The PA Chamber held a virtual Government Affairs Roundtable last Tuesday, offering its Investor Members an audience with key public policymakers and the PA Chamber’s Government Affairs team for an overview of the legislation moving through the state House and Senate, with a particular emphasis on state budget negotiations.
Vice President of Government Affairs Alex Halper outlined the central elements of the budget legislation and negotiations pending in the legislature. Throughout the event, the PA Chamber team addressed the status of several legislative proposals related to health care, labor and employment, workforce development, energy, permitting, taxation, and more.
A keynote speaker of the event was Akbar Hossain, Governor Shapiro’s Secretary of Policy and Planning, who shared valuable insights into this year’s budget talks, offering the administration’s perspective on the negotiations and touting the potential for substantial investments in basic education funding, among other items.
Senator Camera Bartolotta (R-Washington), who serves on the Senate Republican leadership team, also presented her caucus’s views on budget negotiations and the current stalemate, describing Senate Republicans’ frustration over the eleventh-hour removal of Pennsylvania Award for Student Success (PASS) Scholarships, which had arguably been the lynchpin of a tentative agreement. Nonetheless, Bartolotta indicated there are several procedural steps remaining – including the necessary passage of code bills – which could present opportunities for further discussion and potential compromise.
The PA Chamber’s Government Affairs periodic roundtable discussions facilitate the business community and policymakers’ exchanges of ideas and perspectives, offering participants the chance to ask questions and gain a deeper understanding of the complex dynamics at play as laws are being crafted. The PA Chamber is proud to be a catalyst for these meaningful policy discussions. If you are not yet an Investor Member but wish to learn more about this high-value level of membership, please contact our team.