New legislative group assembled for business competition

(The Center Square) – Boosting business competition in Pennsylvania remains at the top of state lawmakers’ minds, who remain keenly aware of the state’s ever-shrinking workforce.

What’s new for this year, however, is the Competitiveness Caucus, a group of lawmakers from both chambers and both sides of the aisle who aim to promote policies that make Pennsylvania more attractive to businesses.

“Although we sit on opposite sides of the aisle, we are united in our belief that making Pennsylvania more economically competitive through the advancement of pro-growth policies will benefit working-class families, reverse our stagnant population growth, and ensure our commonwealth is an attractive place to live, work, and raise a family for generations to come,” said Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill, R-Jacobus. “I am thrilled to be joining this bipartisan group of my colleagues to elevate this vital conversation and focus on key policies that will grow our state.”

Joining her are Democratic Sen. Lisa Boscola of Bethlehem and Reps. Paul Friel, D-Pottstown, and Joshua Kail, R-Beaver. Together, the group says they’ll continue building upon the successes of reforming permitting and licensing and eliminating the business start-up tax.

“The most recent budget was a giant step forward in making Pennsylvania more competitive today and building the workforce of tomorrow,” Boscola said. “We need to keep the momentum going, and that takes both parties and both chambers working together to create commonsense policies that help our businesses thrive and create family-sustaining jobs.”

Pennsylvania is notorious for its bureaucratic red tape, ranking among the worst nationwide for economic growth opportunities. But for business leaders, the recent progress is encouraging, as is the new caucus.

“This new caucus is exactly the kind of bold, bipartisan leadership our state needs,” Luke Bernstein, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry told The Center Square on Wednesday. “Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are serious about making Pennsylvania a top destination for jobs and investment.  We’re encouraged by the creation of this caucus and look forward to working with its members to make Pennsylvania more competitive.”