Government Affairs Update: Harrisburg May 2025

On Tuesday, May 13, 2025, the Beaver County Chamber of Commerce’s Government Affairs Committee hosted a visit to the  State capital in Harrisburg to advance the interests of Chamber members and reinforce the organization’s policy priorities.

During our well-attended State of the County this past February, we heard our state officials when they shared that they "welcome the Chamber and its members to Harrisburg to advocate with leaders in the General Assembly and the Administration for the priorities that will help Beaver County grow and thrive."

Attendees included a cross-section of Chamber members – educational institutions, energy companies, professional service firms, infrastructure providers, and manufacturers, as well as Beaver County Commissioner Jack Manning.

We were fortunate to begin the day by meeting with our Beaver County delegation to discuss the current issues in Harrisburg that impact Beaver County and our region.
The Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry provided us with insight into education and workforce policies currently under consideration in the legislature and how those could impact Chamber members.

Meetings with various leaders at the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), including the Chief of Staff, Deputy Secretary for Business Financing, and the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority, included a review of various programs and opportunities available to Beaver County businesses. Our Chamber has been proactive in advocating for the continued implementation of broadband access to all parts of Beaver County, and collectively we took time to celebrate the progress as well as brainstorm additional ways to promote the achievements and the leadership position of Beaver County through the Connect Beaver County Broadband project.

The day concluded with a meeting with Senator Yaw and his team (Chair of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee) focused on the reliability of our electric grid and the role that energy plays in the Commonwealth’s and Beaver County’s economy, competitiveness and quality of life. 

Thank you to Tenaris for sponsoring the luncheon, and a special thank you to Senator Elder Vogel's office for assisting in our visit. We are grateful to those of you who made the trip to Harrisburg and encourage all our members to participate in the Chamber's Government Affairs efforts, including our annual events with our elected officials such as the upcoming Legislative Cruise. Register for the July 16, 2025 Legislative Cruise by visiting https://bit.ly/LegislativeCruise25.