Here's what Salina community partners prioritized on Chamber's 2024 legislative agenda

Charles Rankin, Salina Journal
·2 min read

The City of Salina has signed off on a document that will be delivered to state and federal lawmakers put forward by the local chamber of commerce.

This came after the Salina City Commission approved the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce 2024 Legislative Agenda during its meeting Monday.

Salina City County Building
Salina City County Building

The agenda was created in coordination with other organizations including Saline County, the local economic development organization, airport authority, USD 305, Salina Tech, KU School of Medicine and Nursing in Salina, the K-State Salina Campus, and both the Salina Regional Health Center and Salina Family Healthcare Center.

"We have...a coordinated effort through the chamber...to have community representation at the capitol," said City Manager Mike Schrage.

Schrage said by working together with other community partners, it gives lawmakers a sense that the community comes with a "unified message."

In addition to being an overview of topics important to the community, the agenda also has specific items that are set out as important to the city, including requests for funding for infrastructure projects like those found near West Magnolia and Holmes Roads and the Smoky Hill River Renewal Project.

"Both state and federal funding requests are those sort of one-sheeters that we definitely pull out and quote-unquote lobby for," said Renee Duxler, president and CEO of the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce.

Duxler said much of the rest of the agenda includes what the community wants to support as policy priorities for state and federal lawmakers.

These priorities include items like strengthening the workforce, establishing more housing, transportation initiatives, childcare access and ensuring affordable healthcare and mental health resources.

While there was some debate about certain aspects of the priority items, such as a split among the commissioners about supporting Medicaid expansion in the state, the Salina City Commission voted 5-0 in favor of supporting the agenda as a whole.

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Other Salina City Commission meeting business

The following items were also part of the Salina City Commission meeting:

  • A proclamation declaring Nov. 25 as Small Business Saturday in Salina.

  • Approval, on second reading, a charter ordinance involving a piece of property given to Salina USD 305 that was passed on first reading on Nov. 13.

  • Approval for the authorization of the city manager to execute renewals for agreements with various health insurance agencies for city employees.

This article originally appeared on Salina Journal: Salina commission approves chamber's 2024 legislative agenda