April 17, 2026

We’re excited to welcome our newest member, Balfurd Cleaners, to the Huntingdon County Chamber family!



From keeping your clothes crisp and clean to providing top-notch service, they’re a fantastic addition to our local business community. Be sure to check them out and show your support!

Shapiro Wants to Eliminate Three 'Niche' Tax Credits

Charlotte Keith, Spotlight PA

April 16, 2026

For the second year in a row, Gov. Josh Shapiro is asking Pennsylvania lawmakers to scrap three tax credits that state officials say are ineffective and replace them with a new program focused on creating high-paying jobs. The tax credits, which offer a combined $10 million in incentives per year, aim to encourage waterfront development, and create jobs in manufacturing and the video game industry. But according to the governor’s recent budget proposal, they are “duplicative” and “too niche or too small to make a real impact.” Boosting Pennsylvania’s business climate has been a major focus for Shapiro. The proposed change stems from a wide-ranging assessment of Pennsylvania’s incentive programs, Community and Economic Development Secretary Rick Siger told lawmakers in a budget hearing last year. The ultimate fate of the programs will likely hinge on the outcome of state budget negotiations between Shapiro and lawmakers in Harrisburg ahead of the June 30 deadline.

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NFIB: Business Optimism Falls in March

Stacy Wescoe, Central Penn Business Journal

April 16, 2026

The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index fell 3 points in March to 95.8. That leaves the index below its 52-year average of 98. The last time the Optimism Index fell below its historical average was April 2025. The Uncertainty Index rose 4 points from February to 92, well above its historical average of 68. NFIB Pennsylvania State Director Greg Moreland commented on the drop. “Small businesses throughout Pennsylvania are absorbing higher costs caused by the dramatic spike in oil prices,” Moreland said. Small employers are less optimistic about expecting better business conditions, and Pennsylvania small businesses in particular are worried about additional costly proposals coming out of the General Assembly.” Moreland said the frequency of reports of positive profit trends fell 11 points from February to a net negative 25 percent contributed most to the Optimism Index’s decline. The net percent of owners expecting better business conditions fell 7 points from February to a net 11 percent, the third consecutive monthly decline and the lowest level since October 2024.

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Pa. House Advances Shapiro's $53.3B Budget as Republicans Warn of 'Fiscal Nightmare' Ahead

Zack Hoopes, PennLive

April 15, 2026

The Pennsylvania House passed a spending bill this week that will almost certainly undergo major revisions before it reaches Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk. The Democratic-majority House approved an appropriations measure that would implement the Democratic governor’s budget as Shapiro first pitched it in February. All of the chamber’s 102 Democrats, plus five of its more centrist Republicans, voted in favor. The vote is largely pro-forma, but it gets the ball rolling on the procedural aspects of the budget ahead of the June 30 fiscal-year-end deadline. The most likely outcome is that, once a budget deal is reached, lawmakers will vote in committee to amend the bill by deleting all 193 pages and replacing them with new line items and dollar figures reflecting the final bargain.

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Pa. Workers' Comp Rate Drop Could Cut Business Costs

Maryann Pugh, MyChesCo

April 13, 2026

Pennsylvania approved a 1.22 percent decrease in workers’ compensation insurance loss costs, a change expected to lower premiums for many employers while maintaining benefits for injured workers. The Pennsylvania Insurance Department approved the reduction after a filing by the Pennsylvania Compensation Rating Bureau, which sets baseline costs used by insurers to calculate premiums. Loss costs are a key factor in determining how much employers pay for workers’ compensation coverage, which provides medical care, rehabilitation, lost wages, and death benefits for work-related injuries or fatalities. Officials said the decrease could reduce costs for businesses across the state. “This ensures businesses can access affordable coverage while maintaining the protections workers rely on if they are injured on the job,” Insurance Commissioner Michael Humphreys said. State officials also said lower insurance costs can allow businesses to reinvest savings into hiring, wages, equipment, and expansion.

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 BIG ANNOUNCEMENT 

We’re turning up the excitement for our Administrative Professionals Event…

 We’re giving away SIX season passes to The Playhouse at McConnellstown—in pairs of TWO! 

That means three lucky winners will each score a pair of tickets and enjoy an entire season of incredible live performances with a guest! 

Not registered yet? This is your sign!



Come for the celebration, stay for the connections, and leave with a chance to WIN big!

Penn Highlands Huntingdon Implements New

Visitor Process

(April 10, 2026 -- DuBois, PA) Penn Highlands Huntingdon has a new visitor process for the safety and security of patients, visitors, employees and physicians.

Beginning on April 13, 2026, all visitors will be signed-in and issued a Visitor sticker at the registration or the welcome desk. In order to obtain the sticker, the visitor must present a valid form of identification such as a driver’s license. If a visitor does not present an ID, they may be refused entry into patient areas and asked to leave the facility. A visiting minor or one accompanied by an adult will not be required to show ID. Visitors are required to keep their sticker visible at all times.  

To continue reading this press release, please click here.

Pennsylvania's Minimum Wage Specifics Still In Play

Lauren Jessop, PoliticsPA

April 11, 2026

Pennsylvania lawmakers appear to agree the state’s $7.25 minimum wage is outdated, but the details on how far and how fast to raise it are up for debate as a House-passed bill heads to the Senate. Democrats say it’s time to 'do the right thing' while Republicans claim the bill fails to protect the wages of tipped workers, so they suggest finding middle ground. Supporters cite the fact that Pennsylvania’s minimum wage has not increased since 2009 when it adopted the federal rate increase. Critics warn that the increase could raise prices, reduce hours or jobs, and hit lower-wage parts of the state harder. A study by the nonprofit Employment Policies Institute, or EPI, shows implementing a $15 minimum wage in Pennsylvania could cost the state nearly 86,000 jobs. EPI says the proposed increase could put one in four tipped restaurant workers out of a job and that economic studies indicate each $1 wage hike could trigger price increases up to 5.5 percent.

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Deadline Approaching! Book tickets for the 2026 Tourism Summit

Join us for the 2026 "Excellence in Action" Tourism Summit on April 28. Alongside a lunch and cocktail hour, you'll enjoy a Huntingdon County state of tourism update, educational sessions, time to mix and mingle with fellow business owners and the presentation of the annual Destination Excellence Awards!



When

• April 28, 2026, from Noon-6 p.m. 
• Noon - Lunch
• 1 p.m. - Education sessions begin (Canva training, meta analytics, designing events that work and turning moments into marketing)
• 4 p.m. - Cocktail Hour
• 5 p.m. - Destination Excellence Awards Ceremony

Where

• Huntingdon County Arts Center (313 12th Street, Huntingdon, PA 16652)

Rate

• $60 per person for full day
• $35 per person for award ceremony
• $175 Award Sponsor (Only 6 available)*
• *Includes 2 all day tickets, 3 minutes to speak and present award and your logo/name in program.

Interested in advertising in our enews?

Contact MacKenzie at mhuntsman@huntingdonchamber.com.

The cost is $25.00; $10.00 for 501(3) organizations. Yearly rates are available.

If you are hiring, please send position information to mhuntsman@huntingdonchamber.com or login to the member section of our website to post your jobs.

Contact Us

MacKenzie Huntsman

President/ CEO

mhuntsman@huntingdonchamber.com

Trinity Smith

Program Director

trinity@huntingdonchamber.com

500 Allegheny Street

Huntingdon, PA 16652

Phone: 814-643-1110

Fax: 814-643-1115

www.huntingdonchamber.com