The content of this post was originally posted by the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce.
How do taxes, regulation, transportation, health care, education, energy, and natural resources impact your business? Chances are, in some way or another, all of these issues affect your company’s employees, operational costs, and bottom line – which in turn impact the state’s overall economic competitiveness. Likewise, each of these issues (and many more) are discussed, debated, and passed or “killed” through the legislative process each year.
Simply put, the issues that matter most to your business are the same issues being legislated on Utah’s Capitol Hill. For this reason, it is critical for your business to be informed and involved in government affairs.
The Salt Lake Chamber is well-recognized as Utah’s leading business advocacy organization, representing broad business interests not only during the 45-day legislative session but throughout the entire year. On behalf of Utah’s business community, the Chamber government relations team tracked over 250 bills and had an 89% success rate with their designated priority votes in the last general legislative session.
Of course, the Chamber can’t do this alone. It takes business leaders from across the state working together with stakeholders to advance public policy objectives. In addition to advocating for the improvement of the state’s overall business climate, your company or industry might have more specific interests it wishes to change or improve.
Having a solid understanding of government affairs will help your company be successful in your advocacy efforts, while also learning how you can be engaged in the Chamber’s public policy and government relations activities on a state level. That is why the Salt Lake Chamber is hosting its 2nd annual Government Affairs Bootcamp designed to train new and experienced government affairs professionals, company executives and public policy advocates on the essentials of government affairs and how to improve their effectiveness and understanding of advocacy in the state of Utah.
The boot camp is an intensive two-day event with guest speakers and informational resources to help business leaders be successful in government affairs. Topics will include how a bill becomes a law, Utah’s legislative process and procedures, ethics and lobbying compliance, elected officials perspectives on lobbying, the difference between educating and advocating and how to develop a government affairs strategy, multi-state government affairs, engaging with the federal delegation, how to get an appropriation, utilizing the Chamber to advance your objectives and a broad understanding of Utah’s most pressing policy issues. All attendees of the boot camp will graduate with a Certificate of Government Affairs from the Salt Lake Chamber and leave with the knowledge to pass the state’s lobbying exam.
While your company may be tempted to shy away from government affairs, viewing it as too political or simply unimportant – think again. Engaging in government affairs on a state level is focused on collaboration, communication, compromise, and most importantly relationship-building.
Your involvement can help your employees, your bottom line, and the state’s overall quality of life and economic success.