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The Chamber's 2009 legislative agenda is focused on four goals: strengthening Greater Boston's workforce, making the region's business climate more competitive, strengthening critical industries, and fixing Greater Boston's infrastructure. Issues related to all four goals are currently before state government. The Chamber is working with member companies, government leaders, and other business groups to advance those
issues, as outlined below. |
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POLICY |
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In This Issue |
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Charter Schools | Life Sciences | Health Care | Gaming |
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Charter Schools: Chamber advocates for Race to the Top funds |
The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce recently joined the Race to the Top Coalition, a group of business and civic organizations, formed to support education innovation and to secure the Commonwealth's share of $4.35 billion in federal Race to the Top stimulus funding. Competition for federal Race to the Top funds has heated up significantly over the last few months, and only underscores the importance of enacting meaningful reform legislation
that will improve student performance, expand educational opportunities, and enhance innovation throughout the Commonwealth. (Please click here to encourage your legislators
to support efforts to secure "Race to the Top" funding.)
While recent estimates have predicted that Massachusetts could receive $100 million or more of Race to the Top funds, the Chamber believes that a higher goal should be set. $100 million represents the amount of money Massachusetts would receive if those funds were distributed to all 50 states according to population. Because not all states will qualify for these funds, and because Massachusetts can and should be a national leader, the
Chamber recommends that Massachusetts set a goal of $400 million. These funds will provide a powerful boost to the state’s efforts to strengthen schools, expand innovation, and provide every student with a high-quality education.
Meaningful education reform must be enacted now to ensure that Massachusetts is eligible to receive its share of the $4.35 billion. The Patrick Administration has filed legislation with three specific provisions designed to double the state’s supply of charter schools, institute new Readiness Schools that will expand educational innovation, and create new tools for turning around underperforming schools. The Chamber supports these proposals, and will continue to work with administration officials, legislative
leaders, and all interested parties to provide more innovation in the public schools and ensure that Massachusetts receives its fair share of the Race to the Top funds. |
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Life Sciences: Chamber works to secure a competitive life science climate |
The Chamber is working to preserve a favorable regulatory climate for scientific and medical research in Massachusetts. At a September 29 hearing of the Joint Committee on Public Health, the Chamber submitted testimony opposing HB 2051, a bill which would impose significant new roadblocks to the construction and operation of biological laboratory space in the state. The region’s life science cluster depends on a state regulatory environment
that balances promoting cutting-edge research and innovation with ensuring public safety in the region’s research facilities. The Chamber will continue working to secure a competitive and robust climate for life science activities in order to drive job growth, investment, and medical breakthroughs.
As part of the federal health care reform debate, the Chamber has urged members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation to oppose a provision that would impose $4 billion in new taxes annually on medical device makers. Enactment of such a measure could disproportionately impact employment and investment in this critical sector of the region’s life science cluster – while stifling innovation and diminishing the long-term competitiveness of U.S. device makers. |
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Health Care: Chamber continues to focus on payment reform and cost-containment |
Since the Special Commission on the Health Care Payment System released its recommendations for changing the way health care is paid for in Massachusetts, several ideas have been advanced to slow the growth of health care costs. The Chamber and many other groups support efforts to move away from the current “fee for service” model, where providers receive payments for each medical service or procedure. Ultimately, the Commission recommended a
move towards a global payment system, which would offer health care providers a single payment for a patient's care each year.
The question is what steps should be taken to move towards global payments. Medical homes, electronic medical records, and pilots of episode-based payment practices can slow the growth of health care costs and move the system away from fee-for-service payments. In addition, they are supported by a wide range of leaders in the health care sector. The Chamber is working to build consensus for those steps, and/or other effective cost containment measures, among government leaders and advocates. |
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Gaming: Chamber testifies in support of expanded gaming, principles to guide legislation |
The Chamber continues to work on informing and shaping the debate surrounding the issue of expanded gaming in Massachusetts. Building on the Chamber’s March 2008 study Casino Gaming in Massachusetts: Economic, Fiscal & Social Analysis, as well as more recent research, the Chamber has compiled a set of principles upon which its gaming advocacy is based. At an October 29 hearing of the Economic Development and Emerging Technologies Committee,
the Chamber testified in favor of destination resort casinos, a strong regulatory, oversight and support service framework, and an approach to expanded gaming which would advance this set of principles:
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Job creation – promoting immediate job preservation and longer-term job creation
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Tourism impact – capitalizing on the state’s existing visitor base while providing economic stimulus and revitalization to regions across the state
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Revenue maximization – generating substantial short- and long-term licensing fees and gaming tax revenue to the state
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Social impact – mitigating and helping to address the unintended social consequences often associated with expanded gaming
These principles will help ensure that gaming legislation drives regional job growth and spinoff economic activity across Massachusetts, and helps to close state and local budget gaps, without diminishing the Commonwealth’s quality of life. The Chamber will continue to work to achieve these principles.
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For more information on the Chamber's policy agenda, contact Jim Klocke, executive vice president, Tim Sweeney, director of public policy, or Sarah Lanning, assistant director of economic development. |
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JOBS |
September Jobs Update:
State loses 9,200 jobs |
Each month, the Chamber releases a monthly jobs update to administration officials, legislators, key policy-makers, and Chamber members, informing them of the state's latest job numbers, emerging trends in job creation, and the state's current employment numbers in relation to the state's 2002 peak.
Headlines from the September 2009 Massachusetts Jobs Update include:
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Massachusetts lost 9,200 jobs last month
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The unemployment rate rose to 9.3%, up 3.7% over the last 12 months
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Massachusetts falls to 207,600 jobs below the previous peak, the lowest jobs level since April 1998
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All 12 regions shed jobs over the last 12 months; seven of 12 regions shed jobs last month
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Massachusetts posted a 3.4% job loss in the last 12 months, moderately better than the U.S. job loss rate of 4.2%
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UPCOMING EVENTS |
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Government Affairs Forum
Charlie Gibson
Anchor
ABC World News
Tuesday
November 10, 2009
Mandarin Oriental Boston
7:45 a.m. Registration
8:10 - 9:00 a.m. Program
Government Affairs Forum
Secretary Jay Gonzalez
Executive Office of
Administration and Finance
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Thursday
November 20, 2009
Langham Boston
7:45 a.m. Registration
8:10 - 9:00 a.m. Program
Government Affairs Forum
Mayor Thomas M. Menino
City of Boston
Tuesday
December 8, 2009
InterContinental Boston
7:45 a.m. Registration
8:10 - 9:00 a.m. Program
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INSIDE THE CHAMBER |
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On October 1, Dr. Susan Windham-Bannister, president & CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC), addressed the Chamber's Life Sciences Alliance. She discussed various initiatives that the MLSC is implementing in order to advance the region’s leadership in the life sciences. |
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On October 7, David Perini, commissioner of the Division of Capital Asset and Management (DCAM), addressed the Chamber’s Development Committee. He provided an overview of DCAM’s priorities and the current construction environment within the Commonwealth. |
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On October 29, Representative James Vallee, House Majority Leader, addressed the Chamber’s Government Affairs Committee. He offered insights on a range of public policy and legislative priorities facing the state. |
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CHAMBER POLICY STAFF
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Jim Klocke, executive vice president
Tim Sweeney, director of public policy
Sarah Lanning, assistant director of economic development
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