Greater Pittsburgh Chamber Of Commerce

ADVOCACY TO IMPROVE THE BUSINESS CLIMATE AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA.

WORKING WITH OUR MEMBERS AND AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS, TOGETHER WE HAVE INVESTED IN THE REGION OF THE FUTURE. ORGANIZED A UNIFIED REGIONAL APPROACH, ONE REGION. ONE VOICE., A 10-COUNTY REGIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE STAKEHOLDER GROUP, TO SUPPORT PASSAGE OF THE $1.2 TRILLION INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT. THE LARGEST FEDERAL INFRASTRUCTURE BILL IN A GENERATION IS NOW LAW AND THE REGION IS WELL-POSITIONED TO COMPETE FOR BILLIONS IN FEDERAL INVESTMENT IN SIGNIFICANT PROJECTS IDENTIFIED THROUGHOUT THE TEN COUNTIES. WE ADVOCATED STRONGLY IN SUPPORT OF THE LEGISLATION WITH THE SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE DELEGATION AND SENATORS TOOMEY AND CASEY, THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION AND NUMEROUS FEDERAL AND LOCALLY ELECTED OFFICIALS IN THE GREAT LAKES REGION. SECURED STATE INVESTMENT IN THE PITTSBURGH REGIONAL ALLIANCE (PRA) REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WORK FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ALMOST 20 YEARS. WE RECEIVED $2 MILLION IN FUNDING FROM THE PENNSYLVANIA DEPART- MENT OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO SUPPORT BUSINESS INVESTMENT EFFORTS AND BEGAN TO LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR A MULTI-YEAR COMMITMENT. ADVANCED REGION-WIDE COALITION WITH SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA COMMISSION TO PURSUE $25 - $100 MILLION IN U.S. EDA FUNDING IN RESPONSE TO THE BUILD BACK BETTER REGIONAL CHALLENGE. IN EARLY 2022, THE PITTSBURGH REGION WAS SELECTED AS ONE OF 60 FINALISTS OUT OF 529 APPLICANTS. IF SELECTED, IT WOULD REPRESENT THE FIRST FEDERAL GRANT RECEIVED IN THE CONFERENCE'S HISTORY. THE STRATEGIC FOCUS IS ON THE EXPANSION OF REGIONAL INCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY IN ROBOTICS AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. ACTED AS A LEAD PARTNER IN THE SUCCESSFUL ADVANCEMENT AND PASSAGE OF H.B. 1621, THE SMALL WIRELESS FACILITIES DEVELOPMENT ACT, TO ACCELERATE 5G DEPLOYMENT STATEWIDE VIA GREATER PERMITTING AND PROCESS EFFICIENCY AND STREAMLINING. THIS IS A KEY STEP FORWARD TO ADDRESS THE DIGITAL DIVIDE EXACERBATED BY THE PANDEMIC, AND WILL LEAD TO GREATER WIRELESS INVESTMENTS AND INCREASE PENNSYLVANIA'S COMPETITIVENESS.SUPPORTED STATE INFRASTRUCTURE AND TECH EFFORTS TO: ATTRACT INVESTMENT IN DATA CENTERS ESSENTIAL TO SUPPORT THE GROWING DIGITAL ECONOMY BY SUCCESSFULLY ADVOCATING FOR PASSAGE OF H.B. 952, WHICH WILL CONVERT THE STATE'S SALES TAX REFUND PROGRAM FOR DATA CENTERS TO A SALES TAX EXEMPTION PROGRAM ALLOWING FOR A MORE ROBUST TOOL TO ATTRACT THIS TYPE OF BUSINESS INVESTMENT. INCLUDE $279 MILLION IN NEW INVESTMENT FROM THE AMERICA RESCUE PLAN FOR PENNDOT'S HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES. CAP STATE POLICE SPENDING AT $668 MILLION FROM THE MOTOR LICENSE FUND TO ENSURE THAT CRITICAL FUNDING IS AVAILABLE FOR STATE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT.TOGETHER WE HAVE UNLOCKED THE POTENTIAL OF OUR REGION BY REMOVING BARRIERS TO INVESTMENT GROWTH, TALENT ATTRACTION AND ECONOMIC INCLUSION. WE MADE MATERIAL PROGRESS TOWARD ADDRESSING THE "FLASHING RED LIGHT" THAT SIGNALS AN UNCOMPETITIVE ECONOMIC CLIMATE TO EMPLOYERS CONSIDERING CREATING JOBS IN PENNSYLVANIA. OUR ADVOCACY TO LOWER THE STATE CORPORATE NET INCOME (CNI) TAX RATE LED TO THE PASSAGE OF LEGISLATION OUT OF THE PA SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE, THE FIRST VOTE TO REDUCE THE CNI TAX RATE IN MANY YEARS. KEY LEGISLATION, MIRRORING A TAX REFORM CONCEPT THE CONFERENCE SUPPORTS, WAS INTRODUCED TO ALLOW FOR MEANINGFUL CNI TAX RATE REDUCTION VIA A STATUTORY TRIGGER MECHANISM. LED AN EFFORT TO SECURE PASSAGE OF LEGISLATION THAT PROVIDES FOR DYNAMIC SCORING FOR THE FISCAL IMPACTOF STATE LEGISLATION, WHICH WILL REINFORCE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN AN IMPROVED TAX CLIMATE AND INCREASED TAX REVENUE VIA GROWTH. LAID THE GROUNDWORK TO DEVELOP INCLUSIVE GROWTH PRINCIPLES TO GUIDE WORK ACROSS OUR AGENDA AND HIRED THE FIRST CHIEF EQUITY OFFICER TO FOCUS ON ECONOMIC INCLUSION TO LEAD ORGANIZATION-WIDE EQUITY AND INCLUSION EFFORTS. PARTNERED WITH MEMBERS OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY COUNCIL AND LABOR, COMMUNITY AND BUSINESS LEADERS TO SHAPE THE FINAL ALLEGHENY COUNTY PAID SICK LEAVE MEASURE TO BALANCE EMPLOYEE/EMPLOYER INTERESTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH ALLEGHENY CONFERENCE RACIAL EQUITY OBJECTIVES.