Your Chamber’s Governmental Affairs Committee met last Friday and heard about an important piece of ‘curative’ legislation. This legislation will help businesses which were most adversely affected by shutdowns mandated to help stop the spread of COVID-19. These businesses have since re-opened but any additional tax burden and unfunded mandates would certainly doom them going into next year.
With few days left in the 2021-22 legislative session, a coalition of more than 60 chambers of commerce across Pennsylvania sent a letter to state lawmakers today urging them to pass S.B. 1083, legislation that would help a group of employers avoid an unfair increase to their unemployment compensation taxes.
The letter cites the Department of Labor and Industry’s estimate that 2,700 Pennsylvania employers with lower experience-based unemployment compensation tax rates are being assessed a rate increase because they were forced into a prolonged pandemic-related shutdown causing their rate to revert to the default level. Senate Bill 1083 would provide a targeted, temporary exemption so these employers who were forced to shut down during the pandemic can maintain the lower unemployment compensation tax rate they earned.
“The pandemic created many challenges for employers and being able to keep their doors open and maintain their staff was one of the greatest hurdles they faced,” said Pennsylvania Chamber President and CEO Luke Bernstein. “Small business owners who have already withstood so much cannot afford the added cost of a tax hike based on circumstances that were outside of their control.”
“We appreciate the work of state Sen. Dave Argall, state Rep. Tim Twardzik, the Wolf administration, and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle who have supported this bill,” Bernstein added. “Together with our statewide local chamber partners, we are urging lawmakers to help our small businesses by getting this critical bill to the governor’s desk before the end of the legislative session.”
The local chamber coalition letter can be found here.
Governmental Affairs Committee Signs On
