Category: E-News – The Sentinel

What is the current state of our grid, and how should Pennsylvania prepare for future demands relating to AI, data center development, and other critical investments while ensuring our grid’s resiliency?

PA Public Utility Commission Chairman Stephen DeFrank will address these pressing questions at the PA Chamber’s upcoming 2025 Energy and Environmental Conference! Join us from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 28 at the Sheraton Harrisburg-Hershey Hotel for this information-packed event.

Many other hot topics in energy and environmental policy highlight the day’s information-packed agenda, including:

• Federal and State Environmental and Energy Policy Updates
• Pennsylvania’s Energy Role in Unleashing Innovation
• Efforts to Modernize Permitting Processes
• PFAS Challenges and Solutions
• …and more!

This highly anticipated conference also offers the opportunity to earn continuing education credits, visit with exhibitors, network with peers and experts, and engage in discussions on unleashing Pennsylvania’s full energy potential!

Sign up today to exhibit, sponsor, or attend this top-tier annual event.

We look forward to greeting you there!

The PA Chamber is excited to announce that starting today, Brian Rengert has joined the organization as Director of Political Engagement. Rengert comes to the PA Chamber with over a decade of policy and legislative experience, serving six years as Executive Director of the PA House Republican Campaign Committee and most recently serving as Director of Government Relations at the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors.

“Brian brings a strong understanding of the legislative process and a reputation for building effective relationships across the aisle,” PA Chamber President & CEO Luke Bernstein said. “His experience will be a great asset to our advocacy work as we continue advancing pro-growth policies that make Pennsylvania more competitive.”

In this role, Rengert will direct the PA Chamber’s political efforts, including overseeing ChamberPAC, the Chamber’s bipartisan political action committee, coordinating candidate engagement, and working with PA Chamber members to enhance the broader business community’s political activism.

“The PA Chamber is leading the effort to transform our state into even more of an economic powerhouse than it already is,” Rengert said. “I am excited to join such a well-respected organization and use my experience to further its mission.”

The Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry recently hosted a bipartisan Government Affairs Roundtable at Luzerne County Community College (LCCC), bringing together local legislators and leaders from labor, education, and the energy sectors to explore Pennsylvania’s potential to lead the nation in data center development, energy production, and workforce advancement.

Featured speakers included PA Chamber President and CEO Luke Bernstein, Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber President Lindsay Griffin-Boylan, LCCC President John Yudichak, state Senators Lisa Baker, Lynda Culver, and David Argall, and state Representatives Alec Ryncavage, Dane Watro, Eddie Day Pashinski, Jim Haddock, and Jamie Walsh.

Workforce development emerged as a central theme of the event, with community colleges—especially LCCC—recognized for their role in preparing students for careers in the trades and emerging technologies. Participants emphasized the need to align education and training programs with practical industry demands.

Senator Lynda Culver highlighted the importance of early childhood education, noting that only 33 percent of third graders are reading proficiently. She advocated for increased investment in literacy and soft skills. This priority aligns with the PA Chamber’s Keystone Initiative, a member-driven, long-range economic blueprint that identifies third-grade reading proficiency as a key predictor of long-term professional success.

Discussions also touched on the potential impact of Amazon’s new AI investment in the region. Participants noted that Pennsylvania’s abundant natural gas, reliable nuclear energy, and the availability of land make the state an attractive location for such large-scale infrastructure projects. However, these opportunities also highlighted the need to balance economic development with quality of life and other concerns. For instance, several employers stressed the need to improve workforce development to ensure businesses have the workforce required to capitalize on data center investments and downstream opportunities.

The workforce discussion included a  focus on apprenticeships and specifically the need to reform apprenticeship ratios. Many business leaders criticized Pennsylvania’s current 4:1 apprentice ratio, arguing that it limits their ability to train workers and grow their operations. They called for more flexible policies, pointing to other states that allow a 1:1 ratio. Legislators responded by saying they would be willing to consider bringing the ratio down to 2:1 as a compromise, acknowledging the need to modernize the system while maintaining safety and training standards. The conversation also touched on the importance of better integrating merit shops and non-union contractors into apprenticeship pathways, with a shared goal of expanding workforce access without sacrificing job quality.

The open forum fostered meaningful dialogue between business and community leaders, highlighting shared concerns and opportunities related to economic development. Lawmakers reaffirmed their commitment to keeping business, labor, and education aligned around common goals.

Employers interested in learning more about SB: 439 and HB: 677 —legislation addressing the apprenticeship issue discussed at the roundtable—are encouraged to contact Mallerie Stromswold at mstromswold@pachamber.org.

This event is part of the PA Chamber’s ongoing efforts to facilitate localized, impactful conversations between employers and elected officials, offering a platform to share insights, raise concerns, and explore solutions to challenges facing Pennsylvania’s private sector.

In a major shift, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) recently announced that U.S.-based companies will no longer be required to report beneficial ownership information (BOI) under the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA).

Originally designed to combat financial crime, the CTA had required both domestic and foreign companies to disclose their beneficial owners. The new rule eliminates that obligation for U.S. entities, instead focusing reporting requirements only on foreign companies operating in the U.S.

Foreign entities must adhere to new reporting deadlines:

• Registered before March 21, 2025: BOI reports are due within 30 days of that date.
• Registered on or after March 21, 2025: BOI reports are due within 30 days of receiving notice of effective registration.

This shift follows FinCEN’s February 27 announcement that it would suspend fines and penalties for companies failing to meet prior BOI reporting deadlines. It also aligns with the Treasury Department’s March 2 decision to pause CTA enforcement.

FinCEN is still seeking public comments before finalizing the rule later this year. For more information, see the official FinCEN announcement.

Last week, the White House invited members of the PA Chamber President’s Roundtable and Board of Directors to Washington, D.C., for a “State of the State” economic briefing with senior White House economic advisors. The event was also attended by members of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development and local elected officials.

Speakers included Steve Benjamin, Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor to the President; Natalie Quillian, Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Infrastructure Implementation; Don Graves, Deputy Secretary of Commerce; and Chief Economic Advisor to the Vice President Carolina Ferrerosa Young. The officials highlighted ongoing federal investments being made in Pennsylvania and fielded questions from the audience on topics ranging from economic development, permitting reform, public-private partnerships, and more.

The meeting is the latest opportunity PA Chamber members have had this year to engage with high-ranking state and national officials, including U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (I-WV), Governor Josh Shapiro, PA Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman, PA House Speaker Joanna McClinton, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), and more.

PA Chamber President and CEO Luke Bernstein led a panel discussion at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s “Reimagining Futures” forum in Washington, D.C. last week. The panel, titled “The Business Case for Second-Chance Hiring,” explored how businesses can address workforce shortages by employing individuals with nonviolent criminal records.

 

Bernstein began by outlining the workforce challenges facing both Pennsylvania and the nation. “Pennsylvania has 66 available workers for every 100 open jobs,” he said, citing a U.S. Chamber study. “Nationally, we have 8.2 million open jobs and just 7.2 million unemployed workers. That means if every unemployed person went out and found a job tomorrow, we would still have a million openings.”

 

He highlighted how criminal justice reform initiatives can and should be part of a broader strategy to address workforce challenges. Bernstein specifically cited Pennsylvania’s first-in-the-nation Clean Slate law, which has sealed the old criminal records of more than 1.2 million reformed Pennsylvanians, encouraging  them to seek employment and helping employers fill job gaps. The law has been so popular among job seekers and employers that it has been cited as a national model and expanded twice.

 

Panelists included Shea Zwerver, workforce relations manager for Flagger Force (PA Chamber Investor Member), Nan Gibson of JPMorgan Chase’s Policy Center, and Dan Letchinger, senior vice president at Flower Foods. They shared how second-chance hiring has positively impacted their organizations and employees.

 

The discussion centered on how businesses can benefit from expanding their hiring practices to include individuals with criminal records while contributing to positive social outcomes for formerly incarcerated individuals. Panelists encouraged other companies to explore second chance hiring to meet their workforce needs while creating meaningful change.

 

The PA Chamber is proud to support second chance hiring as part of a broader strategy to ensure a skilled, competitive workforce for the future. Other elements of this strategy include efforts in education, childcare, housing affordability, and supporting mass transit. To learn more about our workforce advocacy, please click here.

Last Tuesday, the PA Senate Banking and Insurance Committee advanced Senate Bill 967, legislation that would create an employer-financed system of benefits for app-based gig workers. The PA Chamber supported this bill (CLICK HERE for our memo to the Committee), which now stands before the full Senate for consideration.

As we noted to Committee members, the emergence of the gig economy has allowed individuals to earn a living or supplemental income while deciding for themselves when and for whom they work, providing economic opportunity for many whose lives and schedules may not be conducive to traditional employment.

S.B. 967, sponsored by Sen. Ryan Aument (R-Lancaster) would assess a fee from companies that offer app-based transportation or courier services for a fund to provide benefits for those Pennsylvanians with whom they contract. By establishing a collective fund that is administered by the state, individuals will have more autonomy and could transfer their benefits with them even if they move to a new app-based employer.

The PA Chamber has been actively engaged in public policy related to the gig economy, including opposing proposals backed by organized labor to force independent contractors into employment status.  For example, The Hill newspaper in Washington D.C. published this op-ed last year by PA Chamber Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Alex Halper.

 

Last Tuesday, the Pennsylvania Senate Transportation Committee held the first in a series of hearings focused on optimizing the Commonwealth’s multimodal transportation system. The discussion highlighted both the financial challenges and potential solutions for modernizing infrastructure — particularly considering growing concerns over declining gas tax revenue and the need for a sustainable, long-term transportation funding model.

Through the 2024-25 state budget, the state allocated $80.5 million toward public transit and $80.5 to PennDOT for multimodal improvement projects, though Gov. Josh Shapiro has pushed for an annual $282 million increase in mass transit funding. This discrepancy speaks to a broader challenge in Harrisburg: balancing necessary investments with responsible fiscal management.

The PA Chamber submitted testimony to the Committee outlining our views on transportation infrastructure, mass transit, and funding.

 Challenges and Innovations in Transportation Funding

One of the central issues addressed in the hearing was declining gas tax revenue, particularly as more electric vehicles (EVs) enter the market. Doug Shinkle, transportation program director at the National Conference of State Legislatures, discussed how other states are experimenting with alternative revenue streams such as mileage-based fees, EV fees, and user fees for ride-sharing services.

Shinkle pointed out that states like Pennsylvania must explore diverse funding sources to fill gaps in their budgets. He noted that while mileage-based user fees are one option, they are still in their infancy and have yet to generate significant revenue in other states.

Public Transit’s Role in Economic Development

Paul Skoutelas, president and CEO of the American Public Transportation Association, emphasized in his testimony the critical role public transit plays in Pennsylvania’s economy, particularly in urban areas like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. He highlighted the sector’s resilience through the pandemic, with ridership recovering to about 80 percent of pre-pandemic levels. However, he acknowledged ongoing challenges such as inflation and workforce shortages.

Skoutelas and several committee members discussed how transit systems also play an integral role with economic development efforts, particularly in rural areas where inadequate transportation can limit access to jobs.

PennDOT’s Funding Shortfall and Solutions

PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll testified about the significant funding shortfall facing Pennsylvania’s transportation infrastructure. He estimated the shortfall is $9.3 billion.

While acknowledging that no single solution can address this gap, Carroll supported the governor’s proposal to allocate 1.75 percent of sales tax revenue to fund public transit. He emphasized that sustainable transit and road maintenance funding is essential for the state’s long-term economic health.

Looking Ahead

The hearing underscored a bipartisan consensus that Pennsylvania needs to modernize its transportation funding system to meet the state’s long-term infrastructure and economic needs. The next hearing, scheduled for Oct. 1, will focus specifically on public transit.

The PA Chamber will continue to advocate for forward-thinking transportation policies that ensure sustainable funding and promote economic competitiveness across the Commonwealth. To learn more about our transportation advocacy, click here.

 

It’s just weeks away! Register today for a table or individual tickets and join us for a night of exceptional networking opportunities and an unforgettable program at our 40^th PA Chamber Annual Dinner. The premier event of the year for business, civic, and government leaders across Pennsylvania will be held Monday, October 7th, at the Hershey Lodge – and you won’t want to miss it!

This milestone event promises to be extraordinary, featuring:

• Headliner Serena Williams – The tennis legend will share her insights and experiences on and off the court, including her success as a businesswoman, venture capitalist, producer, and more.
• Political Highlights – Hear from national leading political figures, including U.S. Senator Marco Rubio and a soon-to-be-announced marquee Democratic speaker, about Pennsylvania’s critical role in the presidential and other key down-ballot races.
• Unparalleled Networking – Connect with top executives, decision-makers, and visionaries from across the Commonwealth in a vibrant and engaging setting.

The 40th PA Chamber Annual Dinner is more than just an event – it’s a bipartisan celebration of Pennsylvania’s greatness as we look to move forward with civility and optimism for what we can achieve together. And as the grandest signature event we host each year, it’s an occasion you won’t want to miss!

Secure your place among the dozens of corporate attendees who have already signed up to join us and sponsor! For more details and to register, visit chamberdinner.com, or contact Carly Dubetsky at cdubetsky@pachamber.org.

In case you missed it … Broad + Liberty  published a new op-ed last week from PA Chamber President and CEO Luke Bernstein outlining the several significant pro-business changes included in Pennsylvania’s 2024-25 state budget and recognizing state leaders (including Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman, and Governor Josh Shapiro) for their efforts in securing these important wins.

In the op-ed, Bernstein details key pro-growth reforms, including the elimination of Pennsylvania’s Start-Up Tax, the continued phasedown of the Corporate Net Income Tax, and the launch of the SPEED Program to streamline the state’s permitting processes. These reforms are poised to make Pennsylvania more competitive, attract new businesses, and drive economic growth. Bernstein also emphasizes the budget’s investments in workforce development, including funding for career and technical education and incentives for childcare expense reimbursement.

The full text of the op-ed is available here.