• 2026 Legislative Agenda

  • The Halifax County Chamber of Commerce represents more than 370 businesses employing approximately 6200 people in Halifax County. The Chamber is the premier advocate for business and industry in the region and projects a unified voice on key issues that affect the business community.

    Our Chamber believes that the success for both our region and the Commonwealth depends on investments and priorities that stimulate and advance economic growth and prosperity for businesses of all sizes. The Halifax County Chamber of Commerce respectfully requests our legislators support the following priorities:

     

    Economic & Business Climate
    Goal:     Ensure a pro-business environment that attracts investment and supports growth.

    • Right to Work: Support maintaining Virginia’s Right to Work status to protect economic development competitiveness.
    • Regulatory Efficiency: Encourage modernization of state permitting, licensing, and reporting systems to reduce administrative burdens on employers.
    • Innovation & Entrepreneurship: Support funding and policy tools that grow the innovation ecosystem, including technology transfer, seed funding, and support for emerging sectors.
    • Business Expansion & Economic Growth: The Chamber supports incentives to promote business expansion and economic growth.
    • Legal Climate: The Chamber supports pro-business policies that protect and improve Virginia’s current legal climate.

     

    Workforce & Talent Development
    Goal:     Build a sustainable talent pipeline that meets current and future employer needs.

    • Career Pathways: Strengthen partnerships between K-12 schools, higher education, and employers to expand internships, apprenticeships, and credential-based learning tied to regional industries.
    • Childcare Access: Encourage state incentives and grants that expand affordable childcare options to remove barriers to workforce participation.
    • Workforce Housing: Advocate for housing development tools and tax credits that make it possible for working families and young professionals to live near employment centers.
    • Minimum Wage: Recognizing that high inflation, current economic conditions, and competition for talent have compelled employers to keep pace with rising compensation trends, the Chamber supports the repeal of outdated minimum wage mandates. The Chamber opposes mandates for increasing the minimum wage outright and opposes the failure to adjust increases for economic differences between the regions of the Commonwealth

     

    Education & Workforce Alignment
    Goal:     Align education with local workforce and economic needs.

    • CTE Modernization: Increase resources for local Career and Technical Education centers to update equipment and programs aligned with advanced manufacturing, IT, and healthcare.
    • Work-Based Learning: Support incentives for businesses to host internships, job shadowing, and cooperative education opportunities.
    • STEM & Soft Skills: Encourage curriculum development that includes both technical and employability skills critical to business success
    • Workforce Training Programs: The Chamber supports expanded funding for credit and non-credit workforce training programs that lead to certifications and address in-demand workforce needs.

     

    Infrastructure & Site Readiness
    Goal:     Strengthen the region’s ability to attract and retain business investment.

    • Transportation Investment: The Chamber supports initiatives that strengthen connectivity in Virginia’s highway system.
    • Broadband Expansion: Support continued investment in broadband infrastructure for full regional coverage, enabling business growth, education, and telehealth.

     

    Healthcare Access & Affordability
    Goal:     Improve healthcare access and control costs impacting employers and families.

    • Employer Healthcare Costs: Support policies that increase competition and transparency in the healthcare marketplace.
    • Behavioral & Mental Health: Increase local and regional access to behavioral health resources to improve workforce well-being and retention.
    • Rural Health Infrastructure: Support investment in rural hospital networks and telehealth expansion.
    • Mandated Paid Leave Programs: The Chamber continues to support businesses voluntarily providing their own employee benefits, that may include Paid Leave Programs instead of a mandated policy by the Commonwealth or Federal Government that increases or creates additional taxes, financial, and regulatory burdens.
    • Emergency Services: The Chamber supports reciprocity agreements for healthcare and emergency services personnel.

     

    Energy & Sustainability
    Goal:     Ensure reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy for business and community growth.

    • Energy Costs: The Chamber opposes policies and regulations that increase energy costs for businesses. The Chamber supports the continued safe development of cost effective traditional and renewable energy sources to meet the needs of businesses, as well as to support future economic development.

     

     

     

  • Who's My Legislator?

    This service is an online tool where the public at-large can determine what legislators represent them. Users can enter their home address or use map based navigation to see their Virginia House and Senate representatives, as well as those in the U.S. House and Senate. Click HERE to use.