League Capitol Conference

Overnight reservations are available at the Hilton Harrisburg for $169. Parking is available in the connecting Walnut Street Garage. Please use the link below to make your reservation or call: 717-233-6000 and use Group Code: I0TL6. Overnight reservations are available until May 17 or the group room block is sold-out. Check-in is: 3:00 p.m. and check-out is: 12:00 noon. The deadline to cancel overnight reservations is 72-hours prior to arrival. If you have any questions regarding overnight accommodations, please contact Mary Costik, Meeting Manager, at (717) 236-9469 ext. *232.

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Capitol Conference Program Agenda

Wednesday, June 8

10:00 a.m.	Registration Opens All sessions and meals are in the York Ballroom (2nd Floor) unless otherwise noted.
12:00 Noon	Lunch & Welcome League President Danene Sorace, Mayor, City of Lancaster League Executive Director John Brenner
1:15 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.	Local Government Preemption Speaker: Dr. Francesca Weaks, State Campaign Consultant, Local Solutions Support Center Each legislative session, we see more and more legislation preempting local authority and decision making.  In many cases, this legislation is circulating in state houses across the country.  Preemption legislation ties the hands of local officials impacting their ability to address local needs with local problem-solving.  Dr. Weaks will explain how the Local Solutions Support Center promotes local decision making.  She will also discuss trends in local preemption.
2:15 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.	Remote Meetings and Recorded Meetings Post-COVID Speaker: Kristopher Gazsi, Esq., Assistant Director, Local Government Commission The inability to hold meetings in person in the early days of the pandemic has changed how local governments approach both meetings and public participation. Kris Gazsi will review legislation currently under consideration that provides for emergency remote meetings, as well as guidelines for both the broadcast of meetings and remote participation.
3:15 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.	Local Government’s Role in Broadband Deployment Speakers: Dan Cohen, Esq., Cohen Law Group; Todd Eachus, President, Broadband Communications Association of PA; Dr. Kyle Kopko, Executive Director, Center for Rural PA and member of the PA Broadband Development Authority Earlier this year the PA Broadband Development Authority was formed to accept and distribute at least $100 million in federal broadband deployment funds.  How will these funds be disbursed and what should local government officials do to ensure their community does not miss out on broadband infrastructure to unserved and underserved areas?  Our panel will provide perspectives from their fields of expertise.
5:00 p.m. –  6:00 p.m.	Legislative Reception, Lancaster Ballroom (2nd Floor)
6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.	Dinner, Leland Ballroom (2nd Floor) Impact of COVID on PA Downtowns Speaker: Julie Fitzpatrick, Executive Director, PA Downtown Center Our downtowns reflect the economic vitality of our communities.  As we emerge from the pandemic, how are they recovering and what does the future hold?

Thursday, June 9

7:45 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.	Breakfast
9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.	Local Use of Radar Rally on the Capitol’s Front Steps Attendees are asked to please return to the Hilton for our final session on autonomous vehicles and our ever popular, not to disappoint lunch speaker, Dr. Terry Madonna.
11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.	Highly Autonomous Vehicle (HAV) Testing: What Local Government Officials Need to Know Speakers: Mark Kopko, Director, Office of Transformational Technology, PennDOT; Nolan Ritchie, Executive Director, Senate Transportation Committee; Ariel Wolf, Esq., General Counsel to the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association Autonomous Vehicles are currently being tested in regions of our state.  Legislation under consideration will open the testing to vehicles without a human presence, as well as deployment of commercial fleets.  How will this technology impact local government?  Our panel will present the industry perspective on this advancing technology, the Commonwealth’s role in both testing and future deployment, and where the legislation stands to authorize HAV’s.
12:30 p.m.	Lunch The 2022 Midterm Election Speaker: Dr. G. Terry Madonna Dr. Madonna will provide an analysis of the 2022 midterm election. His talk will cover national and Pennsylvania politics, with an update on Pennsylvania’s important open-seat U.S. Senate and Gubernatorial elections. He will also assess the impact President Biden’s standing with the voters will have on the Midterm.