Legislative Committee
Mission
The Legislative Committee works to gather proposed legislation at the state and federal levels that may impact businesses in Anchorage. It communicates directly with the Anchorage Chamber Board of Directors and members in an effort to develop advocacy actions that ensure a successful business climate.
Meeting Time: Last Monday from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm
Committee Chairs:
Dianne Blumer, NavigateAK, and Shareen Crosby, Brilliant Media Strategies
Email a request to attend meeting to info@anchoragechamber.org.
2025 Legislative Priorities
Legislative Positions
- Support of HB 325
- Support of SB 77
- Chamber Support of AKNG-Sweden State Partnership
- Support of AWCC WF Housing
- Resolution Encouraging Anchorage's Mayor and Assembly to Approve the Land Trade; HLB's Parcel 3-074 for AHFC's Block 102
- Resolution of Support for Alaska Joining Multistate Nurse Licensure Compact
- A Resolution Opposing a Constitutional Convention
- Anchorage Chamber Joins OneAlaska to Oppose Oil Tax Initiative
Committee Meetings
Goals
- Develop survey and survey membership for legislative issues of concern for the next year's legislative session
- Review standing resolutions and make recommendations to the board for those to carry forward
- Develop legislative priorities and advocacy plan for each priority.
- Develop standard language and format for letters of support and public testimony for each priority
- Describe action to be taken for each priority
- Review pending legislation and prioritize based on member concerns
Accomplishments
- Awarded a Five-Star Accreditation since 2014 by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
- Academies of Anchorage Business Partner
- In 2022, established the Community Care Kit in partnership with the Rasmuson Foundation and Anchorage crisis experts.
- Manages the largest Young Professionals Group in the state to educate and grow the future of AK.
- Led the implementation of a Roadmap to a Vital and Safe Anchorage (R.V.S.A.). This working group focused on making Anchorage resilient and sustainable by activating downtown, making it easier to do business, and incentivizing investment.
- Initiated the 2020 Diversity Program to better serve the business community by becoming a more open, inclusive, and diverse organization.
- Supported and joined OneAlaska, which ultimately defeated Ballot Measure 1.
- Awarded the Alaska Chamber’s “2018 Local Chamber of Commerce of the Year” Award.
- Hosts the largest Military Appreciation events in Alaska and received an Alaska Legislature citation for the 25th Anniversary.
- Participates in exclusive U.S. Chamber and Assoc. of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) meetings, events, and trainings to discuss leadership, policy, and best practices of chamber executives nationwide.
- Honored by the Small Business Admin. as the Alaska Division Veteran Service Advocate.
- Maintains a vast reach to the community through a streamlined weekly newsletter distributed to over 5,000 representatives
- Coordinates many educational sessions including Chamber Academy workshops and "Make it Monday" forums
- Cultivates connectivity and networking within the membership through various events throughout the year
Responsibilities
- Responsible for the Anchorage Chamber advocacy program including development, implementation, and evaluation
- Responsible for considering the needs of our members and the legislative priorities of our board
- Responsible for researching and monitoring progress of all proposed legislation in the local, state, and federal arenas relevant to our mission of advancing a successful business climate
- Prioritizes proposed legislation on which the Anchorage Chamber can have a significant impact, creates an advocacy strategy, and makes recommendations to the board
- Responsible for outreach to as wide an acquaintanceship as possible with key decision makers so that immediate contacts can be made as needed to learn their positions and to present the Anchorage Chamber's viewpoints on issues as they develop
- Responsible for developing and implementing an advocacy communications strategy which effectively informs members and engages members to testify, provide, comments, vote, etc. All out-going communications must be shared and approved by appropriate Anchorage Chamber staff (committee notices, mass member emails, website updates, social media entries, etc.)
- To operate all advocacy efforts within the budget approved by the board of directors