Legislative Agenda

Every November, the Chamber’s Board of Directors adopts the annual legislative agenda, a set of issues and positions the Chamber will advocate in the South Carolina General Assembly. The agenda is presented to the Board for approval by the Public Policy Committee which is comprised of members representing every sector so that all aspects of the Chamber's membership are represented and that everyone has a fair and equal voice. The legislative agenda  is the culmination of work by hundreds of volunteers over a period of several months.

Legislative Agenda Process:

• Survey to Chamber membership to ask for input in identifying key issues
• Board of Directors takes research and information gathered and sets the priorities for the Chamber through the development of the annual Program of Work which outlines the focus of the Chamber's programs for the coming 12 months
• Late summer, the Public Policy Committee begins its work for the new program year with briefings on various issues followed by discussions as to which issues to add to the annual agenda
• The Chamber hosts the annual Coastal Grassroots meeting in conjunction with the Berkeley, Greater Summerville/Dorchester County and Colleton/Walterboro Chambers to gather input from business leaders on issues that need to be addressed
• Public Policy Committee decides which ones should ultimately be the focus for the Chamber in the General Assembly. 
• Each issue is carefully researched so that the Chamber can understand not only why it supports the issue, but how it impacts the business community and also what the opposition is going to say about it.

While setting the annual agenda is a process, it doesn’t prevent Public Policy from addressing issues that may arise in between this annual process. Public Policy operates under a set of Guiding Principles which are guidelines for the Chamber on where it stands overall.

Click here for the Chamber’s 2010 Legislative Agenda.

For more information, contact Mary Graham at 843.805.3043.