HARRISBURG – The Senate and House Local Government committees held a joint hearing today exploring the positives experienced for local government entities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sen. Cris Dush (R-25), who is the chair of the committee, reviewed the successful adaptations that transpired throughout local governments and encouraged the entities to continue them in the future.
“A lot of times, when we do things with speed, the second- and third-order impacts of what we do often aren’t considered,” Dush stated. “We’ve got the time now to study those impacts so we can avoid potential unintended consequences in the future, and I appreciate everyone getting together and working on this as a team with our local governments.”
Testifiers at the hearing described the transition to virtual and hybrid meetings, technological advancements in conducting municipal business with the public and other government organizations, and improved transparency. They also highlighted ways the pandemic led them to make regulatory changes, improve efficiency, and modernize procedures.
Watch the Senate and House Local Government joint hearing here.
CONTACT: Mary Yoder, myoder@pasen.gov