Government Affairs Update

The Chamber has maintained an active presence in both federal and state-level advocacy throughout the latter months of 2024, hosting several key events and engaging on critical policy issues affecting our business community and the economic growth of the region.

Federal Engagement

The Chamber has strengthened its federal advocacy efforts this fall. Our annual Congressional Luncheon brought together Congressman Jim McGovern and Congresswoman Lori Trahan for a discussion on federal issues. Made possible through premier sponsor Fitchburg State University and supporting sponsor Care Central VNA & Hospice, Inc., the event provided members direct access to their federal representatives.

Further enhancing our federal presence, Chamber President Roy Nascimento represented our region at the prestigious Committee of 100 (CCC100) meeting in October. This select group, convened by the US Chamber of Commerce, comprises the nation’s 100 leading chamber executives. Nascimento’s participation enabled direct engagement with national business leaders, members of Congress, and chamber executives from across the country. His appointment to the CCC100 strengthens our ability to advocate for regional priorities while gaining early insights into federal policies affecting our business community.

Looking ahead to 2025, we are monitoring several critical federal issues that could significantly impact our local economy. These include the upcoming expiration of various provisions within the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, particularly changes to the R&D tax credit and the expiration of the pass-through deduction for small businesses. Additionally, potential new tariff policies under the new Trump administration warrant careful monitoring for their potential effects on our local economy.

Elections and Engagement

Maintaining our non-partisan stance, the Chamber served as an objective resource for both incumbent officials and candidates throughout the election cycle. While we do not endorse candidates, we actively facilitate dialogue between our elected representatives and candidates with the business community to ensure our region’s economic priorities are clearly communicated and understood.

Our Annual Legislative and Candidates Reception exemplified this approach. Thanks to the generous support of premier sponsor Mount Wachusett Community College and supporting sponsor Open Sky Community Services, the event provided a valuable forum for meaningful interaction between our legislative delegation, local officials, candidates, and business leaders.

Throughout the quarter, we also fostered engagement through individual meetings with officials and candidates, as well as focused discussions addressing specific concerns that our members had approached us about. The November election resulted in no changes to the North Central Massachusetts Legislative delegation, with incumbents maintaining their seats.

Ballot Question Advocacy

The Chamber actively engaged in advocacy regarding two significant ballot questions. With Question 2’s passage leaving Massachusetts without statewide graduation standards, we will advocate for thoughtful development of new standards that maintain educational excellence while ensuring student preparedness. We appreciate voters’ rejection of Question 5, recognizing its potential impact on our region’s hospitality sector. Special thanks to our legislative delegation members who opposed Question 5 and our member restaurants for their grassroots advocacy.

2025 Policy Agenda

The Chamber’s Board of Directors approved our Public Policy Agenda for 2025. Developed through stakeholder input and vetted by our Government Affairs Committee, this agenda will guide our advocacy efforts throughout the coming year.

The agenda focuses on six key priorities: economic competitiveness, small business, manufacturing, education, transportation, and real estate. While maintaining our longstanding positions on core issues, the 2025 agenda includes refined policy positions around plastics manufacturing, housing accessibility, and healthcare costs. These updates reflect the evolving needs of our business community while maintaining focus on long-term economic growth.

The complete agenda is available on our website.

State and Local Legislative Update

We recently provided testimony supporting the northern tier rail extension and submitted recommendations for the federally mandated Community Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). On Beacon Hill, we are monitoring the economic development bill and climate legislation during the closing days of informal session, which runs through December.

As Massachusetts operates on a two-year legislative cycle, any bills not passed by session’s end must be refiled in January when the new session begins. The Chamber will closely monitor new legislation affecting our business community as the process restarts in 2025.

For information about the Chamber’s public policy work, contact Public Affairs Manager Travis Condon at 978.353.7600, ext. 224, or .

North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce

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