What Has Lenexa Chamber Government Affairs
Done for Your Business Lately?

Many bills the Chamber has worked hard to pass in recent years are now saving our members time and money, restoring fairness to the workplace, and promoting investment that will ensure our state’s economic health!

• Repealed personal property taxes on newly-acquired business machinery and equipment, saving you money each year and providing an economic incentive to replace or upgrade the equipment at your place of business.

• Phased-out the business franchise tax over five years!  In the first year the threshold at which the tax kicks in increased from $100,000 of business net worth up to $1 million of net worth, exempting many smaller employers immediately.

• Phased down the corporate income tax to save Kansas businesses money, encourage reinvestment, and keep our state competitive in the marketplace.

• Phased down the state estate tax over three years until it sunsets in 2010 to help ensure the long-term survival of small businesses.

• Significantly reduced unemployment compensation taxes for all employers, ranging from cuts of at least 40% up to 100% (expected to remain in place for at least two years), to help keep premiums under control and make sure you aren’t unfairly paying for claims.  Our efforts also expanded the misconduct that can bar eligibility for unemployment compensation benefits.

• Provided additional state and local spending on K-12 education to preserve an important economic development asset in attracting new businesses and ensure our children are prepared to compete and succeed in the workplace.

• Expanded a program by which certain small businesses may receive income tax credits for contributions to employee health insurance or health savings accounts because spiraling health care costs are one of the biggest challenges facing the business community today!

• Prevented efforts to mandate payment of prevailing wages or other benefits.

And don’t forget -- many of the Chamber’s biggest victories are
 costly bills we made sure DIDN’T become law!

Click here to view the 2010 State Legislative Agenda Results.

And What Else Have We Done to Ensure Our Members Have a Meaningful Voice in the Legislative Process?

• Hosted private meetings, briefings, and roundtables between Chamber members and Governor Kathleen Sebelius, members of Congress, state legislators, and local officials.

• Hosted speakers and special events on key legislative topics so that members can educate themselves on the issues of the day.

• Hosted candidate forums and candidate interviews and created an online Candidate Profile Guide for the elections, to help members determine which candidates best reflect their views.

• Publicly supported select ballot initiatives that promote a strong economy and maintain our community’s high quality of life.

• Provided the Governmental Affairs section on the Chamber website www.lenexa.org, which includes information about the Chamber’s governmental affairs program; a directory of local, state, and federal elected officials; election information; tips for communicating effectively with elected officials; and a library of legislative links!

And that’s just a sampling -- we’ll continue to represent businesses’ concerns with our federal, state, and local elected officials!