Representing the interests of more than 3,000 members across Pennsylvania, the Manufacturer & Business Association's Government Affairs is your voice on local, state and federal issues.
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Business Magazine "On The Hill"
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Pennsylvania Primary Update
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While trying to keep up with COVID-19 restrictions impacting our personal and professional lives, it’s been easy to overlook our electoral responsibilities.
Pennsylvania, for instance, just had its primary election. If you were confused by the date or ballot, allow me to provide clarity...
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- The state Supreme Court sided has sided with Gov. Tom Wolf in his battle with the Pennsylvania General Assembly over the state’s emergency declaration due to the coronavirus pandemic. The high court ruled the legislature cannot act unilaterally to end Wolf’s emergency declaration.
- Pa Department of Labor & Industry announced, people who exhaust their regular unemployment compensation (UC) and federal Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) may now qualify for 13 additional weeks of payments through the state's Unemployment Compensation Extended Benefits program.
- Pa Department of Health has advised a 14 day quarantine after visiting select states. The list can be found here.
- Former House Majority Leader Brian Cutler (R - Lancaster) was elected to serve as the state's 141st Speaker of the House after it was recently vacated by Mike Turzai. Former Majority Whip Kerry Benninghoff (R - Center County) will assume the Majority Leader position.
- Governor Wolf announced mask order in public will remain until a vaccine is available.
- Pennsylvania’s unemployment office has paid out $18 billion in benefits to jobless workers since the state shut down most businesses in March to slow the spread of coronavirus
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Legislation that would provide urgently needed liability protections for manufacturers of personal protective equipment (PPE), and healthcare practitioners and providers during a declared pandemic emergency is now circulating for co-sponsors in the Senate.
The soon-to-be introduced bill, which also extends protections to re-opened businesses adhering to CDC guidelines, combines liability protection plans in legislative proposals offered earlier in the House and Senate.
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- Sen. McConnell Calls for Five-Year Lawsuit Shield for Businesses in Next Pandemic Bill. The next and potentially final coronavirus relief package could include a five-year liability shield for businesses and a possible new round of stimulus checks aimed at workers making $40,000 a year and less.
- Less than four hours before the Paycheck Protection Program was scheduled to end with more than $130 billion in loan money unspent, the Senate approved extending the application period until August 8, 2020.
- The Treasury Department and Small Business Administration gave in to congressional pressure and disclosed information on companies that received loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The names of companies and nonprofits that got loans larger than $150,000 under the PPP was released, along with other identifying information.
- The Trump administration argued in a legal brief filed to the Supreme Court that the entire Affordable Care Act (ACA) should be invalidated. The legal filing, while expected, makes official the Trump administration's position in the Supreme Court against the health law months ahead of the election, at a time when Democrats are hammering President Trump over his position on health care.
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HARRISBURG, June 23, 2020—Commonwealth Partners Chamber of Entrepreneurs—
joined by the Manufacturer & Business Association
, the Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association, and the National Federation of Independent Business Pennsylvania—today filed an
amici brief
in Wolf v. Scarnati, asking the state Supreme Court to consistently apply and abide by its recent decision in Friends of Danny DeVito v. Wolf which held “that the General Assembly by concurrent resolution may terminate a state of disaster emergency at any time.”
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The MBA signed onto a letter of support for S. 4117, The Paycheck Protection Program Small Business Forgiveness Act.
Specifically, the bipartisan legislation would forgive PPP loans of less than $150,000 upon the borrower’s completion of a simple, one-page forgiveness document. PPP loans of $150,000 and under account for 85 percent of total PPP recipients, but less than 26 percent of PPP loan dollars. Expediting the loan forgiveness process for many of these hard-hit businesses will save more than $7 billion dollars and hours of paperwork.
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The MBA signed onto a letter of support requesting action for business liability protections.
The request asks for temporary and targeted liability relief legislation related to the COVID-19 pandemic. These crucial protections should safeguard businesses, non-profit organizations, and educational institutions, as well as healthcare providers and facilities from unfair lawsuits so that they can continue to contribute to a safe and effective recovery from this pandemic.
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Check in regularly as the page will continually be updated with new information regarding business loans, compliance issues, and legislative updates... WE ARE HERE FOR YOU!
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