By Alex Fabian, manager, government relations

The COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged the world economy, and Pennsylvania has not been immune. In fact, we rank in the top five states for number of cases. The pandemic has impacted nearly every aspect of daily life, business life, and political life, including the state legislature and the advocacy community.

Under normal circumstances, the PICPA government relations team would be busy attending fundraisers, offering input on the 2020-2021 state budget process, and pushing to get our legislative priorities through the state House and Senate. However, during this public health crisis, the legislature has been brought to a near halt, with virtually no legislative measures moving forward unless they are COVID-19 related. Additionally, the Pennsylvania primary election, which was initially scheduled for April 28, has been pushed back until June 2, with absentee and mail-in voting options available and encouraged, to allow for voting while maintaining social distancing.

Advocating on your behalf is usually an in-person endeavor, and navigating this new world has been complicated and uncertain, but over the past few weeks the PICPA has been able to muster an all-hands-on-deck effort. Members, staff, and CPA supporters have been reaching out to seek extensions for tax deadlines, declare CPAs “life sustaining workers” so their essential economic work could continue, and pursue countless efforts to ensure the accounting community would not take a severe hit during this time.

These efforts could not take place without the many supporters of PICPA’s efforts. We would like to offer a special thanks to those who made a CPA-PAC contribution in 2019. Because of you and your colleagues, the CPA-PAC raised more than $230,000 in total contributions. Most notably, combined contributions from individuals and medium-size firms rose by about $10,000 from 2018, and more than 200 members gave for the first time.

CPA-PAC funds supported 119 elected officials on both sides of the aisle and helped facilitate two major legislative accomplishments: Act 90 of 2019, a commonsense measure that establishes a 10-year window for the Department of Revenue to collect taxes, and Act 13 of 2019, omnibus legislation that includes a much-needed amendment to estate and inheritance taxes.

As we have seen things play out over the past few weeks, PICPA’s strong and reliable voice in Harrisburg has been sought more than ever, and that influence is due in large part to your support of the CPA-PAC. I encourage you to review the 2019 CPA-PAC Annual Report which details our numerous successes last year.

As economies put plans in place to reopen and you prepare to renew your annual PICPA membership, please consider using the dues checkoff option for the CPA-PAC. No portion of your dues goes towards the CPA-PAC. In fact, we are prohibited by law from doing so. Your contribution, in any amount, goes a long way in assisting our efforts, which are more vital than ever before.

I encourage you to find out more about the CPA-PAC so you can see first hand the great work the CPA-PAC is doing, and please consider contributing to the CPA-PAC via the dues check off option available when you renew your membership.

We will navigate these uncertain times together and ensure that CPAs continue to have a powerful and unified voice in Harrisburg through 2020 and beyond.

On behalf of the government relations team, stay safe and be well!

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