Latest news with #EconomicDevelopmentStrategy
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
DCED analysis: PA secured $5.2B private sector investments, created 9,500 jobs
May 23—WILKES-BARRE — The Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) this week completed new analysis showing that the Shapiro Administration has secured more than $5.2 billion in private sector investment, creating more than 9,500 new jobs, since taking office. "Since day one, my administration and I have been laser focused on making Pennsylvania a leader in economic development, job creation, and innovation," said Gov. Josh Shapiro. "From historic investments in site development, to cutting red tape, we're showing the world how we get stuff done — and we'll continue to make bold, strategic investments that create real opportunity for Pennsylvanians." As part of the Shapiro Administration's work to implement the 10-year Economic Development Strategy, DCED created the BusinessPA team — an experienced group of economic development professionals dedicated to Getting It Done for businesses looking to thrive in Pennsylvania. "Economic development is a team sport, and the DCED team is committed to partnering with regions across our Commonwealth to make sure Pennsylvania is open for business," said DCED Secretary Rick Siger. Pennsylvania's appeal to businesses has not gone unnoticed. DCED was recently named a top state economic development group by Business Facilities Magazine. The Commonwealth recently ranked 10th overall in Site Selection Magazine's Governor's Cup — and third among Northeast states. Additionally, BusinessPA was honored with a Deal of the Year — Impact Award from Business Facilities Magazine for its role in GSK's expansion in Lancaster County. US House passes bill to simplify veterans forms The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan, Jr.'s legislation — H.R. 1286, the Simplifying Forms for Veterans Claims Act. The bipartisan bill, which passed by a vote of 386-1, would simplify forms required by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for veterans and survivors. Bresnahan, R-Dallas Township, introduced this bill on Feb. 13, 2025, and it passed unanimously out of the House Committee on Veteran's Affairs on May 6. This is the first piece of legislation Bresnahan introduced and is his first legislation to pass the House. "When our military members return home from serving our country, they are often tasked with filling out dozens of pages of paperwork in order to receive the benefits they've rightfully earned," Bresnahan said. "Veterans and their families should not be subjected to a VA claims process that is more difficult and stressful than necessary, which is why I am incredibly proud to see my legislation, the Simplifying Forms for Veterans Claims Act, pass out of the House this evening. "Pennsylvania's Eighth Congressional District is home to nearly 40,000 veterans, and I am proud to spearhead this legislation for each and every one of them and their families." The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) requires veterans and survivors to complete standard forms to initiate and pursue claims for VA benefits, including disability compensation, pension and survivors' benefits. These forms can often be arduous and difficult to understand for veterans or their survivors, and failure to do correctly fill them out can result in delays in processing their claim, delays in receiving a decision on their claim, or even a denial of their claim. Bresnahan said he introduced the Simplifying Forms for Veterans Claims Act to simplify the forms process to make VA standard forms more user-friendly. The legislation would require VA to contract with a nonpartisan, federally funded research entity to conduct a study on, and provide recommendations for, revising VA forms to be more understandable for veterans and their survivors. Following this study, the VA Secretary would be required to report findings to Congress and implement recommendations. AG: Congress needs to fund PSAs Attorney General Dave Sunday this week joined a bipartisan coalition of 38 Attorneys General calling on Congress to pass the Youth Substance Use Prevention and Awareness Act — a federal bill that aims to reduce youth drug use through research-based public education and community outreach. The bill would employ prevention methods proven to be effective in forming public service announcements and initiatives — produced by student peers — aimed at young people when they have first exposure to dangerous substances. "Protecting children is a core function of the Office of Attorney General, and it is crucial that young people receive this positive messaging at a time when they are most impressionable," Sunday said. "Without a doubt, the best way to solve a problem or crisis is to prevent it from happening. As a father, I am well aware of the challenges and influences facing our children. We must do all we can to equip them with the tools they need to make healthy choices." The legislation, introduced by U.S. Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Thom Tillis (R-NC), would amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to provide targeted federal funding for public service announcements (PSAs), youth-led campaigns, and other outreach tools that help prevent early substance use. All campaigns funded under the bill must be grounded in evidence, designed for cultural relevance, and adapted to meet the specific needs of local communities. "This thoughtful and timely legislation represents a critical, evidence-based step toward reducing youth substance use through strategic public education and engagement," write the attorneys general in a letter to Senate leadership. The Youth Substance Use Prevention and Awareness Act would fund a range of efforts to better reach youth with timely, credible and accessible information, including: —Culturally relevant PSAs tailored specifically to youth. —Youth-led PSA contests to drive peer-to-peer engagement and creativity. —Federal grants for outreach across TV, radio, social media, streaming platforms and other media. —Annual reporting requirements to measure reach and effectiveness, ensuring transparency and accountability. PUC: Add energy efficiency to 'summer utility checklist' With summer fast approaching and new default electric generation prices taking effect on June 1, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) this week is urging residents and businesses across the Commonwealth to #SaveInPA by taking proactive steps now to manage their utility bills — with a strong focus on energy efficiency, conservation and understanding supply options. "As temperatures rise, so do energy costs — especially when demand for air conditioning peaks," said PUC Chairman Steve DeFrank. "Now is the time to review your past energy usage, make smart adjustments at home or work, and explore tools that can help you take control of your summer electricity bills." —Why now? Understanding June 1 price changes Every June 1 and Dec. 1, electric distribution companies (EDCs) in Pennsylvania adjust their "Price to Compare" (PTC) — the cost per kilowatt-hour (kWh) charged to customers who have not selected a competitive supplier. These prices are based on wholesale market rates and can significantly impact monthly bills. Note: These changes only affect customers receiving "default service" from their electric utility — that is, those who have not selected a competitive supplier. Customers already shopping with a supplier will continue paying the generation price set by their contract, but they should also be aware of these broader market trends to prepare for potential impacts when their current contract ends. Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Shipping container beverage hub to open in popular Salisbury park
A former member of Parliament is embarking on a one-year pilot project to provide a snack and beverage space in a popular Salisbury park. Alaina Lockhart, who previously served as Fundy Royal's MP, is now president of The Fox in the Park, a new shipping container space to offer craft beer, snacks, and non-alcoholic beverages in Highland Park, which has undergone significant renovations. Last year, Salisbury had added an extension to its existing walking trail and a new amphitheatre for community events. Lockhart's husband, Rick, is the owner of Sussex Ale Works and when the couple heard about the improvements to the park, they approached the town to see if they could do a beverage hub as a pilot. Lockhart said they had seen other similar concepts with The Holy Whale in Riverview and the licensed beer garden in Dieppe Rotary St-Anselme Park. 'The feedback I've heard from both locations is that the community really enjoys them,' she said, noting they will be able to benefit from the traffic of the walking trails and events in the park. Soft pretzels from The Country Home Bakery in Sussex, as well as chips, will be part of the snack offerings, but Lockhart said they would also like to collaborate with other local businesses in Salisbury. 'That's kind of the exciting part about setting up in a new community is seeing what partnerships happen there,' she said. There will be seating around the shipping container hub with a licensed area, and will fit with the woodland atmosphere of the park. Lockhart said they plan to have activities, like live music or trivia and contribute to the park being a gathering space. 'It's a great opportunity to kind of feel it out and be nimble enough that we can respond to what the community is looking for,' she said. The hope is to be open on June 1 and operate from June until October from Thursday to Sunday with the potential of having pop-up openings later in the year to coincide with community events. Lockhart said The Fox in the Park got its name from Salisbury's reputation as a fox farming community, as well as the values she and her husband hold as business owners. 'We'd like to think that the way we do business is clever-minded and curiosity driven and that fits with the fox as well,' she said. Salisbury's chief administrative officer Austin Henderson said in a statement the town is looking forward to offering this on a pilot basis, in hopes of attracting more people to the park. 'The Town has been intentional with investments at the park, including the new amphitheatre and the trail network that connects directly to the park, and we are hoping this will bring people to the core of our community and leverage these assets,' said Henderson. 'This type of vision is in alignment with the Town's Economic Development Strategy, aimed primarily at getting people off of the highway area into our community.'
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
CAPITOL ROUNDUP: DCED highlights proposed investment in state's innovation economy
Apr. 27—WILKES-BARRE — Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Rick Siger this week highlighted the Shapiro Administration's commitment to fostering Pennsylvania's innovation economy. Building on that commitment, Gov. Josh Shapiro's 2025-2026 proposed budget creates a new, $50 million PA Innovation program, which includes a one-time $30 million initiative to spur life sciences job growth and $20 million to provide annual funding to support large-scale innovation. "From our world-class research institutions to our skilled workforce, Pennsylvania has the resources to be an innovation leader," said Secretary Siger. Gov. Shapiro and his Administration have been committed to making Pennsylvania a leader in economic development, job creation, and innovation. The 2024-25 enacted budget made significant investments aligned with the overall 10-year Economic Development Strategy. Life sciences is one of the five key industries of the economic development strategy, and a major focus of the Shapiro Administration. The Shapiro Administration also recently helped break ground on GSK's expansion in Marietta. The global biopharma company is investing $800 million into the project, which will create more than 200, new high paying jobs and retain 4,622 employees. The Commonwealth invested $21 million towards the expansion. Gov. Shapiro's 2025-26 budget proposal calls for more than $160 million in total new and expanded investments to implement the Economic Development Strategy and increase our competitiveness, strengthen communities, and address critical housing needs. Fostering innovation is a key component of Gov. Shapiro's 2025-26 budget proposal, which includes: —$50 million for the new PA Innovation program, including a one-time $30 million initiative to spur life sciences job growth and $20 million to provide annual funding to support large-scale innovation. —$10 million for AdvancePA tax credits to create high-quality jobs across Pennsylvania. —$12.5 million dedicated to WEDnetPA to expand our workforce and close critical workforce gaps. —$2 million for the creation of Career Connect to build internships at Pennsylvania companies. Rep. Meuser co-sponsors bill to block Social Security payments to illegal immigrants U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Dallas, recently co-sponsored H.R. 1172 — the No Social Security for Illegal Aliens Act of 2025 — legislation that will ensure individuals in the United States illegally cannot collect benefits from Social Security programs. Rep. Meuser said the legislation amends the Social Security Act to ensure that wages earned through unauthorized employment by illegal immigrants do not count toward eligibility for Social Security benefits. This means individuals who worked in the U.S. without legal status would be barred from collecting benefits based on those earnings. The policy would apply to income earned before, during, or after the bill becomes law. Rep. Meuser said the legislation is in line with President Trump's executive order directing federal agencies to prevent illegal immigrants from accessing Social Security programs and to strengthen fraud enforcement. He said recent audits by the Social Security Administration's Inspector General identified major gaps in death records and benefit tracking systems, creating a heightened risk of improper payments — in fact, the Social Security Administration's Inspector General identified $72 billion in improper payments made over the past decade. Further, Rep. Meuser said the White House reports that more than 2 million illegal immigrants were assigned Social Security Numbers in fiscal year 2024 alone. Rep. Meuser has also introduced the Payment Information Integrity Reform Act — legislation aimed at reducing the more than $230 billion in improper federal payments reported last year. That bill would strengthen oversight, require stricter financial controls at federal agencies, and impose penalties for repeated noncompliance — helping prevent taxpayer dollars from being sent to ineligible recipients, including illegal immigrants, Meuser said. "Hardworking Americans pay into Social Security expecting those benefits to be there when they retire — not to be paid out to people here illegally," said Rep. Meuser. "This legislation builds on President Trump's leadership and takes a necessary step to stop abuse, restore integrity to the system, and protect the future of Social Security for Americans who have earned it and rely on it." The No Social Security for Illegal Aliens Act has been referred to the House Ways and Means Committee. PUC invites public comments following hearing on grid impacts of high-demand energy growth The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) this week announced the opening of a formal public comment period following the Commission's April 24 en banc hearing examining the impact of hyper-scale data centers and other large-load energy users on Pennsylvania's electric grid. "This issue represents both a challenge and an opportunity for our state," said PUC Chairman Stephen M. DeFrank. "We are entering a time of extraordinary electricity demand growth, driven by AI, cloud computing, and other evolving technologies. As we move forward, the Commission is committed to thoughtful, transparent policy-making — and we look forward to reviewing the post-hearing comments and input from the public as we continue this important process." The hearing featured three expert panels representing electric distribution companies, major energy users, and public and consumer advocates, focusing on the need for clear and fair rules to ensure grid reliability, manage infrastructure needs, and safeguard ratepayers. Public comment period and instructions The PUC is now accepting public comments on the issues raised during the hearing through Tuesday, May 27, 2025. A 15-day reply comment period will follow, with reply comments due by Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
CAPITOL ROUNDUP: DCED highlights proposed investment in state's innovation economy
Apr. 27—WILKES-BARRE — Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Rick Siger this week highlighted the Shapiro Administration's commitment to fostering Pennsylvania's innovation economy. Building on that commitment, Gov. Josh Shapiro's 2025-2026 proposed budget creates a new, $50 million PA Innovation program, which includes a one-time $30 million initiative to spur life sciences job growth and $20 million to provide annual funding to support large-scale innovation. "From our world-class research institutions to our skilled workforce, Pennsylvania has the resources to be an innovation leader," said Secretary Siger. Gov. Shapiro and his Administration have been committed to making Pennsylvania a leader in economic development, job creation, and innovation. The 2024-25 enacted budget made significant investments aligned with the overall 10-year Economic Development Strategy. Life sciences is one of the five key industries of the economic development strategy, and a major focus of the Shapiro Administration. The Shapiro Administration also recently helped break ground on GSK's expansion in Marietta. The global biopharma company is investing $800 million into the project, which will create more than 200, new high paying jobs and retain 4,622 employees. The Commonwealth invested $21 million towards the expansion. Gov. Shapiro's 2025-26 budget proposal calls for more than $160 million in total new and expanded investments to implement the Economic Development Strategy and increase our competitiveness, strengthen communities, and address critical housing needs. Fostering innovation is a key component of Gov. Shapiro's 2025-26 budget proposal, which includes: —$50 million for the new PA Innovation program, including a one-time $30 million initiative to spur life sciences job growth and $20 million to provide annual funding to support large-scale innovation. —$10 million for AdvancePA tax credits to create high-quality jobs across Pennsylvania. —$12.5 million dedicated to WEDnetPA to expand our workforce and close critical workforce gaps. —$2 million for the creation of Career Connect to build internships at Pennsylvania companies. Rep. Meuser co-sponsors bill to block Social Security payments to illegal immigrants U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Dallas, recently co-sponsored H.R. 1172 — the No Social Security for Illegal Aliens Act of 2025 — legislation that will ensure individuals in the United States illegally cannot collect benefits from Social Security programs. Rep. Meuser said the legislation amends the Social Security Act to ensure that wages earned through unauthorized employment by illegal immigrants do not count toward eligibility for Social Security benefits. This means individuals who worked in the U.S. without legal status would be barred from collecting benefits based on those earnings. The policy would apply to income earned before, during, or after the bill becomes law. Rep. Meuser said the legislation is in line with President Trump's executive order directing federal agencies to prevent illegal immigrants from accessing Social Security programs and to strengthen fraud enforcement. He said recent audits by the Social Security Administration's Inspector General identified major gaps in death records and benefit tracking systems, creating a heightened risk of improper payments — in fact, the Social Security Administration's Inspector General identified $72 billion in improper payments made over the past decade. Further, Rep. Meuser said the White House reports that more than 2 million illegal immigrants were assigned Social Security Numbers in fiscal year 2024 alone. Rep. Meuser has also introduced the Payment Information Integrity Reform Act — legislation aimed at reducing the more than $230 billion in improper federal payments reported last year. That bill would strengthen oversight, require stricter financial controls at federal agencies, and impose penalties for repeated noncompliance — helping prevent taxpayer dollars from being sent to ineligible recipients, including illegal immigrants, Meuser said. "Hardworking Americans pay into Social Security expecting those benefits to be there when they retire — not to be paid out to people here illegally," said Rep. Meuser. "This legislation builds on President Trump's leadership and takes a necessary step to stop abuse, restore integrity to the system, and protect the future of Social Security for Americans who have earned it and rely on it." The No Social Security for Illegal Aliens Act has been referred to the House Ways and Means Committee. PUC invites public comments following hearing on grid impacts of high-demand energy growth The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) this week announced the opening of a formal public comment period following the Commission's April 24 en banc hearing examining the impact of hyper-scale data centers and other large-load energy users on Pennsylvania's electric grid. "This issue represents both a challenge and an opportunity for our state," said PUC Chairman Stephen M. DeFrank. "We are entering a time of extraordinary electricity demand growth, driven by AI, cloud computing, and other evolving technologies. As we move forward, the Commission is committed to thoughtful, transparent policy-making — and we look forward to reviewing the post-hearing comments and input from the public as we continue this important process." The hearing featured three expert panels representing electric distribution companies, major energy users, and public and consumer advocates, focusing on the need for clear and fair rules to ensure grid reliability, manage infrastructure needs, and safeguard ratepayers. Public comment period and instructions The PUC is now accepting public comments on the issues raised during the hearing through Tuesday, May 27, 2025. A 15-day reply comment period will follow, with reply comments due by Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
