Government Affairs Committee

Advocacy on behalf of our members and business community is a priority of the Leavenworth-Lansing Area Chamber of Commerce. As a Chamber member you have full time advocates fighting for your interests in the political arena on issues that affect your business. Our Government Affairs Committee is fundamental in enhancing our community's business climate. These meetings are open to any Chamber member or member representative.

The Government Affairs Committee, as with all Chamber Councils, Committees, & Programs, is open exclusively to Chamber Members. If you're interested in becoming a Member of the oldest Chamber of Commerce in the State of Kansas, let us know, so you can begin to be involved today!

Government Affairs Committee (GAC) 2024 Legislative Agenda

Purpose of the Legislative Agenda

To focus elected officials and government agencies on advancing the Chamber members’ priorities for enhancing business and economic growth.

2024 Legislative Focus

Transportation for Economic Development. Economic development depends on adequate access to businesses. The Chamber supports planning and development at all levels of government for future transportation systems that connect the Leavenworth/Lansing area with other communities and the interstate transportation networks. Specifically, the Chamber endorses the Priorities for Progress: Connecting Community Opportunities These projects include:
K-5 improvement/realignment.
K-7 combined interchanges.
Leavenworth City Western Bypass.
West K-10 Western Bypass.
Eastern Gateway https://www.lansingks.org/sites/default/files/fileattachments/public_works_department/page/20383/p4p_executive_summary.pdf https://www.lansingks.org/sites/default/files/fileattachments/public_works_department/page/20383/priorities_for_progress_-_final_presentation.pdf
Tax policy. State and local governments should provide reasonable tax policies for adequate funding levels while protecting the interests of our business members. As such, we support:
Returning the Kansas State ad valorem (LAVTR) tax revenue to counties
Incentivizing the creation and growth of small businesses with appropriate tax initiatives

2024 Standing Positions

The following are the Chamber's standing positions on various issues that may arise during the legislative session. The Chamber supports:
Funding the promotion of tourism and the Kansas film industry.
Continuing and increasing state and local funding and improvement to state and federal facilities and workforce development programs.
Expanding and funding healthcare statewide and locally.
Enacting prudent and effective ways to relieve and reduce tax burdens. We think the State should either fulfill the LAVTR laws or delete the law and enact other legislation to support counties and cities.
Ensuring complete transparency and reliability from all levels of government.

Specific Legislative Initiatives

We ask the state legislators to work on the following:

Micro-Brewery Initiative: Changing the language currently in KS41-308b.a.3 - UPDATE
Film and Digital Media Initiative: Support passage of the Kansas Film and Digital Media Production Development Act. Currently known as SB91, the act supports our standing position of funding/promoting tourism.

Government Affairs Committee's (GAC) Purpose Statement

The GAC support the Chamber's mission by advocating for governmental policies that support business growth and enhance economic strength by:

Pursuing legislation and policies that help business development.
Enhancing the Chamber's influence with local, state, and federal elected officials.
Educating public officials about the business community.
Keeping Chamber members well-informed in a non-partisan manner about public policy matters that impact the business community

How the GAC works for legislators, other elected officials, government agencies, and members:

Developing members' concerns into a pro-business legislative platform and advocating policies that promote business success.
Producing reports and updates that help members to track legislative action.
Producing nonpartisan information about candidates and elections, helping members and their employees to make informed voting decisions.
Facilitating a broad range of opportunities for meaningful interaction between members and elected officials.
Providing public presentations on advocacy and the legislative process.

The GAC support the Chamber's mission by advocating for governmental policies that support business growth and enhance economic strength by:

Pursuing legislation and policies that help business development.
Enhancing the Chamber's influence with local, state, and federal elected officials.
Educating public officials about the business community.
Keeping Chamber members well-informed in a non-partisan manner about public policy matters that impact the business community

How the GAC works for legislators, other elected officials, government agencies, and members:

Developing members' concerns into a pro-business legislative platform and advocating policies that promote business success.
Producing reports and updates that help members to track legislative action.
Producing nonpartisan information about candidates and elections, helping members and their employees to make informed voting decisions.
Facilitating a broad range of opportunities for meaningful interaction between members and elected officials.
Providing public presentations on advocacy and the legislative process.