The Charlotte Regional Business Alliance convened business leaders and elected officials for a discussion with North Carolina Democratic leaders, Sen. Dan Blue and Rep. Robert Reives, on their key priorities for the upcoming legislative short session. The discussion involved multiple CLT Alliance priorities including education, housing, and workforce.
Both leaders discussed the pivotal role of a robust public education system in fostering a healthy business climate and highlighted the impact of education on cultivating a skilled workforce.
“If we want to have a strong workforce, we’re going to need a strong education system,” Blue said. “Education should be nimble and adjust as workforce demands change.”
Additionally, Blue commended investments in UNC Charlotte’s Data Science center and its role in job creation and innovation in the state. Echoing a similar sentiment, Reives discussed that investment in the state’s public education system is an investment for all.
Blue also highlighted the recent enactment of Medicaid expansion as an advantage to the state’s workforce climate, citing its benefits for residents and the businesses they work for.
Addressing child care, Reives emphasized its critical impact on the state’s workforce. “Child care is a key element of having productive workers,” he said. Both leaders said investment into the child care ecosystem should be one of the state’s top priorities.
Reives also discussed the connection between workforce and affordable housing, highlighting the necessity for talent to have access to housing within the vicinity of their employment, and how housing shortages have hindered progress in other areas of the state. The CLT Alliance has led efforts at the ballot with voters approving $150 million in funding for affordable housing over the last three election cycles. Additionally, the CLT Alliance is supportive of finding additional solutions around workforce and affordable housing.
The leaders discussed tourism in the region, with Reives identifying the Charlotte Region as a “sweet spot” for its investments in attractions that resonate with diverse demographics.
Closely tied to increasing tourism is public safety. Reives shared that adequate funding must be in place so that public safety professionals can provide their services to a growing regional population and the many visitors that come to our region every year.
Throughout the dialogue, both leaders encouraged ongoing engagement between the business community and legislators to continue to foster collaboration and maintain North Carolina’s status as the premier state to do business.
This conversation was part of the CLT Alliance Advocacy in Action series, where we utilize our convenings to lift up our legislative priorities as the voice of business for the Charlotte Region. Throughout the legislative short session in North Carolina, the CLT Alliance will advocate for our legislative priorities, seeking to further improve our business climate and to keep the Charlotte Region as an attractive destination for business and talent.
