Gov. Mike Parson outlined a pro-business agenda in his 2022 State of the State address last week and the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry is optimistic that his initiatives will strengthen the state's business climate.
“Our view of the governor's state of the state of address is very positive,” said Karen Buschmann, vice president of communications and strategic initiatives at the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry. “We have been impressed by the way he's addressed the pandemic that our state and nation faced.”
There have been 58,126 confirmed new coronavirus cases statewide in just the past seven days at an average of 8,304 per day, according to the state’s COVID-19 dashboard.
“From our standpoint, what we're hearing the most from our members right now is that the worker shortage is hitting our members the hardest and so we still have a long way to go to get our employers the workers they need to fill their open roles,” Buschmann said.
During his address, Gov. Parson prioritized broadband, transportation, and infrastructure.
“The governor identified a pretty large investment that he's putting forth in broadband that he proposed in his state of the state address,” Buschmann told the St. Louis Record. “You're also going to start seeing the results of last year's legislation to provide more investment in our roads and bridges. You're going to start seeing that play out as those dollars get put into infrastructure and that’s helpful to employers as well.”
The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry represents more than 75,000 employers statewide.
“In this legislative session, we’re looking to expand the Fast Track program (SB 672), which helps adults get upskilled by allowing them opportunities to get training in high demand fields,” Buschmann said. “We think that's a good step.”
SB 672 was voted out of committee and is pending on the Senate calendar for floor debate.
“We're also working with employers to help them expand their workforce through programs like our apprenticeship grant,” Buschmann added. “We have an intern portal that is available to all employers in the state to help them access interns and apprentices. We're doing our best to try and help them find other ways to get the workers they need.”