Our Focus:
The Chamber’s business advocacy efforts will be focused on and aligned with the Chamber’s support for:
[list type=”ul” style=”5″]Improving Atlantic City’s and Atlantic County’s investment climate and business competitiveness^Advocating for improved efficiency and cost of services by public sector entities^Working to attract new businesses and visitors^Addressing social services issues in the Tourism District^Supporting general business-friendly legislation for the Greater Atlantic City Region[/list]
The Chamber Business Advocacy Committee meets monthly. All Chamber members are welcome. Call (609) 345-4524 ext. 101 for times and location.
New Legislation:
Assembly Bill A2354– The Chamber opposes Assembly Bill A2354, which would require employers to provide employees one hour of paid sick leave for each 30 hours worked. Providing paid sick time will hurt small businesses by adding a government-mandated requirement to their burdens. Requiring paid sick time will increase an employer’s costs, because employers will need to pay employees on sick leave and also for replacement workers while they are out, and will make the state uncompetitive for businesses compared to states that don’t have such a law.
Assembly Bill A3815- The Chamber supports Assembly Bill a3815, which extends the end date for development permits to December 31, 2016 granted by state, regional, county and municipal agencies. The Chamber has consistently supported improvements in the permitting and approval process for private development.
SCR127- The Chamber opposes Senate Concurrent Resolution 127. SCR127 proposes a constitutional amendment allowing the legislature to authorize by law the establishment of not more than two casinos to be located in other parts of the state. The Chamber, on behalf of its 800 members doing business in Atlantic County, is deeply concerned that efforts to add gaming destinations elsewhere in New Jersey, is a zero sum game and will have a net negative effect on the state as a whole and a disastrous impact on South Jersey and Atlantic County.
Chamber Joins Forward NJ Coalition:
The Chamber has joined a coalition of NJ organizations (“Forward NJ”) that are focused on transforming the state’s transportation system. The intent of the coalition is to educate stakeholders and the public on the crisis situation with the state’s outdated transportation infrastructure. This advocacy effort is being led by the NJ State Chamber and includes major labor unions, contractors and business organizations. The Coalition’s proposed platform includes reforming the transportation planning groups, forming public private partnerships and reforming the process for investing in transportation infrastructure. Funding options could include increasing the gas tax, increasing sales taxes on motor fuels, dedication of online gaming revenues, increasing car rental fees among others. All revenue sources would be user-based. By June 15, 2015, Transportation Trust Fund (TTF) will reach insolvency and have no capacity to pay for transportation projects. The TTF requires $20 billion over next ten years to maintain and improve the state’s road, bridges and mass transit system.
Chamber Joins NEW JOBS:
NEW JOBS (NJ Organization for a Better State) is a non-partisan group whose trustees promote a pro business climate by endorsing and supporting candidates who actively support economic growth, creation of private sector jobs and the lowering of business costs.
