FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK

The Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce serves as the voice of business for the Santa Fe community. Advocating for businesscentric policies is at the cornerstone of the Chamber’s mission. By supporting issues, rather than candidates or parties, the chamber is able to support businesses represented among all sectors. Prior to the legislative session, the chamber does a complete analysis of policies to support and oppose. The Santa Fe Chamber collaborates with its Public Policy Committee, Executive Committee, and Board of Directors to create legislative priorities for the coming year.

Highlights from the Chamber of Commerce 2021 Legislative Priorities include:

Economic Development

Chamber Supports:

• Funding to assist local businesses and displaced workers affected by the COVID Pandemic.

• Broadband policy that would increase private sector investment and innovation by eliminating barriers to deployment including: increased partnership between “middle mile” and “last mile” operators; comingling “right-of-way” use for existing fiber infrastructure on current agreements for public good use; expansion of single cellular modules; and state investment in “middle mile” infrastructure for rural expansion.

• Technical fixes to ease restrictions on the New Mexico COVID Relief Fund allowing greater access to local business.

• Diversifying and creating new revenue streams to assist struggling counties and municipalities that do not increase taxes, place employment burdens on local business owners, or significantly increases the cost of doing business locally.

• Collaborative programs that will assist in increasing the supply of affordable housing in Santa Fe and New Mexico. Chamber opposes:

• Policies that would support out of state businesses over local instate New Mexico Businesses.

• Increasing regulation and “red-tape” that would burden already struggling businesses.

• Increasing tax burdens to small and local businesses.

Education and Workforce Development

Chamber Supports

• Broadband infrastructure and deployment for the use of assisting with remote and virtual education.

• Supporting the Santa Fe Community College, Branch Colleges, the State Workforce Boards, Career Technical Education and private sector industries who are committed to providing affordable and accessible education to Santa Fe’s current and future workforce.

Regulatory and Government Accountability

Chamber Supports

• Implementation of a one-stop local business portal and statewide business licensing system with meaningful involvement from the business community to effectively streamline business filings, registrations, and regulations.

• Evaluation of the state tax code for recommendations to minimize the disproportionate burden on industries, individuals, and employers.

• Development of a statewide economic development plan and a COVID relief plan

Workplace Issues

Chamber Supports

• State preemption of local government mandates on employers, such as paid or unpaid leave mandates, fair work week, wage or fringe benefit mandates and scheduling mandates, to provide a stable environment for employers to promote economic development.

A comprehensive list of the Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce 2021 Legislative Priorities can be found at santafechamber.com