Harrisburg Update

By MB -
Health and Welfare Building, Harrisburg, PennsylvaniaBudget Hearings within both the Senate and House continued last week. DPW Sec. Gary Alexander was before the Senate Appropriations Committee to take questions regarding the department’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The at times contentious hearing touched on issues relating to the Human Services Development Fund Block Grant, cuts to certain services, as well as the department’s success in rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse. For more information, please click here.

The House Appropriations Committee also met with the Department of Community and Economic Development, touching on issues ranging from the proposed consolidation of economic development programs under the Liberty Financing Authority to the state of the Pennsylvania tourism industry. Secretary C. Alan Walker also told the committee he is confident there is a strong likelihood that two of the three refineries in southeastern Pennsylvania at risk of closing permanently may yet be saved. While not going into details, he said there are prospective buyers for the refineries, which owners Sunoco and ConocoPhillips plan to close. For more information please click here.

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