DAVIS COUNTY — When a group of Wasatch Front businesses wanted to ensure that they didn’t lose their long-standing telephone numbers in the upcoming area code realignment, they turned first and foremost to the Chamber of Commerce for help.

Similar local business groups have turned to the Davis Chamber for help with transportation improvements, health care cost management, immigration policy reform, and property tax assessment revision…and that’s just in the past year.

They know that impacting business-related legislation is one of the key services that Chambers of Commerce provide to their members and to the business community at large.

The Davis Chamber of Commerce looks to its Legislative Affairs Committee to determine its public policy and to handle member requests to engage in particular issues.

There are 60 members of the Legislative Affairs Committee and they are currently gearing up for the 2009 Legislative session on Capitol Hill in Salt Lake City. They have already passed the 2009 Public Policy agenda for the Davis Chamber.

This document states the broad issues and positions that the Chamber will champion moving forward.

Once the session starts in late January, the committee will meet twice a week to carry out its business. The committee will meet at the Chamber offices in Kaysville each Wednesday afternoon during the session to determine their position on hundreds of specific bills that will be presented for Legislative consideration.

Using their Public Policy Agenda as a guideline, the committee will adopt a support, oppose, or monitor position on the bills presented. Those positions are then presented to Davis County legislators at the Capitol on the following morning. They know attendance at those meetings is a highly effective way to gage the sense of the business community regarding the bills before them.

The Davis Chamber appreciates the attendance and support of our legislators at those meetings and is anxious to continue our strong working relationship with local elected officials..

Brad Mortensen of Weber State University – Davis Campus will Chair the Davis Chamber Legislative Affairs Committee in 2009.

Davis legislators for the upcoming session include:

Jon Greiner, Senate District 18; Sheldon Killpack,Senate District 21; Greg Bell, Senate District 22; Dan Liljenquist, Senate District 23; Brad Dee, House District 11; Paul Ray, House District 13; Curt Oda, House District 14; Doug Aagard, House District 15; Kevin Garn, House District 16; Julie Fisher, House District 17; Roger Barrus, House District 18; Sheryl Allen, House District 19, and Becky Edwards, House District 20.

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