Chamber Blog

Last week, the Chamber’s Tax & Regulatory Affairs Committee hosted a roundtable discussion with new House Tax Policy Chair, Representative Lynn Afendoulis. This discussion allowed our members to voice their opinions on the top tax concerns, what we’ve done right, and what the future of tax policy should look like for Michigan. Highlights from the […]

Michigan is ringing in 2019 with Republicans holding their majority in the Legislature and a switch to a Democratic administration. Overall, the Michigan Senate saw a near 70 percent turnover and the Michigan House saw over a 20 percent turnover from the 2017-2018 session. Our West Michigan region has six new House members and seven […]

Results from the annual Grand Rapids Chamber Government Affairs member survey show talent and health care costs as top of mind for West Michigan business headed into 2019. Over 600 members contributed to this year’s survey with roughly three-fourths of respondents representing small or mid-sized businesses. “This survey is a great snapshot of what matters […]

Grand Rapids City Manager Mark Washington issued a moratorium on staff-initiated parking and rate changes yesterday. Nearly 4000 individuals submitted their feedback to the recent public comment period on four recommendations. In a request for feedback from our members, the Chamber received overwhelming concern, particularly from restaurants and retailers who felt their customers and employees […]

Lame Duck is in full swing in Lansing and your Government Affairs team is working to ensure outcomes that promote a thriving business climate for all. Here are some key highlights: A Strong Business Environment Paid Sick Leave and Minimum Wage Improvements The Michigan Legislature adopted the minimum wage and paid sick leave proposals and […]

Advocating for policy that drives positive outcomes for our students is a top priority for the Grand Rapids Chamber. The Chamber recognizes that growing, attracting and retaining a diverse talent pool depends on an effective K-12 educational system. Given our work, the Chamber is proud to play an active role in the newly formed Launch […]

On Thursday, December 6, the voter-approved law allowing recreational adult use of marijuana in Michigan will take effect. It cannot be bought or sold yet, but Michiganders can legally possess and smoke marijuana. What do employers need to know? First, Proposal 1 does not legally mean anything for employers in terms of policies and procedures. […]

After 8 years of Republicans controlling all branches of state government, the results of last week’s election will split control between Republicans and Democrats. Democrat Governor-elect Gretchen Whitmer will be joined by Democrat Dana Nessel as Attorney General and Democrat Jocelyn Benson as Secretary of State. As for the Legislature, the Republicans held a majority […]