Public Policy

Seven of the eight candidates for Danville Borough Council participated in a public forum on Tuesday, Sept. 19 to share their thoughts on a variety of issues. Topics addressed included job growth, taxes, and traffic concerns. The candidate forum, held at Danville Ballroom, was sponsored by the Joint Governmental Affairs Committee of the Chamber and Columbia…

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf (left) has officially declared October 2017 as “Local Chamber of Commerce Month” in PA. The below proclamation was issued by Gov. Wolf in recognition of the efforts of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business & Industry and the many local Chambers around the state, such as the Columbia Montour Chamber, in supporting…

From PA Chamber of Business & Industry Budget negotiations took on a new dimension last week after the House approved a counter revenue proposal that would balance the 2017-18 spending plan through a series of special fund transfers, securitization of the Tobacco Settlement Fund and yet-to be enacted gaming and liquor expansions. The proposal does…

From ChamberChoice The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) collects workforce data from all employers with 100 or more employees through an annual EEO-1 Report. The report, in its current form, collects data about gender, race, and ethnicity of employees by 10 different job groupings. In 2016, the EEOC revised the form in order to begin requiring employers to…

From ChamberChoice In June 2017, the U.S. Departments of Labor, Treasury and Health and Human Services provided guidance under the Mental Health and Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). Released in the form of a Frequently Asked Question, the guidance also included a model form as assistance to participants for requesting a plan’s mental health or substance use disorder benefits, or…

From PA Chamber of Business & Industry In good news for employers across the country, a Texas federal judge last week struck down a U.S. Department of Labor rule that likely would have forced millions of workers to be converted from salary to hourly employees. In the ruling, the judge – Obama-appointee Amos Mazzant, who originally…

Candidates for Bloomsburg Town Council and Danville Borough Council will share their thoughts on the issues facing these communities at public events this fall. Community members will also be invited to submit questions. The candidate forums are being presented by the Joint Governmental Affairs Committee of the Chamber and Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau. The Candidate Forum…

From PA Chamber of Business & Industry Another week has gone by without the enactment of legislation that would finalize the 2017-18 state budget. As legislative leaders continue to negotiate behind the scenes on a plan that would warrant bringing the entire General Assembly back into session for a vote this month, the state has…