Md. businesses hope for more influence in Annapolis

By Jamie Smith Hopkins, The Baltimore Sun

Maryland's business leaders are increasing efforts to speak with a louder, more unified voice to state officials, seeing in looming federal budget cuts the necessity — or opportunity — to focus more attention on the private sector.

The Maryland Chamber of Commerce is organizing business groups, trade organizations and employers across the state in a "competitiveness coalition" that aims to agree on a handful of priorities and talk about them with everyone — elected officials, candidates and the public.

Lobbying also was a theme of a business-climate summit last week in Annapolis. Almost 400 gathered to hear speakers at the event, organized by Change Maryland, a group started by a businessman who contemplated a run against Gov. Martin O'Malley in 2010.

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