Bristol County Chamber joins regional business coalition

The Bristol County Chamber of Commerce has announced that its board of directors has voted to join the Southeastern Massachusetts Legislative Alliance of Chambers. Eight chambers of commerce in Southeastern Massachusetts have joined forces in a unique coalition designed to promote regional interests and business-friendly legislation. The SEMLAC includes the following chambers: Bristol County, Cape Cod Canal Region, Cranberry Country, Sandwich, SouthCoast, Taunton Area, Tri-Town and United Regional.

This effort constitutes an expansion of an initiative spearheaded by the Bristol County Chamber, the Cape Cod Canal Region Chamber and the SouthCoast Chamber last year. SEMLAC was formed to provide a more significant voice for the region on Beacon Hill and with our congressional delegation.

The alliance works on a consensus model and only weighs in on issues of importance to the region and only speaks as an alliance when all participant chambers have agreed on a position. Each chamber is also free at any time to weigh in on any issue separately and apart from the alliance should the group not reach agreement on any particular position.

Each chamber will have the opportunity to take on a leadership role on a rotating basis. SEMLAC will prepare an annual work plan and legislative agenda to be presented to each chamber’s respective boards of directors for approval. Once approved, SEMLAC will meet in person or by monthly conference call to discuss issues of importance that speak directly to the approved annual agenda, form a collective opinion and choose the best form of communicating with legislators, their members and the public.

SEMLAC has begun discussions regarding the many ballot propositions to be addressed in November 2018 and intends to issue statements regarding those propositions when ready.