Public Policy and Advocacy

Through an integrated approach of developing public policy positions then proactively advocating for those positions with all levels of elected leadership, The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama is able to leverage the influence of its large and diverse membership to ensure that the voice of business is heard.

Annually, the Chamber develops, prioritizes, and adopts an official position statement on certain public policy items before local government, the Alabama Legislature, and the United States Congress. This allows the local business community to speak with one voice, enhancing the power of our pro-business message.

A key component of advocating for our state policy agenda is an annual bus trip to Montgomery to meet with the Governor, Cabinet officials and members of the state legislative delegation. More than 75 business leaders and local elected officials participate in this two-day event held each spring during the state's legislative session.

Another key part of our public policy and advocacy efforts are locally-held Chamber in Session events. These topic-focused events are held throughout the year and typically attract more than 250 attendees. Recurring Chamber in Session events include:

• State of the Community - presentations by the Mayor of Tuscaloosa, Mayor of Northport and the Probate Judge/Chairman of the Tuscaloosa County Commission
• Education Summit - presentations by local and state education officials and policy analysts
• State of the Economy - presentations by local and state economic development professionals, economists and subject-matter experts
• State of the State - presentation by the Governor and/or key state officials
• Washington Update - presentation from one of our U.S. Senators or U.S. Representatives