Columbia Montour Chamber Participates in Chamber Day

More than 100 state and local chamber officials from across the Commonwealth, including Fred Gaffney, Columbia Montour Chamber President and Dan Knorr, Board Member, came together on Tuesday, June 6th to participate in 2017 Chamber Day.  The annual event, which is co-hosted by the PA Chamber of Business and Industry and the Pennsylvania Association of Chamber Professionals, allows local chambers to meet with key policymakers and discuss ways to improve Pennsylvania’s business climate and competitive edge. 

“While we have a good working relationship with our state delegation, it is beneficial to travel to Harrisburg from time to time to meet with legislators,” said Gaffney. “Chamber Day also provides the opportunity to show a unified voice statewide on issues of importance to employers.”

Participants met with elected officials and cabinet members throughout the day, including Gov. Tom Wolf, who served as the keynote speaker during the Chamber Day luncheon. Senate Pro Tempore Joseph Scarnati, R-Jefferson, and Speaker of the House Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny both kicked off the event with welcoming remarks at the State Capitol.  The day-long event also featured policy discussions on a variety of topics, including: the 2017-18 state budget, pension reform, property taxes, workforce development, as well as the Commonwealth’s transportation and infrastructure needs. The legislature passed the pension reform plan during that week, which was signed by Governor Wolf on Monday, June 12th. As budget discussions continue, there was no clear plan provided for filling the budget gap estimated at nearly $3 billion.