LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY
Reflecting on 2023
PHOTO BY DICK DUBROFF/FINAL FOCUS
BY TYLER MICIK
IN MY LAST ARTICLE, I highlighted the State Chamber’s Member-to-Member program and explained the importance of scheduling site visits with members of the General Assembly. By the end of September, we completed several of these meetings with more scheduled before year end. Meetings held thus far include: • Zip Code Wilmington hosted Senator Bryan Townsend • Waste Management welcomed Representative Sophie Phillips • Walmart met with Representatives DeShanna Neal and Kendra Johnson The State Chamber would like to extend DSCC’s Tyler Micik (right) and Senator Bryan Townsend a sincere thank you to our members for (second from right) with Desa Burton (left) and her team. hosting these meetings and to members of the General Assembly for taking the time operating budget, the largest in state history, for Fiscal Year 2024 to visit, meet employees, and learn how the and a 194.5M supplemental budget in one-time measures and company operates. contingency funds. I had the pleasure of participating in these meetings, and I’m Add that to the list of people who’ve announced candidacy for confident that all parties walked away with a greater understanding office in the state’s federal and local delegations, gubernatorial and and appreciation for the work each other is doing. While we may not always agree on a particular issue, a lot can be learned by sitting lieutenant gubernatorial races, and there’s a lot of changes and uncertainty looming in the air. down at the table together, having a conversation, and listening to Times will continue to change and despite uncertainty, businesses each other. will remain creative to be successful and the State Chamber with For example, after visiting Zip Code Wilmington and talking with Executive Director Desa Burton and students in the program, continue to bring parties on both sides together to help support Senator Townsend expressed: businesses and their employees. “I applaud Zip Code Wilmington’s tremendous efforts and As we approach a new year, the State Chamber is in the process of success in providing critical training to Delawareans and helping drafting its 2024 policy priorities and is looking for recommendations them open doors to rewarding careers. Zip Code’s focus on and feedback from our members. Priorities focus around six key areas: developing hard and soft skills across an expanding range of content workforce development, training, and education; environment, energy, areas and age groups will promote dynamism and preparedness in and sustainability; health care; economic development; technology; the Delaware workforce, strengthen the Delaware economy, and and fiscal policy. If you have thoughts or recommendations on any uplift individual families for generations.” of these areas, please reach out to me at tmicik@ As the end of 2023 draws near, I think it’s important to reflect dscc.com. on the past year and talk about some of the key things that happened. The General Assembly saw significant changes this session, such as the addition of nine new legislators—three seats Tyler Micik is the Delaware State Chamber in the Senate and six in the House. It also brought changes to the of Commerce’s director of public policy and House with the selection of an all-female leadership team, the first government relations. in Delaware history. Lastly, the General Assembly passed a $5.6B DELAWARE BUSINESS
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November/December 2023
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