The Government Affairs Committee (GAC) is responsible for developing and implementing the business advocacy and political action strategic vision of the Chamber.

During the Board’s 2011 retreat, strategic direction was set to increase the Chamber’s business advocacy, to engage in political action supporting the business community and apply accountability to the community’s civic leadership.

The program strategic direction was set in the Board’s adopted Strategic Vision.  The Chamber has greatly intensified its advocacy and incorporated some additional political action tools as well as retained its already effective tools.

An initial strategic program is designed to apply a spectrum of tools for advocacy and political action.  This program outline is being developed to implement that spectrum.

ADVOCACY
State Lobbyist
Enhance the Chamber’s commitment to state legislative lobbying by retaining a lobbyist for the full calendar year.  Today’s legislative process is extended throughout the year as legislative initiatives are proposed and formulated over months outside the legislative session.  Bills are frequently drafted, bill sponsors recruited and allies sought before the session begins.  Plus, regular long and short sessions are increasingly supplemented with special sessions, lengthening the legislative calendar.

Broadcast Media & Podcast
Develop a complementary radio and/or TV program focused on business.  Initiate a 6-month trial period to asses the impact of this program tool.  The evaluation should include whether to step-up the outreach communications in this media forms.

Alliances
Seek reciprocal alliances with organizations that share common or complementary missions.

POLITICAL ACTION
Voters Guide
The Chamber published its first (Business) Voters Guide for the 2011 November election.  That year comparatively few offices were up for election.  The 2012 November election will involve more local jurisdictions and candidates.

Public Officials Directory
For several consecutive years, the Chamber has published a directory of local, state and federal elected officials.  The 2012 year’s directory will incorporate the results of the 2011 November elections. 

Scorecard
The Chamber has published scorecards of its election issues advocacy results for a couple of years.  A guideline is being developed to serve as a standard for selecton of elected officials votes.  

The scorecard concept has broad potential application among many jurisdictions, with elective and appointive offices and throughout political careers (across various jurisdictions).

Tacoma-Pierce County Business Alliance PAC - PO Box 1782, Tacoma, WA 98401
The 2013 November elections will offer a substantial number of elections because of Census-based redistricting, the election cycle of many jurisdictions and the varying opportunities associated with politicians seeking opportunities to advance in office.

This cycle and the observed movement of interested candidates provide a wide variety of opportunities to support business oriented candidates. Of course, some are of races that offer little real possibility of change. It is essential that efforts be non-partisan. It is intended that the effort take a local focus to assure the most effective application of resources in situations where precious resources are most impactful. If very select criteria are applied to certain races, real results may be achieved. The effort alone will most certainly be noticed and produce its own benefits.

The current lead time to organize and fund a political action committee is sufficient but not leisurely.

 ACADEMY
The Academy is a strategic concept addressing community and political leadership development in our community. The Chamber has a successful history of community leadership development with our Chamber-PLU Leadership program. The Chamber has adopted as part of its strategic vision to develop a Candidate Academy to assist in the development and preparation of candidates for public office. A program to carry out that vision is currently under development.

Leadership Academy
Continue a leadership development program designed to foster community leadership through classroom, leader interviews and community projects.  The current program provides an opportunity for current and emerging leaders to connect with others in the community and to develop additional leadership skills.

Across the 13 afternoon sessions and a retreat, the program explores leadership applications, visits organizations, learns from leaders who make an impact in our community and reflects on opportunities for growth.

The Leadership Academy has been a collaborative effort with Pacific Lutheran University since 1978.  Hundreds of community and civic leaders have emerged from its alumni.  The program syllabus is not designed to produce political leadership although noteworthy individuals have graduated, including former State Public Lands Commissioner, County Executive, Tacoma Mayor and City of Sea-Tac Manager Doug Sutherland and current Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland.

Candidate Academy
It is more challenging to educate elected officials who hold philosophical or ambivalent attitudes about business than it is to educate officials who are knowledgeable or positive about business issues.  A Candidate Academy can serve to introduce, educate and assist business oriented candidates to understand the elective process as well as demonstrate to any student candidate the value to and commitment of businesses in supporting such attitudes.