Setting 2009 agenda

The Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce's legislative reception Thursday at the Aquarium Wharf gave elected officials and business leaders a chance to talk about what's on their minds.

State Rep. Chip Limehouse, R-Charleston, said the chamber's agenda holds a lot of weight in the Legislature. The Charleston County Legislative Delegation relies on the chamber to help them focus on the needs of the community, such as transportation and taxation, he said.

"We're on the same team," Limehouse said.

The chamber released its 2009 state legislative agenda Thursday, which lists its priorities in the areas of infrastructure, business creation and expansion, workforce development, energy and environment, health care, hospitality and regulatory matters such as comprehensive tax reform.

From the federal government, the chamber wants to see an expansion of the temporary worker program; funding to study potentially deepening the harbor; national broadband; illegal immigration reform; establishing the U.S. Africa Command headquarters at the Naval Weapons Station, among a long wish list.

Ron Jones, chairman of the chamber's Policy Council, said the reception is a chance to thank elected officials for serving and talk one on one.

The chamber's board develops its agendas by gathering input from members, sending out surveys and recommendations by various volunteer committees.

Among those attending were U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, state Superintendent of Education Jim Rex, state Treasurer Converse Chellis, Charleston Mayor Joe Riley, Charleston County Council members and state senators and representatives.

Graham took questions after the reception. He struck closest to home on the potential for bringing terror suspects to the Charleston Naval Consolidated Brig in Hanahan if the holding site at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, closes.

"These people are at war with us. We need to be at war with them," he said. Charleston is absolutely not the right place for the detainees, he said, because with them comes a significant security threat.

"I will do anything I can to prevent the detainees from being housed in Charleston."

Reach Yvonne Wenger at 803-799-9051 or ywenger@postandcourier.com.