The 2012 election cycle is shaping up as an important one for local township, county and state legislative races, and the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee (LRC-PAC) intends to be heavily involved in the key races.

Among the races LRC-PAC is monitoring heading into 2012 will be those for seats on the Ingham County Board of Commissioners as well as key township battles including board races in Meridian and Delta Townships. State legislative battles are of particular importance next years, as several state lawmakers must leave their house seats due to term limits including representatives Mark Meadows, Jane Bauer and Barb Byrum.

“It’s too early to make decisions about races on which we will focus, but there are quite a few races and issues that will be of interest to us in 2012,” said Kristin Beltzer, LRCC senior vice president for government relations and public affairs. “LRC-PAC has gained considerable traction in recent years and we fully intend to capitalize on our momentum by ensuring that the voice of business has a positive impact in this election year.”

LRC-PAC has raised its profile the past several election years and has been successful in electing its endorsed candidates to the state legislatures, Lansing City Council, township, school board and county offices. For the first time in 2010, LRC-PAC endorsed candidates for the county commissions in Eaton and Clinton Counties, as well as Ingham County, which reflects the increased interest in the business community for electing candidates that embrace a pro business agenda.

“People want growth and they want elected officials who will help facilitate growth by enacting public policies that will encourage jobs and investment,” said Beltzer.

There have been increasing concerns in recent years over roadblocks that have inhibited the region’s ability to move forward. Particularly troubling have been attempts by some elected officials to force adoption of public policies that hinder job growth and investment. Of note have been efforts to convince public bodies to adopt prevailing wage ordinances and Project Labor Agreements that have been demonstrated to kill important developments and jobs. Ingham County recently adopted a so-called Pollution Prevention ordinance that imposes costly and duplicative regulations on businesses that handle hazardous

materials. Lansing City Council drew widespread condemnation for policy votes that threatened several recent proposed projects, and many local municipalities continue to provide fewer services to businesses and residents while managing inefficient government bureaucracies.

In 2011, the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce joined a broad-based community coalition known as Greater Lansing Progress (GLP), which is seeking to change the nature of public discussion and outcome of critical issues that affect our region. GLP is the first of its kind coalition formed in this region to unify the community around a common vision of greatness. Greater Lansing Progress and the LRC-PAC focused much of their attention in 2011 on the races for Lansing City Council and both groups fully expect to similar aggressive efforts in several local and state races in the coming year.

“We look forward to working with Greater Lansing Progress and candidates throughout the region who share our vision of what economic vitality looks like for our community and are willing to work on developing a plan to achieve it,” said Beltzer.