Description

Note to attendees:
A breakfast buffet will be served on Friday, January 6 at 8:30 AM. Presentations will begin promptly at 9 AM. There will be a break mid-program.

The Chamber serves as your business’s best advocate with our local, state and federal elected officials to represent the issues that most affect your bottom line. Each year, our Advocacy Committee studies those issues and works together to compose our annual legislative agenda that will focus our advocacy efforts for the coming year. Please join us for our 2023 Legislative Breakfast where we will discuss these identified issues and our agenda with our state elected officials.

Date: January 6
Time: 8:30 a.m. – noon
Place: Cabarrus Rooms, Cabarrus Arena and Events Center
Tickets: $35
Deadline to register: Dec. 30

Program:

• Dr. Michael Bitzer, professor of history/politics department chair, Catawba College, will join us to review the 2022 election. What election impacts will affect the NCGA in the upcoming session? How does this set the stage for 2024?
• Affordable, available and quality childcare is a difficult and multi-faceted problem that is deeply affecting our workforce. Cabarrus County has been identified as a “childcare desert.” Sherry Melton, policy consultant for North Carolina Licensed Child Care Association, will join us to break down the various issues and offer ideas on how to address short-term and long-term fixes.
• Much as been written and reported about the pandemic repercussions on students and schools. Recent NC school report cards have shown learning loss, but do they tell a full and fair story? Our schools have done a fantastic job of reassessing student performance to include extra support largely funded by federal ESSR (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funding) funds. What happens when this funding runs out? Dr. John Kopicki, superintendent, Cabarrus County Schools and Kevin Garay, superintendent, Kannapolis City Schools will discuss what they are doing to get students back on track and career ready.
• We will review our 2023 Legislative Agenda and invite our state delegation to comment on it and offer their thoughts on the upcoming session. Invited officials are:

• Senator Paul Newton
• Senator Todd Johnson
• Representative Kristin Baker
• Representative Kevin Crutchfield
• Representative Diamond Staton-Williams