Business Weekly E-Newsletter
July 7-11, 2008
Workers’ Compensation, Small Business Council Meetings Set
The State Chamber/AIA has scheduled a pair of committee meetings for mid-July – the Workers’ Compensation Committee will meet at 2 p.m. Tuesday, July 15, and the Small Business Council will meet from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, July 17.
Both meetings will be held in the Bob Lamb Conference Room at our Little Rock office.
Workers’ Comp Committee members will discuss the AFL-CIO’s issues and our response options, make preparations to defend Act 796 of 1993 in the 2009 legislative session and consider a package of legislation that we might need to file. The next negotiation session with labor is scheduled for the last week of July.
Small Business Council members will receive a governmental affairs update, discuss the results of the recent members’ survey, receive a schedule of dates for future meetings and hear a presentation on legal issues facing small businesses.
Union Card Check Coalition Meeting Scheduled
The State Chamber/AIA will host a meeting at 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 29 in the Bob Lamb Conference Room to form a coalition to educate businesses, politicians and the general public about the risks of the employee free choice/union card check legislation that is pending in Congress. Please mark your calendar and notify anyone you believe would be interested so they can also make plans to participate in the first meeting.
Commission Declines to Put ‘Contaminant’ Label on CO2
On June 27, the Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission unanimously rejected a request by environmental groups to change Arkansas’s air code to consider carbon dioxide an “air contaminant.”
The Associated Press reported that “Arkansas environmental regulators took a wait-and-see approach in considering whether to treat a chief culprit of global warming as air pollution. The state currently excludes carbon dioxide from its definition of air contaminants and does not regulate CO2 emissions from industrial plants, businesses, automobiles or other sources. Environmentalists asked the state Pollution Control and Ecology Commission to strike carbon dioxide from its list of exempted gases, which also includes water vapor, oxygen and nitrogen.”
The AP said that “while commissioners agreed that global warming has gained widespread acceptance as an immediate environmental threat, they adopted a recommendation proposed by industrial representatives and wholesale power users to wait on the federal government and Arkansas Legislature to complete its work to address global warming. Teresa Marks, director of the state Department of Environmental Quality, also told commissioners she was concerned that any change in the definition would trigger regulations on carbon-dioxide emissions before the state has done the necessary scientific study or has the technology to put limits into place. She said that without the exemption, the state might have to fall back on rules governing emissions of more than 25 tons a year, a standard not specifically established for CO2.”
A coalition consisting of Audubon Arkansas, the Sierra Club and the Environmental Integrity Project of Texas had filed a third-party petition with the PC&E Commission to amend Regulations 18 and 26 by deleting “carbon dioxide” from the current exemption in the definition of “air contaminant” in those regulations. The Arkansas Environmental Federation (AEF) adopted a position to oppose the third-party petition to initiate rulemaking and submitted written and oral comments at the meeting. The State Chamber and AIA joined about four dozen business and association groups in signing on to the AEF petition.
Carbon dioxide is a ubiquitous gas that humans exhale in the normal course of breathing. It also comes from the internal combustion engine and coal-fired power plants. The AP coverage noted that “federal and state regulations limit emissions of other pollutants, including sulfur dioxide and particulates, whose effects have been scientifically studied and quantified but the same scrutiny has yet to be applied to CO2, Marks said. Only four states – California, Montana, Oregon and Washington – have established CO2 emission rates in regulating power plants in their jurisdictions.”
Tax Rate for Manufacturers Falls
On July 1, state manufacturers received an additional reduction in the sales tax paid on utilities. The reduction in the sales tax was a priority for the State Chamber/AIA during the 2007 legislative session.
HB 1420, now Act 185, established a sales tax reduction for manufacturers’ utility costs. It reduced the sales taxes paid by manufacturers, which are classified in NAICS codes 31-33, from 6 percent to 4.5 percent on July 1, 2007. The tax rate was further reduced an additional one-half percent to 4 percent effective July 1, 2008.
Governor Beebe Speaks at Leadership Arkansas Class II Graduation
Seventy members of Leadership Arkansas Class II graduated on Friday, June 27, at the Holiday Inn in Springdale.
Governor Mike Beebe, honorary class chairman, was the guest speaker at the graduation ceremonies. Leadership Arkansas Class II graduation was presented by Harps Foods.
Leadership Arkansas Class II Holds Final Session
Tyson Foods CEO Dick Bond, Sam’s Club CEO Doug McMillan and University of Arkansas Chancellor-Elect Dave Gearhart were the featured speakers at the final Leadership Arkansas Class II Northwest Arkansas Session on June 26-27, which dealt with infrastructure challenges and the Northwest Arkansas economy.
The State Chamber/AIA Board of Directors and the Executive Committee also met in conjunction with the Leadership Arkansas Class II session and graduation. After the board meeting, directors and prospective members in the Northwest Arkansas area joined members of Leadership Class II for a reception and dinner at the Holiday Inn.
Sponsors for the final session included: Cox Communications, University of Arkansas, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., CJRW – Northwest, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Stephens Inc., Littler Mendelson, P.C., Cross Gunter Witherspoon & Galchus, P.C., CDI Contractors Inc., Arkansas Western Gas Co., Tyson Foods, Inc., Acxiom Corporation, Warner Smith & Harris, PLC, Waste Management and Rogers-Lowell Chamber of Commerce.
Leadership Arkansas Class II was sponsored by Southern Bancorp.
Applications Being Accepted for Leadership Arkansas Class III
Applications are now being accepted for Leadership Arkansas Class III. In just two years, this program has become one of Arkansas’s most respected and trusted leadership organizations. Before clicking on the link below to the application, please review the following information designed to provide you with a greater understanding of Leadership Arkansas.
Leadership Arkansas’s mission is to build a strong, diverse, statewide network of leaders with a shared commitment to connect our communities and to make Arkansas a better place in which to live and prosper.
One of the many ways the organization is working to accomplish that mission is through its annual class program. Class members are chosen to participate in a stimulating and thought-provoking educational program that consists of a series of six day-and-a-half sessions held in locations throughout the state.
These sessions include programming on issues critical to Arkansas, leadership skills assessment, and relevant information on Arkansas’s history, demography, diversities and opportunities. One of the most rewarding and lasting benefits of the program is the valuable time spent interacting with other leaders from a variety of professions, philosophies and parts of the state who represent Arkansas’s diverse ethnic and racial composition.
Graduation from the class does not signify the end, but the beginning of a lifetime of opportunity as a member of Leadership Arkansas. For the graduates of the Leadership Arkansas program, we will convene regular meetings, regional and statewide, to facilitate continuing issues-oriented education, advanced leadership training, networking and the opportunity for members to work together toward shared goals.
SELECTION CRITERIA
The Leadership Arkansas Recruitment Committee seeks to identify those individuals most likely to utilize their leadership abilities for the long-term benefit of Arkansas. The Selection Committee strives to select participants who will provide the class with broad professional, geographic, ethnic and gender representation. Basic criteria for selection are:
- A commitment, motivation and interest in serving Arkansas.
- A concern for Arkansas’s welfare, demonstrated by past community and statewide activities.
- An interest in seeking key volunteer and/or appointed state leadership roles.
- Potential or existing occupational responsibilities that have significant influence on important issues facing the state.
- A commitment to continued involvement in Leadership Arkansas.
Should you have any questions about the application, or about Leadership Arkansas, please call Susie Marks at 501-210-4206. Click here to download the application.
Welcome to Our New Members
Thanks to the following companies and organizations that have recently joined the State Chamber/AIA:
Baldor Electric
BancorpSouth
CardinalHealth
EcoPotential Corporation
Evergreen Packaging Company
The Design Group
Bill Watson, Marcus Turley Recognized in ACCE Sales Contest
State Chamber/AIA Membership Development Representatives Bill Watson and Marcus Turley were among the top sales professionals in the American Chamber of Commerce Executives National Sales Contest for 2007-2008 for the $500,000 to $1.5 Million Dues Income Category.
Watson ranked third with $92,900 in Dollars Ranking and 46th in Sales Ranking with 20 total sales. Turley ranked 12th in Dollars Ranking with $79,100 and 18th in Sales Ranking with 120 total sales. For his third-place finish in Dollars Ranking, Watson will be recognized at the ACCE National Convention on August 1 in Pittsburgh.
Supply Chain Security Conference Slated
The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals is holding the Central Arkansas Roundtable Annual Regional Conference on Supply Chain Security from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, August 1 in the William J. Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock.
Scheduled presenters include Asa Hutchinson, retired Lieutenant General John Baker, USAF, Dr. Omar Keith Helferich of Michigan State University and Alex Puig of Target Corporation. For further information or to register, click here .
Federal Minimum Wage to Increase to $6.55 an Hour in July
The Arkansas Department of Labor reminds employers that the federal minimum wage will increase in July. Covered nonexempt workers will be entitled to a minimum wage of not less than $6.55 per hour effective July 24, 2008. The current rate is $5.85 per hour. It is scheduled to rise to $7.25 per hour on July 24, 2009.
Arkansas’s minimum wage is currently $6.25 an hour. In states such as Arkansas where an employee is subject to both the state and federal minimum wage laws, the employee is entitled to the higher rate. The Fair Labor Standards Act establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child-labor standards affecting full-time and part-time workers in the private sector and in federal, state and local governments.
SBA Introduces Two New Online Finance Courses for Small Business Owners
The U.S. Small Business Administration has introduced two new free online finance courses to help small business owners with the basic principles of finance and borrowing.
The new self-paced courses, Finance Primer: Guide to SBA’s Loan Guaranty Programs (click here ) and How to Prepare a Loan Package (click here ) walk business owners through steps that answer questions about what debt financing is, what loan programs are available, what small businesses should know about borrowing money, how to prepare a loan package and how loan requests are reviewed by lenders.
The Finance Primer gives an overview of the SBA’s loan guaranty programs to help small businesses understand the variety of financial resources, including those from the SBA.
The finance courses can help entrepreneurs avoid some of the common mistakes made such as securing the wrong type of financing, miscalculating the amount of financing required, and underestimating the cost of borrowing money.
The Loan Package course includes small business links to related information, and refers course participants for direct support in preparing a loan request to appropriate resources that include SBA’s district offices, SBA resource partners and lenders.
Course participants who complete the 30-minute online training programs can earn a certificate of completion from the SBA, with their name, date and course title. The new finance courses have been added to a menu of more than 26 online tutorials offered by the SBA.
Thanks to Our Pinnacle Members
Welcome to our newest Pinnacle members: CardinalHealth and Evergreeen Packaging Company.
We wish to express special thanks to all of our Pinnacle investors, the respected companies that support the State Chamber/AIA at the highest annual investment levels. We appreciate all that they do for us.
APEX
Alltel Corporation
Entergy Arkansas, Inc.
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
SUMMIT
Chesapeake Energy, Inc.
Cox Communications
Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods
Tyson Foods, Inc.
PEAK
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Arvest Bank
AT&T Arkansas
CenterPoint Energy Southern Gas
Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas
FedEx Freight - East
Georgia-Pacific Corporation
Harps Food Stores, Inc.
Kraft Foods
Oaklawn Jockey Club
Pathfinder Exploration LLC
Petrohawk Energy Corporation
SemGroup LP
Southern Bancorp, Inc.
Southland Park Gaming & Racing
Southwestern Energy Company
State Farm Insurance
Weyerhaeuser Company
Windstream Corporation
XTO Energy, Inc.
CROWN
Acxiom Corporation
AEP Southwestern Electric Power
Albemarle Corporation
Alcoa
Alta Resources LLC
American Greetings Corporation
America's Car-Mart, Inc.
Arkansas Employees Federal Credit Union
Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation
Arkansas Oklahoma Gas Corporation
Arkansas Western Gas Company
Bank of the Ozarks
CardinalHealth
CenterPoint Energy Gas Transmission Company
Crossland Construction
Deltic Timber Corporation
Dynegy
Entegra Power Group LLC
Evergreen Packaging Company
Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company of Arkansas, Inc.
Forest Oil Corporation
Glad Manufacturing/A Clorox Company
Golden Living
International Paper Company
Kimberly-Clark Corporation
Lion Oil Company
Metropolitan National Bank
Murphy Oil Corporation
Nabholz Construction Corporation
Nucor-Yamato Steel
OG+E
Pfizer Pharmaceuticals
Philander Smith College
Pinnacle Foods Group LLC
Potlatch Forest Products Corporation
Pulaski Technical College
Rheem Air Conditioning Division
Riceland Foods, Inc.
Signature Bank of Arkansas
Simmons First National Corporation
Stephens, Inc.
Storm Cat Energy
Suez Energy North America
The Clorox Company
The Trane Company
US Bank
Waste Management
Wright Lindsey & Jennings
Calendar of Events
July 13 – 15 ACCE Summer Meeting
Mountain Harbor Resort
July 15 State Chamber/AIA Workers’ Compensation Committee Meeting
2 p.m.
Bob Lamb Conference Room
July 17 State Chamber/AIA Small Business Council Meeting
11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Bob Lamb Conference Room
July 29 Union Card Check Coalition Meeting
10 a.m.
Bob Lamb Conference Room
July 31 – August 2 American Chamber of Commerce Convention
Pittsburgh
August 24 – 27 AED Annual Conference
Hot Springs Convention Center
