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SAVE THE DATE!
Fantastic 50 Awards
April 27, 2017
Westfields Marriott, Chantilly
Virginia Chamber Annual Dinner
May 11, 2017
The Jefferson Hotel, Richmond
Energy & Sustainability Conference
May 24, 2017
Greater Richmond Convention Center
7th Annual Health Care Conference
June 8, 2017
Greater Richmond Convention Center
2017 Virginia Workforce Conference
September 28, 2017
Greater Richmond Convention Center |
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President's Message
There is just one full week left in the 2017 General Assembly session, which is scheduled to adjourn
sine die next Saturday, February 25. Perhaps the biggest item left to finalize is the state budget. Budget conferees were appointed this week and have been meeting to work out the differences between the House and Senate versions of the budget. Below, you'll find brief updates on a number of items we're tracking this week.
This week, you'll find a couple of articles below on recently released state rankings. In 24/7 Wall Street's "Best and Worst States for Business," the Commonwealth dropped from 8th last year to 13th this year. In the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council's ranking of most entrepreneur-friendly states, we dropped from 15th last year to 17th this year. The top goal set by our Chairman this year is to begin to reverse Virginia's recent fall in business rankings.
One way we'll be working to improve Virginia's business climate is through the update to our long-term jobs plan, Blueprint Virginia. I hope each of you will take the time to fill out our Blueprint Virginia 2025 survey to have your voice heard in the plan we will present to our next governor. We also encourage you to attend a regional meeting in your area--a list of meetings that are already scheduled can be found here. We'll also be scheduling industry council meetings later this spring and summer, and then bringing together data analysis from all of our surveys and in-person meetings to develop consensus growth strategies for all regions of Virginia.
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Bills We're Watching
Our bill tracking system, "Bills We're Watching," provides a quick and easy way for our members to stay abreast of all legislation pertinent to business. Short, concise summaries of each bill are provided along with the Chamber's "thumbs-up" or "thumbs-down" position.
Click on the image above to view Bills We're Watching.
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Bill to Require 2 Business Leaders on Board of Education Passes Senate Committee
During the 2017 General Assembly Session, the Virginia Chamber championed
HB 2341 to reserve 2 seats on the Board of Education for those with experience in business. This provision will ensure that there is a diversity of experience in the direction and management of the Board and will bring valuable private sector business experience to the table as the Board considers policies that will prepare students for success in the workplace.
After passing the House on a vote of 92-7, the bill passed out of the
Senate Education and Health committee 15-0 this week and will be considered by the full Senate next week.
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Vote Expected Next Week on Charter Schools Bills
This year, both the House and Senate passed versions of a bill that would ease restrictions on local school boards in authorizing charter schools.
HB 2342 and
SB 1283 passed in their house of origin, have been voted out of committee after crossover, and are awaiting a vote by the opposite full body for approval.
Under the measure, the Virginia Board of Education would be able to create new regional public charter school divisions with the power to approve new charter schools in areas of the state with persistently low educational performance. The Virginia Chamber is supportive of these measures.
A final vote is expected next week.
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Budget Amendment Would Require Agencies to Provide Notification of Returned Grants
The Virginia Chamber supports a budget amendment (Item 4-1.01 #1h) that would require agencies to notify the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees of any federal grant money that they return
. The General Assembly should be aware if an agency receives a grant and for whatever reason does not complete the task and must return the grant funds.
Virginia received more than $9 billion in federal grants in fiscal year 2016. This legislation increases transparency and accountability.
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24/7 Wall St. Releases Annual Business Rankings
24/7 Wall St. has released their annual Best and Worst States for Business rankings. Virginia dropped from 8th in the nation last year to 13th this year.
To determine the best and worst states for business, 24/7 Wall St. compiled 47 measures into eight categories: economic conditions, business costs, state infrastructure, the availability and skill level of the workforce, quality of life, regulations, technology and innovation, and cost of living. Two categories - labor and human capital and technology and innovation - received double weight, and quality of life and cost of living were given half weights. Cost of business, infrastructure, economy, and regulation received full weight.
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Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council Releases Rankings
The Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council) recently released its 21st annual
report on the most entrepreneur-friendly states in the nation. The report looks at how public policies in the 50 states affect entrepreneurship, small businesses, and the economy. The report ranks the 50 states according to 55 different policy measures, including a tax, regulatory, and government spending measurements. According to the SBE Council report, the most entrepreneur-friendly states are Nevada, Texas, South Dakota, Wyoming, Florida, Washington, Indiana, Arizona, Alabama, and Ohio.
Virginia ranks as the 17
th best state for small business, dropping from #15 last year. According to the report, Virginia scored low in the following metrics:
- Personal income tax rates, 28th
- Corporate income tax rates, 18th
- State and local property taxes, 30th
- Energy regulatory index, 32nd
- State and local government five-year spending trends, 42nd
- State and local dependence on federal revenue, 3rd
As we work throughout the next year to update Blueprint Virginia, state rankings such as this one provide insight as to which areas we can focus on to improve the business climate of Virginia. The Virginia Chamber's Small Business Subcommittee is Chaired by Danny Vargas, founder and president of VARCom Solutions, a marketing, public relations and management consulting firm. Danny has an extensive background in business, having held positions at AOL, France Telecom, Global One and Raytheon Corporation before starting his own business. He is also a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. As we update the Blueprint, Danny will work with stakeholders and business leaders to develop growth strategies that will enhance Virginia's entrepreneurship rankings.
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Nearly 56,000 Structurally Deficient U.S. Bridges
 The American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) has released a report based on U.S. Department of Transportation data that finds that over a fourth of the bridges in the United States (55,710) are rated as structurally deficient. Bridges are rated on a scale of zero to nine-with nine meaning the bridge is in "excellent" condition. A structure is classified as structurally deficient and in need of repair if its overall rating is four or below. State transportation departments have identified 13,000 Interstate bridges that need replacement, widening or major reconstruction.
According to the report, Virginia ranks 32nd in the nation based on the percent of structurally deficient bridges. Of the 13,892 bridges in the Commonwealth, 7 percent are classified as structurally deficient and 18 percent are classified as functionally obsolete. Virginia has identified needed repairs on 6,593 bridges, which the state estimates will cost $9 billion.
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Business Briefs
Each week, we'll be posting links to an assortment of news stories from around Virginia. These stories highlight coverage of the Virginia Chamber as well as a sampling of business news from around the Commonwealth.
Click here to view this week's Business Briefs. |
General Assembly Resources
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Interested in International Expansion? Take Advantage of VITAL!
The Virginia Chamber is proud to partner with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership on VITAL, the Virginia International Trade Alliance. As a VITAL partner, our member companies have access to steeply discounted rates for international market research as well as international trade shows and international trade missions facilitated through VEDP.
Click below for more information:
If you or a company that you work with is interested in learning more about VITAL, please contact Samantha Quig, Corporate Communications Director, at s.quig@vachamber.com or 804-237-1457.
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Keep up with the Virginia Chamber on Twitter!
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