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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Gov. Tom Wolf presented his fall legislative agenda which includes a proposal to legalize marijuana with tax revenue for COVID-19 relief to augment the $1 billion in unallocated federal assistance, state assistance to front line workers and the expansion of child care. He also called for the legislature to ban gifts to public officials outside the executive branch and pass campaign finance reforms. read more
- The House and Senate have both added extra session days ahead of the scheduled September 15 return.
- Lawmakers are calling for an end to Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 related restrictions. They are arguing the state’s constitution gives lawmakers the right to do it under Article I, Section 12 which gives the legislature alone the power to suspend law, in this case the Emergency Management Services Code.
- The state is accepting half a loaf in terms of federal stimulus aid for certain unemployed people because it’s better than getting nothing at all, saying it will apply for the federal $300 weekly checks that have replaced the $600-a-week benefits that were cut off at the end of July.
- Bipartisan legislation is being pushed that would ease Gov. Tom Wolf’s indoor dining restriction of 25% of fire code capacity, enabling venues to have up to 50% capacity indoors – while adhering to Centers for Disease Control guidelines.
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New House Majority Leader Benninghoff manages the pandemic-era pressures of the legislative calendar and an imperious governor |
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State Rep. Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin) took on the responsibilities of the Majority Leader with the preparation time of a lieutenant taking over for a commander just shot from his horse.“Usually you get a couple of months after caucus elections [typically held a week or two after November general elections],” Benninghoff explained in a recent interview. “I had about twelve hours.”
His Republican colleagues elected him in June, in normal times the busiest stretch of the legislative calendar, after former Leader Bryan Cutler (R-Lancaster) was sworn-in as Speaker to replace the resigning Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny). At the time, the General Assembly was trying (and still is) to get a bigger role, any role, in the Wolf administration’s decisions amidst the ongoing pandemic; decisions that Benninghoff characterized as “arbitrary and inconsistent.”... read more
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Confidential agreement uncovered allowed Pa. car show to happen despite COVID-19 restrictions |
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CARLISLE, Pa. — Channel 11 has obtained a secret agreement that shows the health secretary allowed a car show near Harrisburg to go on allowing 20,000 people in per day...The paperwork shows the two sides came to a discrete deal allowing the show in eastern Pennsylvania to go on even though it violated the green phase restrictions that all of Pennsylvania is supposed to be abiding by: 250 people at outdoor events; 25 people at indoor events...“I didn’t give them a pass and I understand your question about this leaving agreement which I am legally not able to talk about,” Levine said... read more
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- Phase four of the CARES Act negotiations have stalled. The House Democrat’s Heroes Act has a $3 trillion price tag and the Senate Republican’s HEALS Act is $1 trillion. The most divisive points are:
- The amount of money to be given to those on unemployment varying from $600 favored by the Democrat’s to $0 supported by 20 or so members of the Senate Republican caucus.
- The amount of money to be sent to states and local governments.
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President Trump signed executive orders to help with coronavirus relief. There are questions around the orders' legality and ability to make up for lack of congressional action, especially regarding spending. The executive orders will:
- Extend the expired unemployment benefit but lower the payout from $600 a week to $400. The states who accept the funds will pay 25% of the $400 from their unemployment funds. There are legal issues because the president is taking funds from FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and the constitution reserves that spending right for Congress. May also pose a logistical challenge.
- Allow employers to defer payment of employee-side Social Security payroll taxes through 12/31/2020 for those earning less than about $100,000/year. This is a deferment and will have to be paid back. No legal issue.
- Temporarily suspends student loan payments through the 12/31/2020. No legal issue.
- Minimizes evictions – agencies will be asked to consider this.
- The Democrats finished their national convention last week officially nominating former Vice President Joe Biden and adding Senator Kamala Harris to the ticket. The Republican national convention will conclude Thursday with the Republican re-nominating President Trump and Vice President Pence.
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Business World Braces for Blue Sweep |
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Jeffrey Corliss, a managing director and partner of RDM Financial Group at Hightower, says one of the main concerns businesses have over Democratic control of Washington comes down to one word: taxes.
“If they’re able to reverse or partially reverse the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, that will get some companies to rethink their strategies going forward,” he said, referring to Trump’s 2017 signature tax cut, which lowered the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent.
Biden has proposed raising the rate back to 28 percent. His proposal would also install a new minimum corporate tax of 15 percent to ensure that no corporation paid zero in taxes.
On the individual side, one of Biden's plans would increase taxes on high income earners' investments, a policy some worry will make it harder for companies to raise money.
Some observers believe that could represent just the beginning... read more
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What employers need to know about Association Health Plans - PODCAST |
The Manufacturer & Business Association (MBA) has launched a new, 15-minute radio show/podcast on Money Radio WPSE AM 1450/FM 107.1, starting at noon Friday, July 17.
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STAY TUNED!... New Government Affairs Website Coming Soon! |
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MBA joined 130 other association groups calling for codification of PPP loan money used under the guidelines, with any resulting cancelled indebtedness excluded from the borrower’s taxable income.
MBA is actively lobbying legislation to provide COVID-19 related liability relief to business in both with both the Pennsylvania and federal government.
- SB 1239
- S. 4317 "Safe to Work Act"
MBA is apart of a coalition to promote “The Paycheck Protection Program Small Business Forgiveness Act”.
- This legislation would forgive all all PPP loans of less than $150,000 upon the borrower's completion of a simple, one-page forgiveness document.
MBA is supporting the "Continuing Small Business Recovery and Paycheck Protection Program Act" which would provide additional assistance to the hardest-hit small businesses that are struggling to recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill has four main components:
- 7(a) Loans to Recovery Sector Businesses
- PPP Second Draw Loans
- PPP Improvements
- Small Business Growth and Domestic Production Investment Facility
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Business Round Table with Pa Speaker of the House |
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MBA hosted Pennsylvania Speaker of the House Bryan Cutler (R-100th District) at a legislative round table with members. Cutler discussed the latest COVID-19 response legislation, the fall session, and he also heard directly from the MBA’s membership on how legislation will affect the business community |
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Business Magazine "On The Hill" |
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Snapshot Illustrates Impact Of COVID-19 |
Sir Isaac Newton had it right in 1687 when he proposed his First Law of Motion: A body in motion tends to stay in motion.That’s an accurate description of many businesses during these extraordinary times.
What’s learned from numerous calls to MBA member companies is that many have been in motion since the March 23 shutdown. They have taken it in stride, often painfully, and dealt with many changes to operations and finances caused by the pandemic and directives from overhead...
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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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