Your Chamber in Action

GOVERNMENT

General Assembly Advocacy Produces Wins; All Eyes on 2021 Campaign

BY CLAYTON MEDFORD

Vice President of Government Relations, Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce

This year is off to an exciting start in terms of Virginia politics and policy. At the General Assembly, the Chamber’s advocacy efforts and work on behalf of our members resulted in some great wins and a strong defense against many challenges. As we enter the 2021 campaign season for several highprofile offices, the Northern Virginia Chamber will continue to be one of the most influential pro-business voices engaged in politics and policy in the state.

The General Assembly, meeting for its third and fourth virtual sessions since the pandemic began, approved several important budget and legislative priorities for the business community. The Chamber successfully advocated for greater deductibility of Paycheck Protection Program loans and Rebuild Virginia grant expenses, saving Virginia businesses millions in potential tax bills. But the issue is not over, as the bill only applies to 2020. We will need to remain vigilant in our demand that this same treatment apply for 2021 PPP loans.

After some funding was frozen last year due to the uncertainty of COVID-19, the Chamber once again successfully made the case for investment in education. We were pleased to again support funding the creation of Gov. Ralph Northam’s G3 Program: Get a Skill, Get a Job, Give Back. G3 provides tuition-free community college to low- and middleincome students who pursue jobs in high-demand fields. This is a critical tool for workforce development in Virginia. The budget also provided funding for affordability at Chambermember George Mason University and greaterthan-expected funding for Northern Virginia’s K-12 schools. We must and will continue to work to ensure that education is a top priority for our elected leaders.

As I mentioned above, this is an election year in Virginia for the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and all members of the House of Delegates. While you may have just begun seeing ads or receiving campaign mail, the Chamber’s political action committee, NOVABizPAC, has been busy since last year meeting with the candidates for statewide office. Before its formal candidate interview and endorsement process begins this summer, the PAC will have met with more than 20 candidates. Now is the perfect time for your organization, big or small, to join the NOVABizPAC. Only members can directly influence the Chamber’s biggest and most important political decisions.

You can also have your voice heard in our advocacy efforts by joining the Policy Committee. This summer we will be working with state leaders on significant changes to Virginia tax policy. We will also be formulating new positions designed to maintain the state’s pro-business legal environment. These two initiatives are unique to 2021; joining the Policy Committee now means you can influence these decisions and participate in the development of the Chamber’s 2022 Legislative Agenda.

If you would like to learn more about how the NOVABizPAC and the Policy Committee work, consider attending an upcoming Advocacy 101 session. We had a great kickoff last month and will be scheduling the next session soon. (Keep an eye on Chamber emails for information.) The meeting is only an hour and covers everything the Chamber does – on the local, state and federal levels – on behalf of our members.

Now is the right time for you to roll up your sleeves and get engaged in business advocacy, and the Chamber is the organization where you can make a big impact.

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