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Promising to have the backs of the local business and labor sector amid the COVID-19 pandemic, two state lawmakers and a Lycoming County commissioner delivered a message of optimism Tuesday to leaders of business and industry.
Commissioner Scott Metzger, chairman; state Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Loyalsock Township, and state Rep. Joseph Hamm, R- Hepburn Township each expressed their hopes as they work to deliver business-sustaining relief funding to many of those gathered for the 135th annual meeting of the Williamsport/Lycoming County Chamber of Commerce.
"I wake up and I feel like I am in the movie Groundhog Day and I'm Bill Murray," Metzger said.
Metzger noted how the commissioners helped to funnel economic assistance with help from the chamber to the business community.
In coming days, the county will serve as a pass-through and use STEP Inc. to assist in the distribution of $7 million toward landlord recovery, Metzger said.
The county's pursuit of payroll protection loans and other forms of grants for business and industry will continue.
"We had 91 businesses in the first round and $100,000 in grants and $100,000 in payroll protection loans," he said, adding there were 90 businesses receiving help in a second distribution. Forty-six non-profits received a portion of $1.5 million in relief and $1.6 million was apportioned for 336 local businesses, he said.
Moreover, Metzger said, $231,000 went to alternative learning centers, while $207,000 was earmarked for fire and emergency management services and $145,000 went to nine municipalities, he said. Additionally, he said, $3.1 million has been distributed to the school districts, or $200 per child, on average.
Two weeks ago, Metzger said, the county had just 36 hours to put together an application in order to get $1.2 million that will be for hospitality businesses (hotels) and restaurants.
Toward that end, Yaw said he joined with many of his colleagues throughout the year in various efforts to sustain businesses.
More recently, he voted on a resolution to promote carryoutpa.com, a website encouraging residents to support struggling restaurants throughout their communities in light of Gov. Tom Wolf's recent closures.
From the time the virus emerged, Yaw said he and the office staff worked to get resources for areas businesses and employees affected by the coronavirus shutdown.
Early in the pandemic, Yaw said he supported the Commonwealth Financing Authority providing relief to small businesses impacted by the virus by authorizing the transfer of $40 million to the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority.
Yaw voted in favor of advancing legislation out of the Senate Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee, including two bills that would address fairs and food establishments impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak.
Yaw supported passage of an interim $25.8 billion state budget proposal and a package of bills designed to support families, businesses, employees, and organizations affected by the pandemic.
Yaw said he has voted in favor of legislation aimed at providing liability assistance for health care providers, personal protective equipment manufacturers, schools, and businesses, to protect them from unfair lawsuits against the good-faith actions they took during the pandemic.
Hamm, who is in his first year serving the 84th Congressional district, said he is optimistic the economy will pick back up, but, he said, it will be driven by less big government regulation and more local business initiative and chamber of commerce involvement.
"I feel the best is yet to come," Hamm said, adding the engines driving the state economy are local business and industry, small start-ups, and its entrepreneurial spirit.
Hamm said much of what is in the governor's budget is pork and would stymie business recovery.
Hamm expressed his opposition to a proposed 46 percent increase in personal income tax, harmful.
Hamm also denounced any attempt to add a severance tax on natural gas and oil companies and was concerned about losing the gas drilling impact fee, which he said benefits the local municipalities and their budgets and is an top economic driver.