The General Assembly’s Business Development Caucus is looking for business owners and representatives of companies to turn out next week for a town hall meeting to discuss and identify pro-business legislation for next year’s legislative session in Richmond.
The town hall meeting is run by the Business Development Caucus, a group of legislators from around the state who want to help make Virginia more attractive to businesses.
One of the founding members is former Del. Mike Watson, who represented the 93rd District — comprising Williamsburg and parts of James City and York counties — in the House of Delegates until earlier this year.
Along with the legislators, representatives from the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, York County Office of Economic Development and York County Chamber of Commerce will be on hand to listen to and interact with the business representatives who turn out for the event.
The caucus travels around the state holding the town hall meetings to get a sense of the legislative priorities of businesses in different regions. A town hall event was held in August 2013 at Busch Gardens, where the conversation focused primarily on transportation and education issues.
Town halls in 2012 and 2013 prompted legislators to introduce 29 bills in the General Assembly, according to BDC figures.
Among the bills introduced by BDC legislators that were signed into law in 2014 are tweaks to the State Corporation Commission’s eFile system, a way for municipalities to lower personal property tax rates on businesses locating in that municipality for the first time and a way for taxpayers to appeal for a ruling from the state’s tax commissioner on the classification of businesses for the business, professional and occupational license tax.
This year, the BDC has created two questions for attendees:
- What existing Virginia law or regulation deters business growth in your business, industry or region?
- What new legislative action would facilitate growth in your business, industry or region?
The event is open to all types of businesses and industries. It is scheduled to run from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Aug. 28 at the Freight Shed. A light lunch will be provided. To sign up for the event, click here and use the password “Jobs.”
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