Beaver County News

Pennsylvania state legislators have announced the creation of a new bipartisan group, the Pennsylvania Competitiveness Caucus. The initiative is led by State Senators Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York) and Lisa Boscola (D-Northampton), along with Representatives Paul Friel (D-Chester) and Josh Kail (R-Beaver). The caucus aims to enhance Pennsylvania's economic competitiveness through collaborative efforts across party lines.

The formation of this caucus comes at a significant time for Pennsylvania as it deals with challenges in retaining businesses, attracting investment, and reversing stagnant population growth. The caucus intends to provide a platform for lawmakers to work on policies that drive economic growth and make the state an attractive place to live and work.

“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 Phillips-Hill. “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.”

The caucus plans to build on recent successes from the 2024-25 state budget, such as permitting reform and eliminating Pennsylvania’s start-up tax by improving net operating losses treatment. These victories reflect broader efforts to enhance the state's economic landscape.

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

The group's mission includes strengthening long-term economic competitiveness by focusing on public policy impacting business investment attraction in Pennsylvania.

“Our Competitiveness Caucus recognizes the enormous potential of Pennsylvania to be a global leader in industry, technology and innovation,” said Friel. “We also know that the prosperity of our citizens is tied to the policies that unlock this economic potential, and we are dedicated to developing legislative approaches that strengthen our families, our businesses and our commonwealth.”

Kail expressed his enthusiasm about co-chairing this initiative: “The time to unleash Pennsylvania’s potential as an economic powerhouse is now,” he stated. “I am grateful for the opportunity...and look forward to collaborating on actionable policies that will spur prosperity in Pennsylvania.”

A press conference is scheduled for January 28 at 8:30 a.m. in the Main Capitol Rotunda where goals for this legislative session will be discussed. Following this event, there will be a members-only meeting closed off from media coverage.