Policy Resolution BED-19-02

WHEREAS, encouraging corporations to fund inclusive innovation, entrepreneurship and investment ecosystem building benefits us all as a community;

WHEREAS, corporations recently received a large corporate tax cut from Congress that could be used to fund inclusive innovation and entrepreneur programs;

WHEREAS, an indicated by a McKinsey Inclusion study, inclusion of inter-sectional ethnic, racial and gender diversity on executive and decision-making teams yields increased productivity and economic output;

WHEREAS innovation, entrepreneurship and investment are the backbone of the United States economy;

WHEREAS, it is imperative to the United States economy that employees, entrepreneurs, and small businesses thrive; and

WHEREAS, small business employee the overwhelming majority of employees within the United States and contribute significantly to the United States economy.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) encourages corporations to invest a significant portion of their corporate tax savings in: inclusive software development, coding and cybersecurity training for all ages and communities; high-growth startup entrepreneurship pre-accelerator and accelerator programs; inclusive corporate innovation initiatives; seed funding for venture startups for minority startups throughout the United States;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be made available to the public and press for distribution; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the Vice President of the United States, members of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, and other federal and state government officials as appropriate.

• SPONSOR: Representative Dar’shun Kendrick (GA)
• Committee of Jurisdiction: Business and Economic Development Policy Committee
• Certified by Committee Chair: Representative W. Curtis Thomas (PA)
• Ratified in Plenary Session: Ratification Date is November 30, 2018
• Ratification is certified by: Representative Gregory W. Porter (IN), President