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Indiana Chamber's top legislative priorities for 2022 include child care, vaccine requirements

Indiana Chamber President and CEO Kevin Brinegar outlines the organization's legislative priorities for 2022. (Alan Mbathi/IPB News)
Indiana Chamber President and CEO Kevin Brinegar outlines the organization's legislative priorities for 2022. (Alan Mbathi/IPB News)
Indiana Chamber President and CEO Kevin Brinegar outlines the organization's legislative priorities for 2022. (Alan Mbathi/IPB News)

Listen to the broadcast version of this story.

No county in Indiana adequately meets residents' needs for high-quality child care according to a report published by Early Learning Indiana this year. The Indiana Chamber of Commerce plans to make the issue one of its legislative priorities. 

The state has received more than $1 billion in federal COVID-19 relief fundsthat could be used to help alleviate staffing shortages and increase capacity at child care facilities.

Some federal funding has helped the state create a program to cover up to 80 percent of child care costs for many working families essential workers. The program was set to end in October but was extended into 2022.

Indiana Chamber President and CEO Kevin Brinegar said the state needs to find more ways to help Hoosiers get access to child care.

“Whether it's tax credits, or actual offsets, to get more folks back into the workforce, but also feeling comfortable, that they've got quality child care that they can afford,” said Brinegar.

Lawmakers in attendance offered ideas to address the problem, including incentives for businesses to help parents pay for child care.

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Another priority for the Indiana Chamber in 2022 will be vaccine requirements. 

The federal vaccine requirement for businesses with 100 or more employees is set to be challenged in court after several states issued, including Indiana

Indiana lawmakers proposed legislation last session that would allow employees to "opt-out" of a businesses vaccine mandate, but it died in committee.

Brinegar said the organization will fight any legislation in this area, in support of mandates or against.

“Our position is that employers are in the best position to determine what's best for their employees, their customers and their patients. And we do not support federal regulations that mandate vaccinations or state laws that prohibit vaccinations,” he said. 

Other chamber priorities include workforce training and a statewide renewable energy standard.

Contact reporter Samantha at shorton@wfyi.org or follow her on Twitter at @SamHorton5.
Copyright 2021 Indiana Public Media. To see more, visit .

Last month, we welcomed Samantha Horton to our station. She is Indiana Public Broadcasting reporter, mainly reporting on business and economic issues in the States of Indiana for WBAA. After graduated from Evansville University with a triple majors degree (International studies, Political science and Communication), Samantha worked for a Public Radio at Evansville for three years, and then she joined WBAA because she wanted to take a bigger role on reporting. So far she enjoyed working in WBAA as business and economy reporter.