Through a combined effort, the Regional Legislative Alliance influences legislation and policy decisions, provides coordination to advance the common business legislative interests of the participating chambers and associations, serves as a public policy advocacy group for the region, and provides leadership in legislative advocacy on state and federal issues that impact the participating members of the Regional Legislative Alliance.

The Regional Legislative Alliance creates a strong, unified voice for the business community in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, improves and enhances the business climate, and maintains and supports the economic vitality, social community, and quality of life of this region.

Membership
The partners have memberships that employ more than 250,000 people in the region, and the outreach continues to recruit other chambers and associations in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. Current Alliance members include:

• Camarillo Chamber of Commerce
• Carpinteria Valley Chamber of Commerce
• Gold Coast Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
• Goleta Valley Chamber of Commerce
• Oxnard Chamber of Commerce
• Moorpark Chamber of Commerce
• Port Hueneme Chamber of Commerce
• Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce
• Ventura Chamber of Commerce
• Ventura County Economic Development Association (VCEDA)
• Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA)

Governance
The Regional Legislative Alliance is governed by a Memorandum of Understanding and is not a separate 501c6 organization, but a joint committee of the participating chambers of commerce and associations. The Regional Legislative Alliance Board is composed of representatives from the participating chambers of commerce and associations, with a maximum of two representatives from each member organization, one of which must be the CEO or their employed designee. The Regional Legislative Alliance board is comprised of an equal number of chamber and association executives and designated volunteers. This provides all partners equal voting rights regardless of the chamber or association’s membership size. The chamber and association representatives are responsible for disseminating the information to their respective boards and members.

The operations of the Regional Legislative Alliance are managed by the Board with the aid of the executive director.

Issues
The Regional Legislative Alliance is a public policy advocacy group and takes action on appropriate statewide and federal legislation that impacts the business and economic climates of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. The current critical issues include, but are not limited to:

• Employment
• Housing
• State Governance
• Infrastructure – including Communications, Transportation, Water and Energy
• Taxes and Fees on Business
• Workers Compensation

In addition to the work in the State legislative arena, the Regional Legislative Alliance is in the process of organizing a Transportation Symposium in the fall. This will be the second forum organized by the group. The focus will be bringing the business community together with government leaders to find and implement solutions for improving our transportations systems between the two counties.

Origin
A couple of chambers in Ventura County discussed the regional concept as early as 1998. The idea lay dormant until the fall of 2001 when a group of chamber executives from both counties came together to seriously discuss the pros and cons of such an alliance. And, from there the Regional Legislative Alliance of Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties began. After just three years of operation, the leaders of the eight chambers and two business associations of the Regional Legislative Alliance are very pleased with the recognition the organization has received.

Since its creation, the Regional Legislative Alliance has taken stands on more than 30 major issues, mostly related to state legislation and the propositions on the 2004 ballot. The group works closely with the California Chamber of Commerce and travels to Sacramento as part of the California Chamber’s Business Legislative Summit to meet with elected and appointed officials whose responsibilities impact Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.

Benefits to Member Chambers and Associations
The benefits of the Regional Legislative Alliance are: (a) a forum for a broader discussion of issues and an organized way to cooperate and collaborate; (b) more clout that can be achieved by a larger constituency; (c) current and accurate information and analysis of key issues; (d) assistance for chamber CEO’s, their staffs and their government affairs committees; and (e) a tool for member recruitment and retention.