from Missouri Chamber of Commerce News
The 2024 legislative session was largely an exercise in futility, with lawmakers sending just 28 non-appropriations bills to Gov. Mike Parson’s desk. Political chaos stalled key business priorities, including child care tax credit legislation.
The new year, though, brings new opportunity.
“We believe the recent elections have provided a window of opportunity to accelerate change in a positive way,” said Kara Corches, president and CEO of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry. “Now is the time to make sure the voice of the business community is heard loud and clear.”
The Missouri Chamber has released a complete legislative agenda to help guide policy discussions during the 2025 legislative session. Prepared with input from top business leaders from across the state, this aggressive agenda contains recommendations for growing business and the economy.
In 2025, the Missouri Chamber urges lawmakers to focus on five critical needs:
- Increasing access to safe, affordable, high-quality child care for employees and businesses;
- Addressing Missouri’s rising crime rate and improving public safety;
- Ensuring Missouri develops adequate energy generation, which is a necessity for economic growth;
- Providing safeguards and clarity for business owners as Proposition A takes effect; and
- Defending against government overreach and job-killing business mandates.
CHILD CARE
According to a recent report from United WE and the University of Missouri, there are nearly three times as many Missouri children (aged 6 or under) as there are child care slots.
During the past two legislative sessions, the Missouri Chamber sought to address this problem through an innovative tax credit package which would increase the capacity of child care providers and help businesses offer child care benefits to support the retention and recruitment of employees. A small group of legislators ultimately blocked the bill from passing, despite widespread bipartisan support for the legislation.
The Missouri Chamber remains committed to passing this legislation because child care is not a working parents’ issue; it’s an economic issue.
“Missouri can become a national leader in addressing this crisis by passing this legislative package,” Corches said. “Our state’s child care network is critical infrastructure. We must do everything we can to bolster this infrastructure that serves as the backbone for all industries.”
PUBLIC SAFETY
In the Missouri Chamber’s most recent CEO Survey, 90 percent of business leaders said public safety was a top concern or a growing concern.
For this reason, improving public safety will continue to be a top priority for the Missouri Chamber in 2025, with a focus on addressing retail theft, bolstering our law enforcement workforce and supporting fair chance hiring.
“Crime is impacting our state’s economic competitiveness,” Corches said. “It deters employees from moving to Missouri, and it stops businesses from expanding or opening new locations here. While we’ve made some progress in this arena, crime is a complex, multi-faceted issue. We will continue to advocate for legislative action that aligns with the recommendations in our ‘Safer Missouri, Stronger Missouri’ report.”
ENERGY
Reliable, resilient and affordable energy is essential to retaining and attracting business to our state.
The Missouri Chamber supports efforts to proactively address Missouri’s aging infrastructure while ensuring natural gas, propane and electricity remain reliable and rates remain affordable for consumers. During the upcoming session, the Missouri Chamber will advocate to enhance Missouri’s energy generation capacity to support economic growth.
“We need to make sure our grid has the capacity to support current and future demand,” Corches said. “Missouri must prioritize capacity building by reducing the red tape on utilities and incentivizing energy generation. Many states across the nation are working on policies to enhance grid capacity. Energy powers our economy, so we need to competitively position our state.”
PROPOSITION A
In November, Missouri voters passed Proposition A, a ballot measure that will increase Missouri’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2026 and require employers to provide paid sick leave to employees.
This new mandate has caused confusion for employers, and the Missouri Chamber is asking legislators to clarify in statute business owners’ rights and responsibilities regarding the new law.
“Every day, we hear from business owners who are confused and concerned over this new mandate,” Corches said. “We will be advocating on their behalf to ensure our business climate is not adversely impacted by Proposition A’s implementation.”
DEFENSE AGAINST GOVERNMENT OVERREACH
In recent years, the Missouri Chamber has spent much of its time fighting to keep job-killing business mandates from passing.
The Missouri Chamber will continue to oppose bills aimed at undermining employers’ right to set their own workplace policies on issues ranging from vaccination to accepting gold and silver as forms of payment.
“Employers’ freedom to set their own policies and procedures is a bedrock on which our free enterprise system is built,” Corches said. “Our position remains the same: Let business decide.”
To see the full Missouri Chamber’s full 2025 legislative agenda, click here.
