Thank you to the more than 625 people who responded to the 2022 Policy Survey. This is key input we use to develop our agenda each year, and your answers ensure we know the sentiment of our investors not only on these issues, but also on some issues that might come up over the next 12 months. My team is actively reviewing survey responses to develop the 2022 agenda. Following approval by our Advocacy Committee and Board of Directors, we plan to unveil the full agenda at our Legislative Breakfast on December 10.

I wanted to take a moment this afternoon to respond to some of the frequently asked questions you put in the comments sections as to why some topics were included or, more often, not included in the survey.

1. There were no questions about affordable housing or childcare. These came up several times. The Greenville Chamber and our partners in the Upstate Chamber Coalition have been steadfast in supporting affordable housing and workforce housing measures over the last decade – including two major pieces of legislation in the past two years in Columbia. We have asked affordable housing questions to our members over the last several years and the sentiment was overwhelmingly supportive, so we simply didn’t believe we needed to ask the questions again this year. We’re also working closely with First Steps, the Institute for Child Success, and corporate partners to figure out solutions for the crisis in the availability and affordability of childcare. Our investors have been strongly supportive of our efforts on that issue as well.
2. We need to connect high schoolers with internships/job training. This is a critical issue where the Chamber is leading the way with our LaunchGVL program in conjunction with the Greenville County Schools. This successful program is always looking for both students to intern and companies to host them, so if you are interested in helping, we encourage you to contact Cheryl Garrison, our Director of Talent and Workforce, at [email protected].
3. “This isn’t the Federal Government’s Job.” That’s paraphrased from several comments. In many cases, we probably agree, but with a number of proposals on Capitol Hill that are starkly contrary to this opinion, it is important we test our investors’ opinions so we can quickly form positions that are in-line with our investors’ thinking as proposals are developed. Thank you for weighing in. Your comments are important.
4. The Chamber should fight harder for small businesses. We believe we fight very hard for small businesses, and passed a major small business tax cut in 2021 and worked hard to streamline and standardize the business licensing process. More than 83% of our investors are small businesses. If you believe your voice is not being heard, we encourage you to join our Advocacy Committee, which meets on the second Friday of each month. Contact me if you’d like to get involved. We’d love to hear your voice.
5. A few other questions that came up multiple times:
1. Why are ex-offenders and veterans together on the tax break question? Because that’s how the current House bill is written.
2. Why was there not a question about immigrant licensing and DACA? The immigrant licensing bill overwhelmingly passed the state House of Representatives last year and is currently being blocked in the Senate. The Chamber is a strong supporter and previous surveys showed strong support from investors.
3. Minimum Wage (pro or con)? We have asked a $15 minimum wage question several times in the past and there is overwhelming opposition from our investors.
4. We need more support for (minority workers, LGBT community, etc.). Our Chamber has long been devoted to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in our community through policy initiatives and through working with our employer community. We have had great meetings with the Upstate LGBT+ Chamber about supporting their mission and we look forward to ensuring Greenville is a welcoming, supportive, and equitable place to live, work, and do business.

I hope that answers some of the repeated questions. If you have other questions about the survey, please feel free to contact me and I’ll try to answer any questions you may have as quickly as possible. Thank you again for your time and thoughtful input to our 2022 Policy Survey.