Mid-Year Advocacy in Action Update
Midway through 2024, the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce public affairs department, our political action committee, LRC-PAC and our Advance Greater Lansing initiative have been working to address the critical issues facing the Greater Lansing region on behalf of employers and small businesses.
That includes advocating for the Rebuild Lansing Agenda, where more than 150 businesses, labor partners, regional organizations, and residents successfully advocated for major housing developments, entertainment venues, and a new city hall in downtown Lansing.
In our 2024 Advocacy Mid-Year Report, we highlight the Chamber's top engagement areas and explain the actions we have already taken during the first six months of the year.
Rebuilding Lansing
Lansing, as our capital city, serves as the core of our region. It's a vibrant hub with immense potential, and now, more than ever, our city officials have a unique opportunity to strategically invest in its long-term strength. Working collaboratively, business and labor joined forces with state officials to secure critical state dollars that would help to support transformational municipal infrastructure and housing projects that will rebuild and position Lansing for future growth.
The Chamber, through Advance Greater Lansing, mobilized more than 150 businesses, labor partners, regional organizations, and Lansing residents to contact the Lansing Mayor and Lansing City Council members to support the Rebuild Lansing Plan, which was focused on enabling the necessary changes for downtown Lansing to succeed. We were successful in City Council supporting the $230 million downtown Lansing New Vision project, which new housing projects, the development of the MSUFCU Ovation concert space, and building a new Lansing City Hall that will allow the current building to be repurposed into a new hotel, restaurant, and retail space.
Advocating for Regional Funding Priorities
With the Michigan State Legislature focused on FY25 state budget, the Chamber along with several of our regional partners advocated for the Capital Region Improvement Support Package (CRISP) #2 that represents a strategic roadmap for further enhancing the development of Lansing’s central city and the broader region. This comprehensive package encompasses a range of projects and services designed to bolster the ongoing revitalization efforts, building upon the successes achieved through the recent budget allocations in 2023.
In 2023, the Chamber along with our regional partners were successful in securing more than $250 million in state funding to drive economic growth, improve infrastructure, and enhance the overall quality of life throughout the region. In 2024, we were successful in securing an additional $90 million in state funding focused on vital urban renewal projects, transportation infrastructure enhancements, and community development initiatives, all aimed at fostering sustainable progress and prosperity for Lansing and its neighboring areas.
Supporting Policies to Boost Michigan’s Economy
The Chamber is always focused on supporting policies that will improve our economy and that is why we are one of the founding members of the Great Lakes Growth Coalition. The coalition is providing a unified voice for Michigan’s job providers and workers, ensuring that our residents live in a flourishing state with a growing economy and population.
Michigan’s future depends on economic growth, and we are focused on the following:
Oppose workplace mandates on small businesses.
Protect your choice on how & when to work.
Protect small businesses from a web of local regulations to create employment certainty.
Keep Michigan’s brownfield laws in place to encourage redevelopment and renewal
Backing Talent and Workforce Development Programs That Work
We know how important it is to attract and retain talent in our region for our employers, so we continue to support workforce initiatives such as the Going PRO Talent Fund to the TREK Small Business Support Hub powered by LEAP to help entrepreneurs. In addition, we launched the Talent Resource Navigator on our website, which is a dynamic talent resource navigator, empowering individuals and employers with a wealth of resources, connections, and opportunities to enhance workforce development and talent acquisition in the region.
The Chamber continues to support talent attraction and retainment efforts such as Lansing 5:01 that strives to connect both college talent and young professionals to the community’s emerging quality of life opportunities.
The Chamber is also engaged in the Capital Area Child Care Coalition to develop and implement an action plan to address childcare gaps.
Engaging In Local Elections
All politics is local, and the Lansing Regional Chamber-Political Action Committee (LRC-PAC) works to elect local officials to city councils, township board, county commissioner and the state legislature that align with LRCC members’ priorities.
The LRC-PAC was active in helping candidates running for the Lansing City Charter Commission. This Commission of nine individuals is set up to review and possibly rewrite the city’s charter (constitution). Of the nine individuals elected, six members who won were endorsed by the LRC-PAC and twelve local labor organizations working together to ensure both business and labor representation.
Launching New Initiatives For Members to Stay Connected
On top of our monthly business roundtables that are held every Wednesday throughout different parts of the region -- this year, we launched two new opportunities for members like you to stay updated and engage on policy issues.
First Friday Public Affairs Call Updates: From national down to regional updates, these monthly calls are designed to keep our members informed and engaged. We would like to thank ITC Holdings for making these monthly updates possible.
Chamber Townhall Series: These townhalls are meant to facilitate meaningful interactions between Chamber members and elected officials/key staff on the issues that matter to the business community. We would like to thank McKinney & Associates for making this series possible.
Contact for Questions
If you have any questions, concerns, or need futher information, please contact LRCC SVP public affairs Steve Japinga or LRCC Talent Development Manager Sarah Bakken.