ADVOCACY
When Idaho’s citizens, business leaders, and government officials work together, Idaho thrives.
The Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce seeks to identify and drive legislative issues of greatest importance to Eastern Idaho’s business community. We seek to build results-driven relationships with our elected leaders as we advocate for the laws, regulations, budgets, and funding that will best help Eastern Idaho’s business launch, grow and flourish.
WE SUPPORT
Initiatives that promote business retention, expansion, and recruitment, workforce development, research, and entrepreneurial growth.
Proactive solutions for funding Idaho’s educational system and improving workforce readiness for current and future high-demand careers including cybersecurity, energy, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, computer science, and agricultural technology.
Development and maintenance of Idaho’s infrastructure network to protect personal and public safety.
Economic growth through effective tax, fiscal, and monetary policies.
Economic Development
Initiatives that promote business retention, expansion, and recruitment, workforce development, research, and entrepreneurial growth.
Promote a pro-business friendly environment by incentivizing economic growth through creative tax incentives and grants, such as (i) tax credits to Qualified Emerging Companies, (ii) grants targeting rural economic development, and (iii) enterprise zone tax credits.
Preserve and protect urban renewal district programs and tax increment financing and similar
development tools to support revitalization and efficient use of public infrastructure, and to maintain the
flexibility of the tool to address each community’s needs.
Create new incentive programs and revenues cities and counties can access through public/private
partnerships to help increase housing supply and address affordability in response to housing needs to
support our growing workforce
Increase funding for affordable, quality childcare by licensed childcare providers through the Idaho Workforce Development Council.
Provide statutory clarity to protect doctors and nurses from criminal and civil liability when providing
medical care to safeguard women’s health that meets professional standards and follows Idaho law.
Encourage high quality labor and delivery doctors and nurses to relocate to, remain, and practice in Idaho.
Drive policies that support and promote Eastern Idaho as a travel and tourism destination.
Education
Proactive solutions for funding Idaho’s educational system and improving workforce readiness for current and future high-demand careers including cybersecurity, energy, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, computer science, and agricultural technology.
Increase CEI’s General Fund allocation to allow the institution to build capacity to keep pace with student
enrollment growth.
Support and fund Idaho Launch for Idaho students to go on to in-demand careers via the institution of their
choice.
Create a comprehensive plan to fund Idaho’s educational system uniformly and thoroughly with adequate
funding to address all capital, technology, and personnel obligations
Adjust the funding focus of K-12 to be based on enrollment, not average daily attendance (ADA).
Support workforce initiatives to educate and encourage advanced training for direct support professionals
who help and serve those with disabilities.
Sustain momentum from last year’s legislative fund to address existing digital divides to ensure all Idahoans,
no matter where they live, have equal access to all forms of education and workforce opportunity.
Recognize the vital educational role played by Idaho’s public libraries.
Energy, National Security, and Federal Programs
Promoting the mission of Idaho National Laboratory.
Promote education, workforce, and research to maintain the growth and vibrancy of Idaho National Laboratory’s multi program mission and its workforce of approximately 6,000 employees and more than 300 Idaho business partners.
Support efforts to recognize nuclear, hydrogen, geothermal and other clean energy technologies, including critical mineral extraction, as important assets to the State of Idaho.
Advocate for grants and programs to support modernizing infrastructure, grid reliability, grid resiliency and affordability.
Champion Eastern Idaho’s leadership in the energy sector by supporting Advanced Energy Consortium
initiatives to develop the industry supply chain and workforce.
Support local utility generation and transmission development projects that benefit Idaho consumers.
Public Infrastructure and Safety
Development and maintenance of Idaho’s infrastructure network to protect personal and public safety.
Keep Eastern Idaho’s public infrastructure safe and ensure capacity for a growing population.
Support development of mental health and substance abuse services by funding primary prevention,
early detection, and early interventions
Allow communities to form law enforcement districts where appropriate to better address local needs.
Taxation
Economic growth through effective tax, fiscal, and monetary policies.
Minimize tax and regulatory fees on businesses and phase-out the business personal property tax with provision for ongoing incremental replacement of lost revenue to local units of government and school districts.
Require the Idaho State Tax Commission to collect all point-of-sale sales tax data to provide complete understanding where sales taxes are generated and in what quantities.
Establish alternative funding for political subdivisions with property taxing authority to reduce property taxes and provide regulatory flexibility.
Create competitive tax incentives for business expansion and recruitment to match or exceed neighboring state’s incentives including performance-based incentives, and develop economic development grants to strengthen Idaho’s position to attract mid-to-high tech companies.
AGRICULTURE
Agriculture, its supporting industries, and responsible land use policy.
Promote Eastern Idaho as the center of a thriving agricultural region that contributes significantly to the
global food supply and economy and advocate for the policies, practices, and environment that will
continue to sustain local agriculture for future generations.
Advocate for a water storage and delivery system that is drought resilient and which will provide a more
stable and predictable water supply.
Support water policy that promotes flexibility and creative management both locally and statewide.
Advocate for responsible growth of urban areas balanced with the protection of farmland.
Support legislation to update rules around the installation and use of domestic wells.
