Harrisburg Regional Chamber leads largest regional delegation at national Business for Federal Research Funding fly-in. The Harrisburg Region brought a strong voice to Capitol Hill this week, as the Harrisburg Regional Chamber led business and higher education partners to Washington, D.C., to make the case that federal research funding is an investment in economic growth,…
Read More
Conversations with state and national leaders reinforced the connection among housing supply, workforce growth, and regional competitiveness- and the need for action at every level of government. You cannot have an economic-growth strategy without a housing strategy. That message emerged clearly from two recent conversations attended by the Harrisburg Regional Chamber: our September Policy Pulse…
Read More
Jessica Falborn joins the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC to lead communications, marketing, and public affairs while AX Advocacy will provide state, local, and federal lobbying services on behalf of the Chamber and its members. HARRISBURG, PA. — The Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC today announced the expansion of its communications and advocacy efforts through…
Read More
After weeks of delays, Pennsylvania’s application to the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) grant program has officially been approved by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The $711 million allocation will expand broadband access to unserved Pennsylvanians, particularly in rural communities across the Commonwealth. Many of these Pennsylvanians live in the more rural…
Read More
Governor Josh Shapiro recently proposed a ten-year roadmap to increase housing affordability and availability in Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth is facing a massive shortage of housing—450,000 new units are needed by 2035 to keep pace with demand, but the current pace of development is anticipated to fall short by roughly 185,000. While the issue is most…
Read More
PJM Interconnection, the grid operator for Pennsylvania and 12 other states, faces a mid-December deadline to finalize rules for managing the growing influence of data centers and other large electricity users on power prices and system reliability. Its 800-member committee recently reviewed competing proposals on how to integrate these large loads and allocate the costs…
Read More
Governor Shapiro signed the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act into law. This legislation amends the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (PHRA) to expand the definition of “race” to include traits historically associated with race, including hair texture and protective hairstyles. This prohibits employers from discriminating against employees or applicants based…
Read More
The 2025-26 Pennsylvania budget makes significant investments in addressing the child care accessibility and workforce crisis in the Commonwealth. First, the budget includes $25 million for recruitment and retention bonuses for child care workers. It also increases funding for the Pre-K Counts program by $7.5 million. Together, these steps aim to strengthen child care services…
Read More
Pennsylvania’s long-delayed attempt to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) has ended with the latest state budget, and policymakers in Harrisburg are quickly shifting to new discussions on Pennsylvanias energy future. Republicans, who opposed RGGI for years, anticipate increased investment in natural gas power, while Democrats are searching for alternative climate measures that may…
Read More
At November’s Policy Pulse Speaker Series, attendees heard from Central Pennsylvania Food Bank leaders Shila Ulrich and Zachary Zook. They spoke about how federal budget impasses and rising food insecurity are affecting our region. During the discussion, they outlined key policy issues, shared current data trends, and explained how the Food Bank is supporting families…
Read More