aligned to help job creators grow Florida.
Providing Increased Opportunities for Growth for Small Businesses
Small businesses create two out of every three jobs in Florida. In order to help small businesses grow, we support programs such as Florida’s Small Business Development Network, which provides guidance to start-ups and first stage businesses. We will also continue to work with the lending community to ensure small business have appropriate access to capital.
