Charleston Metro Chamber releases 2023 Legislative Agenda

The Charleston Metro Chamber announced the release of its 2023 Legislative Agenda, the set of goals that the Chamber’s Director of Government Affairs, Bailey Vincett, will work to achieve during the 2023 legislative session. The 2023 Agenda focuses on the business community’s top priorities relating to building a skilled talent pipeline, criminal justice reform, supporting the military, state fiscal health, economic development and infrastructure.

The Agenda features 15 priority issues that the Chamber’s Government Relations team will actively work to pass this year, including:

• Implement teacher pay bands to allow districts to increase the salaries of high-performing teachers
• Expand policy to allow in-state tuition for any military affiliated dependent
• Support reforms to the current South Carolina Retirement System that will eliminate the unfunded liability by closing the state pension system to new employees and moving to a defined contribution plan
• Support funding for electric vehicle charging stations and incentives for the infrastructure needed.
• Review our state’s penal code to better align crimes and sentencing, expand the number of non-violent felony offenses for expungement and better prepare inmates for high-demand career opportunities making it easier to transition into the workforce.

There are also nine Competitiveness Issues which may take longer to accomplish but are priorities that are still vitally important to the business community.

To view the 2023 Legislative Agenda, visit www.charlestonchamber.org/legislativeagenda.

About the Charleston Metro Chamber

With approximately 1,600 member organizations representing 160,000 professionals, the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce serves as the collective voice of the business community, and a catalyst for regional economic advancement and member success through Talent, Advocacy, Leadership and Business Development. Visit charlestonchamber.org.