Lincoln Chamber of Commerce

Every year we set lofty goals for our Chamber's comprehensive public policy efforts. This year was no different. Our 2011 State Opportunities Agenda set us on an aggressive course of lobbying for several key issues important for economic growth.

Now, with the Legislative Session just a few days from adjournment Sine Die, I'd like you to know what our Chamber has accomplished with your help. I am very pleased to report we've succeeded in helping enact several pieces of important legislation.

One of our key public policy objectives this year revolved around a Talent and Innovation agenda, proposed by Governor Heineman and embraced by legislative leaders. The Lincoln Chamber was at the forefront of advocating for LB 345, the Small Business Innovation Act; LB 386, the NE Interns bill; LB 387, the Business Innovation Act; LB 388, the Building & Site Development Act; and, LB 389, the Angel Investment Tax Credit. In addition, Chairman Tonn Ostergard offered the Lincoln Chamber's support for the $25M appropriation for Nebraska Innovation Campus. These bills represent positive changes in making NE even more competitive.

Road funding has been another high priority for our Chamber for several years. With the enactment of LB 84, the Build NE Act, the Legislature finally decided to address road funding as a priority issue. This too, is a positive change in making our state competitive. A very special thanks goes to Senator Deb Fischer for championing the cause and never giving up! I also want to thank our active membership.

Finally, CIR reform was one of the toughest issues in which we were directly engaged. I'm sure most of you have already read news accounts of the prominent role our Chamber CIR Coalition (with Omaha and Nebraska Chambers) played, but I want everyone to know our dedicated staff and leadership spent untold hours working behind the scenes to make this very important bill a reality. LB 397 represents a compromise that meets our objectives for comprehensive and meaningful reform. It provides gives elected leaders real cost containment. We finally will get a better assessment and accounting for what taxpayers are providing in the form of the total compensation package, including benefits and health care. The bill still preserves collective bargaining and protects public workers, too.

Though we didn't have pitched battles as have happened in some states, I have to say I was extremely disappointed by some of the rhetoric and false charges related to our efforts. Let me be clear, we recognize the important contribution that public employees make to our community and state every day. Nothing in any amendment our Chamber CIR Coalition brought forward required any teacher or any other employee's salary be cut. Claims to the contrary are not true. In fact, one of our ideas involved pay flexibility that could have increased salaries, incentive pay and rewards for quality employees.

I also need to publicly thank our partners from the Omaha and State Chambers of Commerce, and the Chairs of all three of our organizations.  I am convinced that but for the efforts of our Chamber Coalition we absolutely would not have seen real CIR reform this session. I would like to especially thank our Chair Tonn Ostergard for the untold hours he committed in ensuring a compromise be struck.  Governor Dave Heineman was a champion for real reform, without whom we could not have accomplished this task. Speaker Mike Flood, Senator Tony Fulton, and Senator Steve Lathrop were some of the key legislative players that made CIR reform a reality.

I'm very proud of the legislative gains we made for business and all Nebraskans in the 2011 session. Great teamwork made it happen!