Brown Adds Support to Employ PA Jobs Initiative

Harrisburg, PA – To help bring more jobs to Pennsylvania and foster more economic development opportunities, Rep. Rosemary M. Brown (R-Monroe/Pike) today stood in support of a number of legislative efforts to improve conditions for the state’s job creators.

“State government doesn’t create jobs, but our policies, including the tax structure and regulatory burdens, play a critical role in whether or not business and industry move to our state or have the opportunity to expand their operations and stay within our communities,” Brown said. “This package of bills, which also includes a few new laws we have passed this session, will help improve our business climate and give job creators the tools they need to call Pennsylvania home.”

The package aims to help the unemployed, strengthen and modernize an aging infrastructure, protect safety concerns through regulatory relief, level the playing field to ensure a more competitive tax structure, cut the costs of business and protect employers from lawsuit abuse.

The legislation includes efforts to:

• Allow unemployed Pennsylvanians to apply to work for a participating business to garner critical on-the-job training while continuing to collect unemployment for a temporary period.
• Encourage utilities to upgrade their aged electric, natural gas and wastewater infrastructure without tax dollars.
• Create public-private partnerships for transportation infrastructure projects.
• Construct a more competitive and fair business climate in Pennsylvania by lowering one of the highest corporate tax rates in the nation, and close the Delaware Loophole
• Give small businesses a seat at the table when it comes to advancing state regulations.
• Establish a Money Back Guarantee program associated with the Department of Environmental Protection and create a number of deadlines for permit reviews.

Three new laws enacted in the past year – an expansion of the Keystone Opportunity Zone, lawsuit abuse reform and Marcellus Shale impact fee and stricter environmental regulations – have been cited by the business community as pro-growth measures for our state’s economy.

“With our location as a border community, it’s imperative that we not discourage business and industry, and that in addition to attracting more employment opportunities, that we keep our current job base,” Brown said. “The health of our business climate – whether regionally or statewide – is an overall indicator of our economy. More businesses locating in our region will help to strengthen our overall tax base while providing good jobs for our residents. This is a win-win for our community.”

In addition to these efforts, Brown on Monday also joined a growing list of her colleagues in reforming the school property tax system in Pennsylvania through an effort known as the Property Tax Independence Act. This legislation would eliminate school property tax system in favor of a fairer system that collects funding based on one’s ability to pay, through an increased sales and income tax.