Business Advocacy

The Voice of Business

The Chamber serves as the voice of business at all levels of government. Through our advocacy efforts, the Chamber ensures that the interests of the business community are represented throughout the policymaking process.

Elected officials make decisions that have an immense impact on local businesses and the economy. As the business community’s non-partisan voice, the Chamber engages with elected officials on the local, state, and federal level to advocate for policies that enhance the quality of life in our community and region.

Chamber Advocacy Team

Jonathon Krull, Vice President, Public Affairs

Ryan Parsons, President

Email our Policy Team

Legislative Agenda

To communicate the Chamber’s policy stances, we develop a yearly legislative agenda derived from insight from our member businesses. The legislative agenda communicates a clear set of priorities to legislators and members alike.

Legislative Priorities for 2026

Key Priorities

Support legislative efforts that positively impact talent attraction, retention, and training needs to meet the evolving workforce needs of the Rochester region.
Support legislative efforts that encourage development, promote sustainability, and enhance the Rochester region through investments in infrastructure and projects that positively impact the regional business community.

Workforce

Support legislation that reduces barriers to employment and addresses workforce gaps through licensure reform in high-demand careers (Nurse Licensure Compact).
Promote the development of workforce programs and initiatives that develop career pathways, encourage partnerships between industry and education, and increase awareness of high-demand job opportunities.
Advocate for legislation that addresses business concerns relating to existing mandates (Paid Family and Medical Leave) through modifications that support business growth and operational sustainability.

Infrastructure

Support Olmsted County and the City of Byron’s request for state bonding funds to enhance safety and mobility along the Highway 14 corridor through the construction of interchanges on TH14 at CSAH 3 and CSAH 5, supporting regional development along the TH14 corridor.
Support the City of Rochester’s request for state bonding funds to expand sewer and water pipe capacity which would support the development of 1,000 acres for housing.
Address regional housing needs through the development and expansion of initiatives and resources, while advocating for balanced regulations that encourage development.

General Business

Support legislative efforts to enhance grid reliability, achieve sustainability goals, and strengthen baseload power capacity through the removal of the nuclear moratorium.
Encourage effective economic development through tax reform, support of programs and incentives, and a streamlined permitting process that enables investment, drives business growth, and makes Minnesota competitive in business attraction and retention.

Download the Agenda

2026 Legislative Session Review

With the 2026 legislative session in the rearview mirror and election season approaching, hear from local legislators on the session's key outcomes and their impact on the business community in the August Advantage issue. As the second year of the biennium, the 2026 session was shorter with it being a bonding year rather than a budget year. The session continued the historic tie in the Minnesota House, while the Senate maintained a one-seat DFL majority.

Although progress was slow for much of the session, several key Chamber priorities advanced quickly before the legislature gaveled out. This included passage of a $1.2B bonding bill, defeating legislation to amend funding for Rochester’s regional sports and recreation complex, and defeating legislation to ban non-disclosure agreements. Despite these successes, there’s still much work to be done next session, including the modification of Paid Family Medical Leave.

What You Need to Know

Infrastructure/Bonding

2026 saw bonding priorities take center stage with $1.2B in funding allocated through the bonding bill. Local projects, including the East Zumbro Sewer & Water Project, secured $13.2M in state funding to upsize sewer and water infrastructure in Southeast Rochester, opening over 1,000 acres for future development.

The Hwy 14/CSAH 3 & 5 Interchange Project also received $8M from the bonding bill, which covers right of way acquisition and environmental review. When completed, this project will open over 300 acres for commercial and industrial development.

Additionally, 15th Ave NE in Stewartville received $3.06M for improvements while the History Center of Olmsted County was the recipient of $3.32M for the expansion of its facilities.

Regional Sports and Recreation Complex

Despite being approved by the legislature in 2023, Rochester’s local sales tax (LST) authority, specifically for the regional sports and recreation complex portion, was put in jeopardy this past session. HF4194 and its consideration for inclusion in the omnibus tax bill, would have removed the Regional Sports and Recreation Complex as an approved use of LST funds. This bill would have set a dangerous precedent, undermining voter-approved authorization and exposing the City to significant legal challenges.

The Chamber's advocacy was successful. HF4194 did not pass and was not included in the final omnibus tax bill. With the City of Rochester having over $10M already invested in land acquisition, design, grading, and construction, and $50M in contracts with local builders already awarded and signed, halting the project at this stage would have been especially costly to the community. Had the project been halted, these costs would have shifted to Rochester taxpayers rather than being funded by the local sales tax, much of which is generated by visitors and non-Rochester residents.

Mandates

Since its passage in 2023, businesses have consistently voiced concerns about the Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML) program. With the program taking effect as of January 1, 2026, the need for modifications is clear.

As a result, numerous bills were introduced aimed at reforming PFML, including: HF4386/SF3645: which would establish a formal process allowing individual employees to opt out of the state-run paid leave system

and HF4569/SF4862: which would modify the maximum days a seasonal employee can work, and remove the requirement that an employee's primary line of work must be strictly in the "hospitality" industry.

Despite widespread business support, no modifications to PFML occurred this session. Regardless, the Chamber continues to engage with our members on PFML, gathering feedback on the program’s operations and impact.

Workforce

Continued investment in higher education remains a priority of the Chamber. This session, the Chamber advocated once again for state investment in the University of Minnesota Rochester's health sciences plan, which would support expansion and the growth of new programs, helping strengthen the healthcare workforce pipeline. Unfortunately, funding for UMR was not included in the higher education omnibus bill for the 2026 session.

Housing

General Business

A significant win this session was the two-year extension of the Pass-Through Entity Tax, retroactive to January 1, 2026. This provides federal SALT deduction relief for Minnesota pass-through businesses at no cost to state taxpayers, benefiting roughly 66,000 Minnesota residents.

As Minnesota works toward its 2040 goal of 100% carbon free electricity, the support of removing the nuclear moratorium was a priority of the Chamber. While not repealed, the state did allocate $500,000 this session to study the feasibility of building new nuclear plants and the potential repeal of the moratorium. If repealed, nuclear power would enhance grid reliability, achieve sustainability goals, and strengthen the baseload power supply.

Continued Advocacy and Engagement

Although the session has concluded, the Chamber continues to engage with our state delegation, strengthening relationships with legislators while advocating for the priorities of our members.

We are thankful for the continued willingness of our local delegation to discuss the impacts of policy on the business community.

We also extend our sincere thanks to Senator Carla Nelson and Senator Steve Drazkowski as they prepare to retire at the end of 2026. We appreciate their years of public service to our region and state.

Advocacy Communications

The Advocate Email Newsletter

The Advocate shares information on the advocacy efforts of the Chamber and informs members of relevant news stories on the local, state, and federal levels. It is sent biweekly during the legislative session (January - May) and monthly outside of the session. During the session, we highlight a few key bills we are tracking and the impact of the bill on business.

Sign up to receive The Advocate and other Chamber email newsletters.

Advantage Magazine

Each year, Advantage magazine publishes features focused on advocacy both before and after the legislative session. These articles include insights from Rochester-area Senators and Representatives, who share their priorities heading into the session and key takeaways afterward. They address key issues affecting businesses, challenges faced, and notable highlights.

During major election years, the Advantage magazine features local candidate profiles in October.

View the Advantage magazine issues here.

Advocacy Events

Eggs & Issues

Two-part series covering relevant topics to the business community

Legislative Update

Updates from legislators on the legislative session and expected outcomes

Local Government Connect

Updates from the city, county, schools, and parks as well as expected business impacts

Economic Summit

Regional economic snapshot with an economic outlook keynote

Day at the Capitol

Sharing the issues impacting business operations with decision makers in St. Paul

Linking Leaders & Industry

Fostering meaningful discussions and collaboration between declared candidates for local political office and the business community

Information Sessions

Varying topics of interest, past topics include earned sick and safe time, legalization of marijuana, upcoming road construction, paid family medical leave

Candidate Training

Equips those considering to run for local office with the needed resources and information to run a successful campaign