SALT LAKE CITY (January 13, 2021) – The Salt Lake Chamber hosted the annual Utah Economic Outlook and Public Policy Summit with the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute to release its 2022 legislative priorities at the Grand America Hotel. Chief among those priorities is maintaining Utah’s spot among the top of America’s best performing economies, addressing the housing gap, creating an environment that is supportive of a diverse and inclusive workforce, investing in education and building a robust transportation infrastructure.
“We remain ever vigilant to issues on the horizon and committed to promoting policies that keep Utah in the best competitive shape,” said Derek Miller, president & CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber and Downtown Alliance. “The Chamber’s legislative priorities are all about thinking ahead so our state is positioned for the ever changing economic landscape. We want to empower businesses and individuals to become their very best without artificial hurdles or roadblocks in the way – all in support of our mission to create community prosperity for everyone.”
Along with previewing the business community’s priorities for the coming legislative session, the Summit examined our country’s economic future. Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco President & CEO Mary C. Daly participated in the keynote fireside chat with Natalie Gochnour, director of the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, focusing on the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation, our nation’s workforce and the “Great Resignation,” among other risks.
“We say this in relation to the economy, as goes COVID so goes the economy,” said Mary C. Daly, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. “The pandemic and inflation are real things affecting real people’s lives. The variants put a dent in our economy and we have to get through this but we have consumers who want to spend and people who want to get back to a more regular life. We know inflation is higher impacting everyone and we have three issues to monitor: plants have stalled in China because of pandemic impacts, kinks in the supply chain that ripple across markets, and pent up demand that is linked to the pandemic stimulus. However, our economy was strong before the virus and I expect us to continue expanding as we overcome the pandemic.”
In releasing the Salt Lake Chamber’s 2022 Legislative Priorities, Maura Carabello, Founder & Owner of The Exoro Group, moderated a panel with Senate President Stuart Adams, House Speaker Brad Wilson, Senate President Stuart Adams, Majority Leader Representative Mike Schultz, Majority Whip Senator Ann Millner, Executive Appropriations Chair Senator Jerry Stevenson, Majority Whip Senator Ann Millner, Rocky Mountain Power President & CEO Gary Hoogeveen and Steward Health Regional Vice President Dr. Donna Milavetz to discuss the Chamber’s priorities in relation to other major issues facing the Legislature this next session.
“With the legislative session quickly approaching, and only 45 days to debate and pass legislation, it is crucial we focus our efforts on the state’s most pressing needs and future opportunities,” said Speaker Brad Wilson. “I appreciated the chance to sit down with my colleagues to discuss many of these issues at the Salt Lake Chamber’s Economic Outlook and Public Policy Summit and know as we work together among the public and private sectors, we will ensure Utah remains the best state to live, work, learn, and play.”
Experts from government and business provided quick takes on solutions to Utah’s top challenges, such as homelessness, supply chain, housing affordability, growth and more – all of which must be addressed to ensure Utah’s future quality of life.
A complete copy of the Salt Lake Chamber’s 2022 Legislative Priorities guide can be found here.
Presenting sponsors of this year’s summit are Intermountain Healthcare and Zions Bank. Dominion Energy and Target River are major sponsors. Larry H. Miller Group of Companies and WCF Insurance are event sponsors, and the corporate sponsors are CBRE, Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development, Hillcrest Bank and Rocky Mountain Power.
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ABOUT THE SALT LAKE CHAMBER
The Salt Lake Chamber is Utah’s largest and longest-standing business association. A statewide chamber of commerce with members in all 29 Utah counties, the Chamber represents the broad interests of the state’s 63,000- plus employers, which employ more than 1.4 million Utahns. This includes thousands of Chamber members and their employees. With roots that date back to 1887, the Chamber stands as the voice of business, supports its members’ success and champions community prosperity.
