The Indy Chamber’s 2020 legislative agenda was an ambitious yet practical set of priorities for the ‘short’ (non-budget) session of the Indiana General Assembly. It was a ten-week sprint that started with the optimism of a heady revenue forecast and ended with governments at all levels grappling with a global pandemic and the growing threat of recession. In between, we made progress on each of our top issues:

• Building a stronger structure for interlocal cooperation towards common goals, allowing our Central Indiana Regional Development Authority to work in tandem with our Metropolitan Planning Organization on a comprehensive economic development strategy;
• As we combat a destructive new public health threat – the COVID-19 outbreak – we can look ahead to a healthier and more productive workforce through state enforcement of the federal ‘T21’ mandate;
• Giving employers a stronger voice in workforce development, to connect education and training programs with the demands of our job market.

If the last few weeks have taught us anything, it’s the importance of overcoming tough challenges by working together – the Indianapolis way. The legislative process was no different, as our business community rallied to play defense on unexpected threats: Some were minor (complications on how employers submit tax withholding), others were critical – a last-minute amendment that threatened public transportation in Marion County (and the city’s credit rating) by holding local tax revenues hostage to an anti-transit vendetta.

Now we look ahead. 2021 will bring a more challenging economic climate, as we look to advance this year’s wins with fiscal and budget policies: Adding revenue tools to support regional collaboration, expanding workforce programs like Next Level Jobs (and continuing the fight for workplace protections for pregnant employees), raising cigarette taxes to further curb smoking rates and promote public health – and more.

But before plunging into next year’s priorities, read on for more details on a short session that was generally solid on pro-business issues.