The Wyoming Business Alliance just celebrated its 45th anniversary.
Throughout its history, the WBA has advocated for businesses and industry.
The Alliance is a private sector organization that represents its members, who are businesses of every size, from every corner of Wyoming and from every industry. The WBA exists to help create the environment for businesses in Wyoming to prosper.
To achieve that goal we spent the year touring the state listening to businesses.
We had 25 listening sessions in all 23 counties. Then our staff worked with the WBA’s Steering Committee to set policy priorities.
These are meant to have the most impact on the growth of businesses in Wyoming. Our priorities are:
Workforce
Business Climate
Global Energy Leadership
Thriving Communities
Here is how we define each priority: We aim to create a talented and ambitious Wyoming workforce – this will include but not be limited to aligning training and higher education with the needs of employers; creating more housing and more childcare.
Secondarily, our efforts will be focused on: Business climate: low and certain taxes for businesses; fewer regulations; and efficient and transparent government services.
Thriving communities: infrastructure and services that assure businesses and people can live and thrive here; healthcare and hospitals in our communities; expanding access to broadband or high-speed internet; and amenities that attract young people to Wyoming.
A global energy leader: legislation and regulation that encourages a growing energy economy using all forms of energy; provides low-cost energy for businesses and families; and attracts businesses and industries to use Wyoming’s energy in the state.
The companies and job creators of Wyoming see great opportunity in the future but want to make sure we stay business friendly. To do that, our members helped identify specific priorities for this upcoming legislative session.
These will make up the Wyoming Business Alliance Pro-Business Policy Agenda.
In support of a stronger workforce, we will advocate for the creation of business liaisons to build connections between businesses and the education system. To support workforce and thriving communities we will advocate for legislation to lower regulations to lower the cost of housing.
We also will support energy innovation and expansion. Leaders from the energy industry say we can do that by creating more certainty, and so we will oppose legislation that limits, increases costs, creates uncertainty, or adds regulation to the energy industries and large energy users of the state.
We also will support funding for the Wyoming Air Service program to keep commercial air service in Wyoming.
Finally, the WBA supports efficient permitting and regulation. This means that unless regulations are reduced, we do not want to see agencies responsible for permitting or for supporting economic activity cut.
All of this begs the question about what it means to be a pro-business state.
It’s a complex and evolving conversation, but you can tell that we are eagerly addressing it and through this dialogue and shared experiences of Wyoming’s businesses, we’re beginning to shape a clearer definition.
There are so many opportunities on the horizon, and we need to take advantage of them.
Renny MacKay can be reached at: RMackay@wyoba.com
