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In This Issue

  • Going Pro Talent Fund
  • Employer Liability Reform  
  • MI Small Business Restart Grants Now Available
  • National Environmental Policy Act Modernized
  • East Lansing City Council Seeks Applicants to Fill Council Vacancies
  • 15 Days!
Going Pro Talent Fund
The Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce along with our regional chamber partners across the state sent letters to Governor Whitmer and State Senate and House of Representatives Appropriations leaders on the Going Pro Talent Fund.

The Going Pro Talent Fund is a highly effective program with a proven return on investment that has supported tens-of-thousands of workers across Michigan. This program provides job training grants to businesses to support training for high-demand, skilled trades industries. As our state grapples with one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation, we can take this opportunity to train our workforce to enter trades that will continue pushing us into the 21st-century job market and diversifying our economies.

Read the Letter Sent to Governor Whitmer
Read the Letter Sent to Going Pro Talent Fund Appropriations Leadership

Employer Liability Reform  
Several organizations, including the Lansing Regional Chamber, have signed onto a letter asking the State Legislature to support common sense legislation to assure that all employers in all sectors who take reasonable steps to follow public health guidelines, will be protected against needless lawsuits. The legislation would be a win-win in that it will incentivize employers to protect and promote workplace and customer safety and protect organizations against the acute economic threat of COVID-19 related lawsuits.

Read the Letter

MI Small Business Restart Grants Now Available!
Following the creation of a small-business restart program by the Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF) on July 7, 2020, funded with $100 million received from the Federal Coronavirus Relief Fund, the Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) was allocated $5.5 million from the Michigan Small Business Restart Program to provide working capital grants to small businesses and nonprofit entities across Clinton, Eaton and Ingham counties.

The statewide grant application for these funds is now open and can be accessed on LEAP’s website at www.purelansing.com/businessrelief, along with additional vital information to help eligible businesses and nonprofits craft competitive applications and apply. The application will be open until 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020.

National Environmental Policy Act Modernized
The White House Council on Environmental Quality announced the modernization of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), a vital federal environmental law that has not seen major updates since it was adopted in 1970. The NEPA updates are aimed at streamlining environmental reviews of major construction projects, permitting and land management actions. Impacted industries include manufacturing, transportation, agriculture, energy and forestry.

U.S. Chamber CEO Tom Donohue Applauds NEPA Updates
Quick Take: Your Primer on NEPA Updates
Michigan Farm Bureau: National Environmental Policy Act gets a long overdue 40-year checkup

East Lansing City Council Seeks Applicants to Fill Council Vacancies, Application Now Available
The East Lansing City Council is currently seeking eligible applicants to fill two vacant seats on the City Council.

The application is available online at www.cityofeastlansing.com/councilapplication and a printed application will be provided upon request at the East Lansing City Clerk’s office, 410 Abbot Road. To be eligible for consideration, applicants must be a resident of East Lansing and registered to vote in East Lansing. Applications will be accepted online or in person at the East Lansing City Clerk’s office through 5 p.m. on Monday, July 27. For additional information on the time table of filling the council vacancies, please visit https://www.cityofeastlansing.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1213

If you’re interested in applying for this appointment and have additional questions, please reach out to LRCC public affairs vice president Steve Japinga at sjapinga@lansingchamber.org or 517-853-6467. 

15 Days!
There are fifteen days until the August 4 primary election. It is not too late to assist us in electing our Lansing Regional Chamber-PAC (LRC-PAC) endorsed candidates. Your contribution will help the LRC-PAC’s mission of electing candidates who will work with the business community to ensure that businesses can operate, expand, and thrive throughout our region.  

Chip in $25
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Chip in $75
Chip in $100

To review our 2020 local primary election LRC-PAC endorsed candidates for County Board of Commissions and Township Board of Trustees, click here. 

**Note: All contributions are voluntary. No member dues are used for PAC purposes.