St. Louis RCGA Public Policy
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Government Affairs
The RCGA’s government affairs program focuses on promoting public policies that support the organization’s mission of developing and sustaining a world-class economy and community for the St. Louis region. The RCGA’s public policy efforts are guided by its members through the work of two volunteer committees, the Public Policy Council and the Illinois Public Affairs Committee. The RCGA’s Public Policy Council (PPC) is comprised of government affairs executives from the region’s leading businesses, non-profit organization and governments. The PPC meets throughout the year to discuss salient policy issues and make recommendations to the RCGA Board of Directors. The Illinois Public Affairs Committee (IPAC) is comprised of regional legislators and business, education and government leaders in Southwestern Illinois. The IPAC meets regularly to engage in a dialogue about important issues in the Metro East region.
The PPC and IPAC help develop the RCGA’s legislative priorities, which are detailed in our annual legislative agenda and reflect the overall business interests of RCGA’s large and diverse membership. The RCGA’s 2012 Legislative Agenda focuses on promoting an advantageous and pro-economic development business climate, as well as promoting fiscal responsibility and regionalism. The RCGA continues to advocate strongly for investments in innovation and capital formation, such as the Missouri Science and Innovation Reinvestment Act and the RCGA’s Grow-Me State initiative. The agenda also emphasizes leveraging our regional assets, including multi-modal transportation and international trade opportunities. Finally, the RCGA also works to strengthen education and workforce development in the region, which includes supporting the region’s higher education institutions and job-training programs.
Energy & Environment
The RCGA's Energy & Environment activities focus on making the St. Louis region greener and more prosperous. The St. Louis Greenprint 2012 is an action plan to help grow the region’s green economy, and and will guide the RCGA energy and environment initiatives in the coming years. Initiatives in the Greenprint include: (1) developing the region's Sustainable Technologies Cluster (2) spreading sustainable business practices, (3) accelerating the market for green products and services, (4) building a Green Innovation Network and (5) establishing a Higher Education Sustainability Collaborative. The RCGA leads the , a program to help companies adopt sustainable business practices that help their bottom line. St. Louis Green Business ChallengeThe RCGA's Energy & Environment Council serves as a liaison between the regional business community and policymakers and regulators, providing education and outreach to the business community on issues related to environmental laws and regulations. The St. Louis region offers resources to assist businesses in becoming more sustainable and more information can be found at the RCGA's Sustainability Resources page.The RCGA also staffs the Private Sector Infrastructure Council, which develops and advocates for the St. Louis business community's priorities for surface transportation, transit, airports, and river ports. The PSIC is a collaborative effort of the RCGA, Civic Progress, the Regional Business Council, St. Charles Partners for Progress, and Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois.
Infrastructure Initiatives
Transportation infrastructure is an essential element of the region's economic development strategy to attract and retain business and create jobs. The RCGA's infrastructure initiatives focus on the planning, funding, construction and maintenance of projects in the bi-state area. Click here for more information on the RCGA's infrastructure initiatives.
