Missouri Capitol Chat

In this special edition of Capitol Chat, Missouri Chamber Director of Policy Development and Strategy Heidi Geisbuhler Sutherland sits down with Kara Corches, president and CEO of the Missouri Chamber, and Pat McFerron, president and CEO of Cole Hargrave Snodgrass and Associates – the firm behind the annual Missouri Chamber CEO Survey.Kara and Pat dive into the latest survey results, offering key insights and analysis. Learn how the Missouri Chamber leverages this data to shape its advocacy efforts and support Missouri businesses.

In this episode of Missouri Capitol Chat, hosts Jared Hankinson, Luke Reed and Cade Tremaine recap a busy and impactful 2025 legislative session.They break down key efforts to support businesses, highlighting the push to pass legislation aimed at easing the challenges created by Proposition A. You'll also get the inside scoop on which pro-business bills made it to the governor's desk and which ones fell short before the finish line.

In the final six weeks of the 2025 legislative session, the Missouri Chamber's governmental affairs team will be at the Capitol for long hours fighting for your business.Find out where some of the business community's top priorities stand, including child care tax credits, tort reform and legislation to ease Prop A's impact on businesses.

We've reached the halfway point of the 2025 legislative session, and several big bills are already headed to Gov. Kehoe's desk.In this episode of Capitol Chat, members of the Missouri Chamber's governmental affairs team break down some of the business community's top priorities, including Proposition A, legal climate reform, energy legislation and child care tax credits. Find out where those issues stand and what the second half of session has in store.

The 2025 legislative session is off to a fast start with a number of pro-business bills already moving through the House and Senate.In this episode of Capitol Chat, members of the Missouri Chamber's governmental affairs team break down some of those early movers. Plus, find out why "collaboration" is the early theme for this General Assembly!

With the inaugural celebrations complete, the real work begins!Members of the Missouri Chamber's governmental affairs team discuss some of the high-profile committee assignments and pro-business bills that are already moving through the Capitol. What is the overall outlook for the 2025 legislative session? Find out with Capitol Chat!

It's a traditional Chamber with new energy.In the first episode of Season 6, hear from the Missouri Chamber's new president and CEO, Kara Corches, and meet the newest members of the governmental affairs team. Plus – What issues will lead debate during the 2025 legislative session? What impact did the 2024 elections have on the political dynamics in the House and Senate? Find out with Capitol Chat! 

Go under the dome on the final day of the 2024 legislative session. In this special edition of Missouri Capitol Chat, Phillip Arnzen, Kara Corches and Heidi Geisbuhler Sutherland join us from the Capitol Rotunda to look back on a chaotic session. What pro-business legislation made it to the governor's desk? Which priorities were blocked? Plus, learn what's at stake in the upcoming August primary.

Lawmakers return to work on Monday after their annual spring break. In these final eight weeks, the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry's governmental affairs team will be at the Capitol for long hours fighting for your business.See where some of the business community's top priorities stand, including child care tax credits, public safety measures, the FRA program and tort reform.

The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry honored Pat Thomas with its inaugural Legislative Staff Leadership Award in 2023. Thomas serves as the chief of staff for Sen. Lincoln Hough, R-Springfield. 

In the fifth  episode of our Business Champions series, Rep. Brenda Shields (R-St. Joseph) joins the Missouri Chamber's governmental affairs team to discuss her business background and her collaborative efforts to get pro-business policy passed in Jefferson City.Learn more about Rep. Shields including her passion for improving access to child care, as well as her other priorities for 2024.

What issues will lead debate in the 2024 Legislative Session? Find out with Capitol Chat! The Missouri Chamber's governmental affairs team outlines priorities for the new year. What impact will upcoming elections have on progress? Will returning issues like child care, public safety, tort reform and health care make it across the finish line? Here's what our experts predict.  

In the fourth episode of our Business Champions series, Sen. Karla Eslinger (R-Wasola) joins the Missouri Chamber's governmental affairs team to discuss her background in education and her collaborative efforts to get pro-business policy passed in Jefferson City.Learn more about Sen. Eslinger, including her passion for improving access to child care and fixing Missouri's teacher shortage, as well as her other priorities for 2024.

In the third episode of our Business Champions series, Rep. Aaron Crossley (D-Independence) joins the Missouri Chamber's governmental affairs team to discuss his unique background that led him to run for office and his collaborative efforts to get pro-business policy passed in Jefferson City.Learn more about Rep. Crossley, including his passion for railroad travel and his other priorities for 2024.

In the second episode of our Business Champions series, Rep. Sherri Gallick (R-Belton) joins the Missouri Chamber's governmental affairs team to discuss pro-business legislation she helped champion during the 2023 legislative session.Learn more about Rep. Gallick, including her passion for improving child care access  and her other priorities for 2024.

In the first episode of our Business Champions series, Rep. Mike Henderson (R-Bonne Terre) joins the Missouri Chamber's governmental affairs team to discuss pro-business legislation he championed during the 2023 legislative session.Learn more about Rep. Henderson, including his passions, personal life, and priorities for 2024.

Which bills and budget items did Gov. Parson sign? Catch up with Capitol Chat!The Missouri Chamber's governmental affairs team breaks down the finalized state budget,  including a major investment in I-70. They also dive into the vetoed items that didn't make it across the finish line.Plus, learn which legislation was signed into law and which pro-business issues we'll be advocating for in 2024.

What exactly happened this legislative session? Catch up with Capitol Chat!The Missouri Chamber's governmental affairs team dives into the 2023 legislative session – the good, the bad and the ugly. Learn which pro-business bills made it across the finish line, which bills were blocked, and what's next for our advocacy efforts.

Less than two weeks remain in the 2023 Missouri Legislative Session, and several critical business issues remain in play as the clock ticks down to May 12.The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry's governmental affairs team will be at the Capitol for long hours over the coming days fighting for employers on issues such as cybersecurity grant funding, an upskill credential program and tort reform. In this episode, Phillip, Heidi and Kara explain where these pro-business bills stand. 

With just four weeks left in the 2023 legislative session, join the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Governmental Affairs team for a biweekly check-in on pro-business priorities, such as child care tax credits and tort reform.Plus, learn more about the job-killing business mandates the Missouri Chamber is opposing over these final weeks.

Just six weeks remain in the 2023 legislative session!Join the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Governmental Affairs team as they break down the progress legislators are making on pro-business bills, such as child care and ESOP tax credits. Plus, learn why Kara, Heidi and Phillip might need to get "let business decide" embroidered on their suit jackets.

It's officially Legislative Spring Break – the halfway point of the 2023 legislative session.Join the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Governmental Affairs team as they break down some pro-business bills and the progress that's been made thus far. Plus, take a look ahead at the work that's still left to do.

Rep. Lane Roberts (R-Joplin) joins Phillip Arnzen, director of legislative affairs at the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, to break down HB 301. The bill, sponsored by Roberts, contains several provisions to address the multi-faceted and complex issue of rising crime. 

Session is underway, and it's a sprint until the month of May.The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Governmental Affairs team breaks down the Governor's State of the State address, as well as the first few weeks of the legislative session. Hear about some of the early fireworks and what you can expect to see in the months ahead.

Missouri business leaders have a mixed outlook for the year ahead. Pat McFerron of CHS & Associates joins the the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Governmental Affairs team to break down the results of the Missouri Chamber's annual CEO survey.  Plus, Phillip, Kara and Heidi share some "Capitol Insight" as the 2023 Legislative Session kicks off.

It's the most wonderful time of the year: bill pre-filing has begun.The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Governmental Affairs team looks ahead to the 2023 Legislative Session. From public safety issues to legal reform, they break down some of pre-filed bills that align with the Missouri Chamber's top priorities.  

Two new podcast hosts join Capitol Chat to break down Missouri's new class of lawmakers.The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Governmental Affairs team looks back at the results of the November General Election. They explain what a fresh crop of legislators, along with marijuana legalization, means for our pro-business advocacy efforts.

The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Governmental Affairs team looks back at the results of the August Primary Election and details what it means for our pro-business advocacy efforts.

On May 13, the Missouri Legislature gaveled out with a bang. Ross, Kara and Carol discuss what bills made it across the finish line and what lies ahead for the Missouri Chamber's legislative and political efforts. 

With just five days of the 2022 Legislative Session to go, the Missouri Chamber advocacy team is ramping up efforts to keep anti-business amendments off bills and get pro-jobs policies across the finish line.

With two weeks remaining in the legislative session,  Ross, Kara and Carol detail the Missouri Chamber's 7 top issues. The governmental affairs team also analyzes the recent action in the Missouri House and Senate as the final countdown begins to May 13. 

As lawmakers race against the clock, several pro-business bills hang in the balance. Ross, Kara and Carol take a look at where our legislative priorities are in the process — Fast Track, legal reform, workforce, economic development, cybersecurity and others — and what they're doing to stop anti-business measures that continue to come up on the floor.

In this special edition of Missouri Capitol Chat, we take you behind the scenes of the Senate's all-nighter to pass a congressional map — and update you on our fight against the anti-business push for government control over employers' workplace policies. 

Now that the Legislature's spring break has arrived, the Missouri Chamber advocacy team recaps their work so far and what to expect in the second half of the session. In today's episode: news on the workforce, technology, legal reform and sports wagering bills we support, plus updates on anti-business legislation we are opposing. 

Though winter weather brought Capitol business to a halt earlier than usual this week, state lawmakers made progress on several of the employer community's priorities. This week, Ross, Kara and Carol share what the legislature has been up to as redistricting debates continue, plus what issues have advanced in committee hearings including bills on workforce, public safety, technology, unemployment and vaccine-related mandates.

In this episode: A new voice joins the podcast! The team sums up the first two weeks of session and looks ahead to the issues coming up next. Pro-business bills regarding legal reform and workforce development are on the move. Vaccine-related mandate proposals have the Missouri employer community saying, "Let business decide." 

The Missouri General Assembly is bracing for legislative chaos as the 2022 Session looms — and the Missouri Chamber team will be standing firm in the fray to provide a clear, steady path toward ways to supercharge Missouri's economic recovery, grow jobs and protect employers against harmful policies. Here's what you need to know about business issues including redistricting conflicts, budget discussions, innovative workforce development to combat the labor shortage, vaccine-related mandates and more.

The team catches up listeners on employer-relevant news and bids farewell to Matt, who is departing next week for North Carolina. 

When the legislative session ended at 6 p.m. on Friday, a historic amount of pro-jobs legislation had been successfully passed — some at the very last minute. Matt, Ross and Kara recap the excitement and share the wins they secured for employers.

Before the clock strikes 6pm this Friday, the legislature has a lot on the table that could still make it to the governor's desk. Which business priorities still have a chance of crossing the finish line? Matt, Kara and Ross discuss and give an info-packed overview of the last week of the session.

With three weeks left til the end of session,  the legislature is in crunch time. The team gives updates on the state of education reform, transportation investment, Wayfair implementation,  workforce development, the vaccine rollout and other business issues. 

Several critical pro-business bills made big progress in the Capitol before Spring Break, but the fight isn't over yet. It's a race to the finish — what will lawmakers tackle when they return next week, and how can the business community help push these bills to the governor's desk?

Ross, Kara and Matt are back from the Capitol to join us in the studio and update you on all things Missouri business! In this episode: COVID-19 liability protectionsEducation reformComputer science legislationWorkforce development billsUnemployment overpayment updateThe push for more transportation investmentEnergy policyVaccine rolloutand more!

Kicking off season two of the podcast, the team discusses progress on the COVID-19 liability protection bill and transportation infrastructure legislation, Gov. Parson's top priorities in his 2021 State of the State address, and updates on Missouri's vaccine rollout effort.

Hear from the Missouri Chamber's governmental affairs team about the top issues and bills expected to be the focus of the 2021 Legislative Session.

With the Nov. 3 election mere days away, our legislative experts weigh in on the hottest races and what results could mean for our business community.

With less than a week until the Aug. 4 primary, Matt and Ross discuss the most heated races as well as Gov. Parson’s special session on violent crime. They also look ahead to the November election.

The August 4 Primary Election is less than two months out. The Missouri Capitol Chat team highlights some of the state's most interesting races. They also give an update on the possibility for a special session and bid farewell to a longtime capitol denizen who recently retired.

The 2020 Legislative Session has adjourned! The Missouri Capitol Chat team takes a deep dive into the bills that passed and the legislation that just missed the cut. They also look forward toward the possibility of Gov. Parson calling a special session (or sessions).