The Chamber's focus is to help create and sustain jobs so people can find satisfying work, provide for their families and give back to the community. We are committed to efforts that advance diversity, equity and inclusion and promote prosperity for all. Our vision is to establish Rhode Island as a national leader for private sector job growth and a premier state in which to live, work, raise a family and retire. To achieve this focus, the Government Affairs Committee will support initiatives and legislation that:

Support a Competitive Tax Code

A fair, equitable and predictable tax system promotes private sector growth and makes Rhode Island more competitive. We oppose any broad-based tax increases on individuals, subsections of individuals, on corporations, or industry-specific taxes. As neighboring states have increased personal tax rates, we have a unique opportunity to attract and retain both new and growing businesses especially from border communities so not only can we attract new capital but can keep Rhode Islanders in the state contributing to our tax base.

Nurture an Inviting Business Climate

A critical piece of strengthening Rhode Island’s economy is reducing the burden on businesses, at both the state and municipal levels. With costs rising such as health care, energy, housing, taxes and wages, we need certainty and efficiency in Rhode Island’s business climate to encourage businesses to grow, create jobs, and relocate in Rhode Island.

Drive Consistency and Simplicity for Job Creation

We will continue to monitor and oppose any legislative actions related to employment mandates that would make Rhode Island an outlier relative to other states’ labor and employment laws or create state law that is redundant with Federal law and support legislation which would preempt municipal workplace mandates and create uniformity on employment law in Rhode Island. In addition, any new regulations in areas such as data privacy and AI should be clear and targeted to minimize confusion and costs as well as the potential for unanticipated consequences.

Steward Government Funds Prudently

Public officials should continue to use a long-term, investor mind set when determining spending and should weigh which initiatives have the greatest promise for impact without adding ongoing, legacy costs to the state budget. This includes prioritized funding for key infrastructure and transportation projects and providing tools for increasing housing. Our state's businesses count on a reliable transportation infrastructure, and we should aim to prioritize investments and public policies that improve our road, rail, bus, and other multi-modal transit networks while connecting our state's economic hubs with other markets in the northeast and beyond. In addition, increasing funding for both the unemployment insurance fund and the state’s rainy-day fund should be a priority in preparation for any future economic uncertainty.

Invest in our Children

The Chamber continues to support investments and innovation in elementary & secondary education, childcare, and postsecondary education. A long-term commitment to education reforms and work-based learning opportunities to prepare all our young people, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances, for not only careers but fulfilling futures. From pre-k through college, our students need accessible, equitable and high-quality educational experiences to fully prepare them for productive lives and good citizenship.

Create a Sustainable Future

We support industry-led efforts to move to a greener economy including establishing aspirational sustainability goals and promoting greater environmental responsibility and efficient use of natural resources. As “The Ocean State”, we support leveraging our unique, natural advantages to create a dynamic blue economy and position the state for significant growth opportunities spanning multiple industry sectors ranging from aquaculture and defense to ocean engineering and offshore energy. We support efforts to modernize Rhode Island's transportation network to ensure that it can withstand the impacts of climate change. These efforts will add resiliency to both our environment and our economy. We support legislation that expands climate protections without creating a burden for compliant businesses and incentivizing sustainability programs for business adoption. We support clean energy transformation and grid modernization, while preserving customer choice, to help ensure our vital energy systems meet the needs of local industry in a safe, affordable and reliable manner.

Prepare and Train our Workforce

Attracting, retaining and developing great talent is a shared priority for businesses large and small. As such, increased investments in higher education are essential for Rhode Island to be competitive and support the state’s overall workforce needs. The Chamber, with our partners at Rhode Island Businesses for Better Education, supports initiatives and appropriate funding aimed at achieving Rhode Island’s goal of 70% of working-age adults obtaining a postsecondary credential including continuing education for nontraditional adult age students as well as preparing traditional students for careers of the future. Our workforce should reflect the diversity of our state and we believe that everyone should have opportunities to maximize their personal potential to become full stakeholders in the success of our state.

Drive Economic Development with Public Private Partnerships

Maintaining economic development incentives is vital to ensuring that Rhode Island remains competitive with other states in attracting and retaining businesses in our state. This includes support for minority-owned businesses and incentives to both locate and expand in the state as well as access to capital for start-up and small businesses. We support the extension of the sunset provisions of existing Commerce Corporation economic development incentives.

Support a Vibrant Knowledge Economy and Rhode Island's Innovation Ecosystem 

The state’s universities and colleges are a critical resource for building a strong and vibrant innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem that benefits all Rhode Islanders. Institutions of higher education are critical for attracting and retaining new talent and new industries, while developing both start-ups and existing businesses. From access to education to important research collaborations, and from support of K-12 programing throughout the state to the generation of new technologies, programs, and a thriving workforce, our colleges and universities are essential to driving robust economic growth and activity in Rhode Island.

Nurture A Vibrant Capital City

As home to the Chamber and many of our members, we have a special concern with the condition of our capital city from the quality of its schools and maintaining the highest levels of public safety to ensuring that the creativity and innovation for which the Creative Capital is known can thrive for businesses and residents. We support initiatives that make it easier to open and operate a business in a cost-effective way and provide streamlined services for maximum efficiency and convenience.

Rhode Island Retail Federation

As significant employers in Rhode Island, our retail partners are eager to participate in public policy discussions that influence the business climate and improve opportunity.

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