Political Action

Tahoe Chamber represents California and Nevada businesses on legislation, regulations, and other issues that affect your bottom line and ability to conduct business. We maintain relationships with elected officials on both sides of the state line at all levels of government. We ensure that our Chief Executive Officer, members of our Government Affairs Committee, Board members and other Chamber representatives are knowledgeable and engaged with all pertinent meetings and activities to effectively represent Chamber member interests.

In addition to our Government Affairs Committee, Tahoe Chamber has an additional committee in place during local election cycles that supports our political action initiatives.

Candidate Endorsement Committee

Our Candidate Endorsement Committee (CEC) is established during each local election year. The committee is comprised of community members who work to identify, interview and vet candidates for local office based on pertinent goals set forth in our Vision 2025 document, integrated with key elements of the Tahoe Prosperity Center’s Envision Tahoe Prosperity Playbook.

Tahoe Chamber candidate endorsements for South Lake Tahoe City Council, Douglas County Commission, El Dorado County Board of Supervisors, and other local offices are based in large measure on the research and interviews conducted by this Committee. Members of the Government Affairs Committee also play a role in the candidate endorsement process and endorsements are formalized by the Tahoe Chamber Board of Directors.

Political Action in California

The current two-year legislative session in California formally began on December 5, 2022 and will run through 2024. Our Tahoe Chamber Government Affairs Committee monitors state legislation, focusing primarily on issues that affect businesses, community organizations, the state’s regulatory environment, grant and investment programs, or those directly related to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, California Tahoe Conservancy, and other State agencies with areas of jurisdiction within the Tahoe region, including, but not limited to: Caltrans, California State Parks, CAL FIRE, and the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board.

California is a large and diverse state with a full-time Legislature. This makes tracking legislation a particular challenge. We work with the California Chamber of Commerce (Cal Chamber) and their network of policy analysts to help us stay current on legislative proposals. We also work with the California Association of Councils of Government (CAL COG) on matters related to transportation and housing. The role of the Chamber’s Government Affairs Committee is to engage with pertinent California legislative proposals and to take action, as the committee deems appropriate, in support or opposition to a bill, consistent with the Chamber’s adopted mission and vision and related documents. Committee actions may involve recommendations made to the Chamber Board of Directors.

Political Action in Nevada

The Nevada Legislature meets every other year, in odd numbered years. In the Legislative interim (between sessions), standing interim committees and sometimes special interim committees meet. Our Government Affairs Committee actively engages with any Tahoe-specific bills or other bills of interest as determined by our adopted mission, vision, and strategic goals. The most significant standing Interim Committee for Tahoe is the Legislature’s Committee for the Review and Oversight of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and the Marlette Lake Water System (NRS 218E.555). This Interim Committee is often the first forum for vetting Tahoe-related matters that may transition into proposed bill in the subsequent regular Legislative session.

As in California, the role of our Government Affairs Committee is to engage with legislative proposals to take actions as the committee deems appropriate in support or opposition consistent with the Chamber’s adopted mission and vision. Committee actions may involve recommendations made to the Chamber Board of Directors.

Political Action at the Federal Level

Tahoe Chamber is an active participant in the Lake Tahoe Partnership a network of private sector, non-profit and public sector organization with advocacy expertise at the federal level. The Partnership’s primary focus is on securing the federal share of funding for projects and programs identified in the adopted Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program (EIP).

For more information about Tahoe Chamber’s political action and advocacy activities, contact Steve Teshara, the Chamber’s Director of Government Relations, at info@tahoechamber.org.