From PA Chamber of Business & Industry Last week, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees hosted their third and final week of budget hearings with the heads of state agencies and state row offices, to discuss Gov. Tom Wolf’s proposed spending level for their entities in the 2018-19 Fiscal Year, among related issues. Amazon’s consideration of Pennsylvania for the location of its second corporate headquarters was a topic covered in the Senate Appropriations Committee’s budget hearing with the Department of Community and Economic Development. DCED Secretary Dennis Davin said that the Commonwealth is in a “very good position” to appeal to Amazon, with Pittsburgh and Philadelphia among Amazon’s top 20 potential locations. Davin also touted the state’s tax advantages of having no Capital Stock and Franchise tax, along with the administration’s efforts to lower the Corporate Net Income tax as benefits that would appeal to Amazon. While the PA Chamber supports the lowering of the CNI, we remain opposed to the Wolf Administration’s insistence that it be packaged with mandatory unitary combined reporting – a complex and burdensome system that would serve as a detractor to additional business investment and job creation in Pennsylvania. Helping job candidates gain the skills and training they need to fill open positions was also covered in the same hearing. According to a story by Pennsylvania Legislative Services, Sec. Davin told the committee that the single biggest task in economic development is matching jobs with the appropriate people, mentioning initiatives in manufacturing such as Manufacturing PA to utilize specific training programs for the needs of area companies. He also expressed the importance of adequate training and broadband internet access to attract tomorrow’s workforce and discussed the department’s efforts with the Department of Education in making students career-ready – along with working with research universities, and getting younger people to explore education outlets other than a four-year degree. The Department of Education also met this week with both Appropriations Committees. In the Senate hearing, lawmakers expressed frustration that the agency did not seem to incorporate the legislature’s recommendations on topics such as the implementation of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act and the potential of allowing students to take the SATs as an alternative to the Keystone Exams, which Sec. Pedro Rivera pushed back on. When questioned by Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Lycoming, on whether the department was focused on career and technical education as an option for students, Rivera said that they are “absolutely providing greater opportunity for students to work towards that career pathway.” In terms of the way that schools are currently funded – a combination of state funding and local property taxes – Sen. Dave Argall, R-Schuylkill, who is a leading proponent of legislation that would apply new and higher sales and income taxes to achieve so-called property tax reform – talked about the complaints he gets from taxpayers about the rising rates. Sen. Argall lamented that the governor didn’t include a mention of school property tax reform in his budget address, to which Sec. Rivera answered that while he couldn’t speak for the governor, their conversations have centered on academic opportunities, teaching, learning and instruction. The PA Chamber is opposed to property tax reforms like S.B. 76 that would target renters, small businesses and young families and put school districts and the Commonwealth on financially shaky ground. Several Republican lawmakers on the House Appropriations Committee also expressed frustration at Gov. Wolf’s veto of welfare work requirements in the fall during a hearing with the Department of Human services. According to a story in Capitolwire, they asked for an explanation behind the veto because the legislation (H.B. 59) would have required some Medicaid recipients – namely the non-elderly who are not disabled – to work or be active in a work-related activity to maintain their Medicaid eligibility. Acting DHS Secretary Teresa Miller responded, “I think the issue is we know people experience barriers to working, and I think taking away access to health care is just going to add one more barrier.” Committee Chairman Stan Saylor disagreed with the governor’s veto, saying that “We’re not doing enough at the state level …. to get people into jobs.” Miller initially claimed in the hearing that a work mandate would end up costing the state about $600 million, because the agency would need to hire 300 new employees to implement the requirement – a comment she walked back a bit later in the hearing, as she said that the agency only has very rough figures regarding the potential cost. The committee did find common ground with the agency regarding the need to reevaluate programs to ensure that welfare recipients aren’t losing access to many of the programs that help them after they secure employment. The final week of budget hearings concluded with Budget Secretary Randy Albright, who provided both committees with a thorough overview of the budget plan. To recap, Gov. Wolf is proposing spending $32.9 billion in the coming year’s budget – an increase of 3 percent over the current year’s spending. While no sales or income tax increases are in his proposal, he is yet again pushing for a punitive additional tax on the state’s natural gas industry, along with other policies that the PA Chamber will fight back against in the coming months – including a mandated entry-level wage increase to $12 an hour and the aforementioned imposition of combined reporting within the state’s tax structure.From Chambers for Innovation & Clean Energy
To some, Pennsylvania may be best known for its great historical significance — as home of the Liberty Bell and the place where the Declaration of Independence was signed and the U.S. Constitution drawn up.
But Pennsylvania has an equally strong history of innovation: being home to the nation’s first baseball stadium, first commercial broadcast station, and the world’s first high-speed, multi-lane highway to name just a few examples.
So perhaps not surprisingly a growing number of Pennsylvania leaders are now taking steps to seize the growing economic opportunities in energy innovation.
PA State Sen. Guy Reschenthaler (R-Allegheny/Washington)
“This is a win-win for everyone,” PA Sen. Guy Reschenthaler (R-Allegheny/Washington) said in a recent briefing call with local Chamber of Commerce leaders from across the Keystone State.
Sen. Reschenthaler is a co-sponsor Senate Bill 234, which would allow municipalities to establish voluntary programs to provide financing for energy upgrades without any upfront costs. Known as Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE), property owners re-pay the financing through a property assessment. C-PACE is offered in enabling legislation is active in 33 states plus Washington, D.C.
SB 234 was overwhelmingly passed on the Senate floor 42-8 and is now being considered by the House Commerce Committee. Sen. Reschenthaler asked that Chamber leaders contact their legislators to voice their support.
(Note: The Columbia Montour Chamber has not taken a formal position on this proposed legislation)
“It’s about job creation in high paying fields such as electrical contractors, excavating, general construction, engineering, and so on,” Sen. Reschenthaler said. “It will lower energy costs for local businesses, increasing competitiveness.” Importantly, he added, the program uses funds from private institutions, not taxpayer dollars.
Asked why he became interested in CPACE, Reschenthaler said because he believes in energy independence and knows that renewables help contribute to that.
Geisinger Savings Through Efficiency
Co-hosted by the Columbia Montour Chamber, the briefing call was also an opportunity for local Chamber leaders to hear from Geisinger about how it is saving with energy efficiency.
Al Neuner, VP of facility operations at Geisinger
“Energy is one of these topics that can benefit everyone,” said Al Neuner, VP of Facility Operations at Geisinger. As a result of its investments in energy efficiency, Geisinger has saved $15 million in energy costs, Neuner said.
“And businesses do not have to be as large as Geisinger to benefit from energy efficiency—he noted, adding that it is very scalable and no-risk (Watch a video about Geisinger’s energy efficiency program).
“One of the things we can do as chambers is to play the role of conveyor and bring our business members, the community, the utility, and workforce development organizations together to exchange information so that clean energy, and clean energy workforce training is more relatable to all of our businesses and community members,” said Fred Gaffney, president of the Columbia Montour Chamber.
“There are people and resources there to help you pay for this,” he said, referring to Act 129, a law passed in 2008 to encourage energy efficiency and provides rebates for new appliances, lighting and windows and energy audits.
A 2017 Public Utility Commission study found that Act 129 has delivered $6.4 billion in benefits for all electric consumers to date.
Growing Solar Jobs in PA
The speakers also briefed Local Chamber leaders on the recently passed Act 40, the Solar Jobs bill, aiming to limit state payments to out of state projects and grow jobs here in PA.
Ron Celentano, President of Pennsylvania’s Solar Energy Industry Association told the audience that up to 70 percent of the solar energy purchased in the state was coming from outside the state, said.
The new Solar Jobs bill corrected this by requiring that the solar come from within Pennsylvania.
“We see this as a great opportunity to have more solar jobs created within the state,” Celentano said. “And we’ve been seeing growth of solar jobs already since the passage.”
The call was co-hosted by the Columbia Montour Chamber and Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy.
From PA Chamber of Business & Industry
When Gov. Tom Wolf first took office, he adopted the mantra, “Jobs that Pay. Schools That Teach. Government That Works.” when describing his policy priorities. In many ways, our member businesses have indicated that the PA Chamber’s mission is much the same – to create a robust environment for job creation; schools that allow every student, regardless of their socio-economic background, to have the opportunity to earn a high quality education; and a government that runs efficiently for the Commonwealth’s citizens and employers.
However, it’s how those goals are achieved where there tends to be disagreement. For example, Gov. Wolf touted a reduction in the state’s Corporate Net Income tax rate as part of his 2018-19 state budget plan. But he wants to couple it with mandatory unitary combined reporting, which the PA Chamber has long opposed for the administrative and tax burdens it imposes on employers. The governor also wants to increase Pennsylvania’s minimum wage rate from $7.25 an hour all the way up to $12 an hour. The PA Chamber remains outspoken in our members’ opposition to government mandated wage hikes – they simply don’t help low-income workers improve their financial outcomes, and force them to compete against each other for fewer jobs.
In the view of the business community, the way to ensure that the Commonwealth has “jobs that pay” is through strengthened workforce development programs that help guide students and workers into the in-demand occupations that will offer family-sustaining wages in the long-term. Workforce development is a core component of the PA Chamber’s mission, through our “Start the Conversation HERE” initiative that is in its second year of promoting employer-paid scholarships for students to pursue a career in the skilled trades. We’re pleased to see that Gov. Wolf has also made workforce development a priority in this budget through a new initiative, PASmart, which is aimed toward closing the state’s jobs skills gap.
For the “schools that teach” component, the governor has again pushed for more spending for basic education in the coming fiscal year. There’s no question that putting taxpayer dollars into student achievement is a worthy investment, but our members believe the money should be earmarked for the classroom – not to continue to prop up the unsustainable benefits packages of public school employees.
The PA Chamber is always ready to work with lawmakers on ways to streamline and simplify state government, and we’re pleased to see that the administration continues to look into department consolidation and other cost-savings initiatives in this year’s budget plan to help save time and money. But saving doesn’t have to mean turning around and spending more hard-earned taxpayer dollars, and this is a point we’ll continue to drive home in the four months before the budget deadline. On behalf of our members, we’re committed to working with elected officials on both sides of the aisle toward a common ground where there can be assurance that state government can do its job, and employers are given the freedom to do theirs.
More than 400 businesses and organizations belong to the Chamber to receive benefits and support efforts to strengthen their businesses and our region. Increased membership allows us to offer additional programs and benefits, have a stronger voice in advocacy and be involved in more activities and initiatives in our communities. The Chamber welcomes its newest member, LIVIC Civil, to help us fulfill our mission.
Founded just in late 2017, LIVIC Civil is a engineering firm that specializes in providing site and civil engineering, land development and municipal engineering services to the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond. Various markets it has experience in include residential and mixed use, retail, municipal, industrial, warehousing, energy, healthcare, civic and faith centers and educational. Services include land development, survey and subdivision, zoning and land use representation, municipal engineering, construction administration, stormwater permitting, feasibility and master planning, ADA compliance and streetscapes and infrastructure. Located at 109 Monroe St. (Rts. 11 & 15), Suite 70 in Selinsgrove, LIVIC Civil can be reached at 570-560-1275 or by email. Also check out their Facebook and LinkedIn pages.
Member News
- PA CareerLink Columbia/Montour Counties will hold a webinar about workers’ compensation tomorrow afternoon, March 8, from 2-3 p.m. Intended for small business owners and human resources professionals, this hour webinar, presented by the PA Department of Labor & Industry, will detail the process of how workers’ comp claims are made and processed, all in an attempt to make it as painless as possible for employers. To register, contact Donna Eyerly by email.
Tyler Helwig of MePush
Staff from MePush recently built the skills into the Google Assistant platform to contact MePush for help directly from the device. Clients in need of MePush’s services can simply say, “Ok Google, talk to MePush” and then the platform asks some key questions like name, phone, business or personal computer, and the type of problem. Afterwards, the device contacts MePush directly and creates a ticket in their customer service system. The lead on the cutting-edge project was Tyler Helwig (above). This new technology makes it easier for MePush to ask the proper questions of clients, and even easier for the client to conveniently contact the company in addition to phone or email.
- The Wilkes Small Business Development Center will hold a First Step Workshop on Wednesday, March 14, at 6 p.m. at its location at 85 South Main St., Wilkes-Barre. Cost for this workshop is $20, and registration can be done online or by calling 570-408-4340. A Wilkes SBDC representative is also available to meet with those interested in starting a business in the Bloomsburg and Columbia County area individually by appointment. Call the same number at the Wilkes SBDC to set up an appointment.
- The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport (AVP) has added two non-stop flights each weekday to Pittsburgh International Airport beginning on April 23. These flights will be in conjunction with Regional Sky, and are now available to be booked. AVP now offers non-stop flights to seven of the largest hubs in the United States, including Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Detroit, Newark, Philadelphia and now Pittsburgh. For more information, see the flyer, or visit AVP’s website.
- The Bucknell Small Business Development Center will offer a First Step Workshop on Wednesday, April 11, from 1-3 p.m. at Service 1st Federal Credit Union, located at 1985 Montour Blvd. (Rt. 11), Danville. This “pre-business” workshop is intended to assist potential entrepreneurs that are considering starting a business but might not know where to start. Attendees will learn about legal structure, selection a location, licenses and forms, insurance needs, business planning, small business taxes, hiring employees and more. Cost is $25 for each workshop, and those interested can register online or by calling 570-577-1249.
- The local PA CareerLink centers have scheduled their 2018 job fairs. The local one in our area will be held on Wednesday, May 9, from 4-7 p.m. at Columbia-Montour Area Vocational Technical School, located at 5050 Sweppenheiser Dr., Bloomsburg. There will also be job fairs during May just outside of the area at Shikellamy High School in Sunbury on May 2 and at the Selinsgrove VFW in May 30. Later in the year, there will be one at the Best Western in Lewisburg on Sept. 6. The registration links for employers are now open for the three May events. See the flyer for more information as well as registration links.
From PA Chamber of Business & Industry
During the second week of annual budget hearings with the heads of state agencies and state row offices, House and Senate Appropriations Committee members discussed a variety of issues related to the Wolf administration’s 2018-19 proposed state spending plan and related policy initiatives.
At a Senate Appropriations Hearing with L&I Secretary Jerry Oleksiak, questions were asked about the impact of minimum wage increases on employers and the overall economy. Sen. Kim Ward, R-Westmoreland, noted the state’s Independent Fiscal Office report last year showing that an increase to $12 an hour – as Gov. Wolf wants to impose in this year’s budget – would lead to 54,000 lost jobs. According to a summary of the hearing by Pennsylvania Legislative Services, Oleksiak acknowledged there are different reports and opined that some of the benefits he believes exists with minimum wage increases is that they “save on state aid and assistance provided to people earning minimum wage.” The PA Chamber is steadfastly opposed to government mandated wage hikes, as they are proven to result in fewer employee hours, less investment and hiring opportunities and job loss (especially among smaller businesses).
Attendees had a chance to spin the wheel to win one of a variety of prizes given out by co-hosts Art of Floating and Just a Drop, learned about the potential health benefits of floating and essential oils and also enjoyed food from Lucy’s Kitchen & Catering, all while browsing around both inside and outdoors at Art of Floating’s spacious facility during February’s Business After Hours on Wednesday, Feb. 21.
Members had an opportunity to tour Art of Floating and check out their floating tanks, ask questions about what a float entails and its purposes and health benefits, meet the owners and staff, as well as find out about some of Art of Floating’s business consulting services and mental health workshops, which it offers in addition to its core business of floating. Just a Drop was also on hand to offer some sweet treats made with essential oils for attendees to sample, as well as talk about uses of essential oils. It also performed a free scan for those interested in which people held a sensor device in their hand, which made recommendations to each person for which essential oil use would be of the most benefit to them.
Business After Hours provide regular opportunities to build business relationships while learning about the services offered by other Chamber members. The next Business After Hours will be held at Wild For Salmon, located at 521 Montour Blvd. (Rt. 11), on Wednesday, March 21, from 4:30-6:30 p.m.
From ChamberChoice and Smart Business Pittsburgh
Benefits consultants use data as a part of the consulting services provided to employers. The consulting strategy includes looking at health claims throughout the benefits year, creating reports and reviewing the reports with the benefits administration team.
“But this approach of simply ‘keeping score’ of data doesn’t accomplish the goals of every employer, which is to drive down the costs of a health insurance program,” says Michael Galardini, director of sales at JRG Advisors. “The next generation benefits consultant uses predictive modeling and data analytics to lower the largest cost of a health insurance program: emerging claims.”
Smart Business spoke with Galardini about how employers can get better results with emerging claims to lower the costs of a health insurance program.
How can predictive modeling and data analytics software identify risks andimprove a health insurance program?
Predictive modeling and data analytics software is a population health management service that can identify the high-risk members of a health insurance program.
Once identified, these members are ranked by severity and gaps in care. A web-based reporting system will provide access to the actionable information to target these high-cost and high-risk members. The system reveals the members who are noncompliant with preventive care — and members who require disease management, prescription drug maintenance or health coaching intervention.
Managing this data properly can ensure that these high-risk members don’t fall through the cracks.
Once properly identified, the next step in the risk management strategy is to evaluate the actual cost and forecast the cost in the next 12 months for each member. These include things like the number of emergency room and inpatient stays for each member in the next year. By identifying and evaluating these emerging claims, consultants can now get ahead of the costs that are driving the increases in premiums.
What’s the benefit for employers?
Identifying and managing these claims helps stabilize or lower the premium costs. The old process of reviewing claims data after the claim already occurs doesn’t allow the benefits consultant to provide a strategy to mitigate the costs to the employer.
Using predictive modeling and data analytics to identify high-risk members gives time to develop a population health management strategy to better manage the emerging claims.
What is population health management?
A significant component of reducing the identified health risk is using care managers to work with high-cost and high-risk members. Benefits consultants partner with care managers to review the data provided by the predictive modeling and data analytics software to motivate these members to manage their health care. Care managers can work directly and confidentially with the members to ensure the proper medical care is being provided for their specific medical conditions. These members will be guided through actions, such as timely preventive care, prescription drug adherence and coordination of care.
How do employees benefit?
The goal of the care managers is to teach the high-cost and high-risk members to self-manage their health care, comply with care instructions and pursue ways to improve their health status. Care managers can also use cost transparency tools to guide the member to find the best price for medical services. This not only keeps the claims costs lower for the health insurance plan, but also can help lower out-of-pocket costs the member has in the form of a deductible or co-insurance.
Incorporating predictive modeling and data analytics with a population health management strategy can produce the result that every employer expects from a benefits consultant — disrupting the current distribution model to move the needle of the emerging claims to lower the costs of a health insurance program.
From Penn College
Workforce Development & Continuing Education (WDCE) at Pennsylvania College of Technology is offering training to people seeking employment in the natural gas and energy industry. In addition to learning industry employability skills and gaining three industry-recognized certifications, students will be connected to employers who have immediate hiring needs.
Scholarships are available to those who qualify on a first-come, first-served basis. The training is delivered by Penn College as a result of its award-winning ShaleNET partnership.
The 40-hour training sessions are scheduled in Williamsport and Wellsboro:
March 12-15, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., WDCE on Penn College’s main campus in Williamsport
March 26-30, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wellsboro Area School District building in Wellsboro
April 9-13, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., WDCE on Penn College’s main campus in Williamsport
To be considered for training, registrants must possess a valid driver’s license and have obtained the minimum of a high school diploma/GED. Potential students will need to produce results of recent drug testing, driving record and criminal background checks.
For more information, email ShaleTEC or call 570-327-4775.
More than 400 businesses and organizations belong to the Chamber to receive benefits and support efforts to strengthen their businesses and our region. Increased membership allows us to offer additional programs and benefits, have a stronger voice in advocacy and be involved in more activities and initiatives in our communities. The Chamber welcomes its newest member, Elmcroft Senior Living, to help us fulfill our mission.
Based in the Portland, Ore. area, Elmcroft Senior Living operates about 80 senior living communities in 18 states and offers a range of care levels, including independent living, assisted living and memory care. Locally, Elmcroft operates Elmcroft of Berwick, an intimate, charming senior living community located at 2050 W. Front St. (Rt. 11), that opened in 1998. Residents have access to personal care and the facility also offers respite care to caregivers and coordinates with outside third-party healthcare providers for each of its residents. This relaxed and comfortable lifestyle also afford residents a number social activities and entertainment, restaurant-style dining, class, outings, is pet friendly, and offers 24-hour security. For more information, call 570-759-3155 or visit its website.