Recently enacted legislation that reforms the process used by Pennsylvanians with a criminal record to obtain an occupational license will help the state address persistent workforce skills gaps, industry leaders say.

Gov. Tom Wolf will need to expand liability protections to manufacturers, small businesses and more health care providers or risk Pennsylvania businesses refusing to open for fear of frivolous COVID-19 related lawsuits, said a coalition of state associations.

Pennsylvania business owners could lose their state licensing credentials and eligibility for liability insurance if they do not comply with the governor’s mandated three-phase reopening process, according to a statement from Gov. Tom Wolf Monday.

Long before the coronavirus paralyzed the country, healthcare was a top concern among most Pennsylvanians. And healthcare will remain a top issue through the crisis and well after the November national elections, according to experts who have been monitoring long-term trends.

Gov. Tom Wolf’s executive budget for 2020-2021 fiscal year calls for increases to the state’s workforce development effort and corporate tax cuts designed to make the state’s business climate more competitive.

Pennsylvania businesses will save an estimated $552 million in 2020 now that the state has finished refinancing 2013 federal loans that paid for the post-recession unemployment compensation fund.