Key issues discussed, debated at Back Mountain Chamber Legislative Breakfast
DALLAS — Managing to successfully muddle through a couple of political dust-ups, Northeast Pennsylvania’s federal and state legislators provided answers to questions on several key issues at Friday’s Back Mountain Chamber Legislative Breakfast.
The event, held at The Greens at Irem Clubhouse in Dallas, was attended by U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Dallas; U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan Jr., R-Dallas Township; Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Lehman Township; Rep. Brenda Pugh, R-Dallas Township; Rep. Jamie Walsh, R-Ross Township; Rep. Jim Haddock, D-Pittston Township; Rep. Alec Ryncavage, R-Hanover Township; and Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre.
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Rep. Bresnahan said he met with Michael Wade Smith, PSU senior vice president/chief of staff, who is the co-lead of the group in charge of providing a final recommendation on the future composition of the Commonwealth Campus system.
“As of two weeks ago, I was told no decisions have been made,” Rep. Bresnahan said. “If anybody is going to chain themselves to a fence over this, it’s me because many of my constituents would be affected.”
Rep. Bresnahan said he sent a letter to PSU President Neeli Bendapudi, following the Feb. 25, 2025, memoranda by PSU to reevaluate campus locations across the Commonwealth.
He said Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District is home to a campus in Scranton, and two additional campuses — Hazleton and Wilkes-Barre (Lehman Township) — sit just outside the district and serve a sizable number of Rep. Bresnahan’s constituents.
“I want to make clear the deep concern and growing anxiety I have heard from my constituents that rely on these campuses for both education and employment, and highlight the detrimental impacts the closure of any of these campuses will have on higher education access and economic growth in our NEPA,” Rep. Bresnahan said. “I am most concerned about how closures could impact the quality and scope of PSU programs available to our local students and the potential job losses among local PSU faculty and staff.”
Rep. Bresnahan noted that the Feb. 25, memoranda stated that PSU’s leadership will be evaluating which of its campuses will close in the next several years. The Scranton, Hazleton and Wilkes-Barre campuses are among those being reviewed for potential closure or consolidation.
“Attempts at decreasing access to the services that are provided at our local PSU campuses only threaten to hinder our economic revitalization,” Rep. Bresnahan said.
Sen. Baker echoed many of Rep. Bresnahan’s concerns and she also noted that she was upset because the state legislators were never made aware of the possible closures prior to the public announcement of the plan.
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