Local business leaders and other officials gathered in Harmony this morning to hear from state officials at the Butler County Chamber of Commerce State of the Commonwealth event.
The annual event gives industry and local leaders a chance to hear from senators and house members that represent Butler County.
It was hosted at the Pittsburgh Event Center, inside the Steamfitters Union in Harmony.
A variety of topics were discussed during the panel, which included State Senators Scott Hutchinson and Elder Vogel, along with State Representatives Aaron Bernstine, Tim Bonner, and Marci Mustello.
All lawmakers advocated for regulatory reforms, saying the permitting process in the state takes too long and hinders economic development.
State Senator Elder Vogel says making investments in infrastructure remains important.
“We’re not in housing as much anymore, but there are infrastructure investments in roads, water, and sewage,” Vogel said. “That’s seen in the Route 228 project, which is still continuing, as we try to make traffic flow better.”
State Representative Marci Mustello is hoping for a budget process that is done on time.
“Hopefully the leaders have learned their lesson from last year. No side is going to get everything they want, so we need to be able to come to a resolution and set egos aside,” Mustello said.
She also weighed in on liquor licenses, which can cost up to $400,000 in Butler County.
“There are some other liquor licenses available, and we’ve worked with some local restaurants to try and secure those. But, there could also be a way to have licenses cross county lines and make them more affordable for mom-and-pop restaurants,” Mustello said.
Lawmakers also talked about making sure the state is ready for the development of data centers and artificial intelligence.
There was also a discussion surrounding the recently passed women’s in sports law in the state senate.
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