Senator Yaw E-Newsletter

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Dear Friends,

Hello! Thank you for subscribing to my E-newsletter. I am honored to serve the 23rd Senate District and look forward to working with you toward building a better future for Pennsylvania!

This E-newsletter serves to keep you updated on what is happening throughout Bradford, Lycoming, Sullivan, Tioga and Union counties and what I am doing as your state senator in Harrisburg. I hope that you will find this E-newsletter helpful, and if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

Gene Yaw
State Senator
www.SenatorGeneYaw.com

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October 3, 2018

“Every man carries with him the world in which he must live.”

Senate Sends Bill Protecting Domestic Abuse Victims to Governor for Enactment

The Senate today approved legislation removing firearms from those individuals subject to Protection from Abuse orders or convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence more quickly, and eliminating third-party “safekeeping” of firearms with family or friends.  House Bill 2060 mirrors legislation in the state Senate that passed unanimously last spring. The measure is now set for enactment into law.

There has been a lot of misinformation being circulated surrounding this bill. It’s important to know the facts.

10/3/18 – Strengthening Protection From Abuse (PFA) Orders in Pennsylvania (HB 2060)

Senate Approves Bill Supporting Law Enforcement Personnel

The Senate today also unanimously approved legislation that would extend the Pennsylvania Heart and Lung Act to include several law enforcement entities that are not currently protected by this important coverage. The Pennsylvania Heart and Lung Act ensures that law enforcement officers who are injured on the job are paid their full salary until they can return to work.

Senate Bill 1073 would also provide state universities, state-related universities and community colleges the option to provide coverage to their campus police. The measure now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration.

Senate Advances POLST Order Bill to House of Representatives

Legislation I sponsored this session that would codify use of a standardized Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) form for individuals suffering from a serious illness or toward the end of life was approved by the full Senate.

Senate Bill 623 allows POLST forms to be used by medical professionals across all health care settings for patients who voluntarily wish to execute a POLST order.

Bipartisan Measure to Increase Safety in Active Highway Work Zones Approved

Senate Bill 172 was approved in the state Senate on Tuesday. The bill will allow for automated speed enforcement systems (ASES) in active work zones along federal aid highways under PennDOT and the Turnpike Commission’s jurisdiction.

Motorists exceeding the speed limit by at least 11 mph when construction workers and an ASES are present will receive a written warning for the first offense, a $75 fine for the second offense and a $150 fine for third and subsequent offenses.

Secretary of Health, Doctors Share Expertise on the Disease of Addiction

Members of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania Board of Directors and other legislators on Tuesday convened at the State Capitol as part of a four year examination of the statewide opioid crisis, with a focus on treating addiction as a disease, such as heart disease or diabetes.

Beginning in 2014, the Center for Rural Pennsylvania (CRP), a bipartisan, bicameral legislative research agency of the General Assembly, held the first of 15 public hearings to discuss the state’s growing opioid epidemic. Tuesday’s hearing sought to highlight opioid addiction as a treatable, chronic condition, not a moral flaw.

To read more, click here.

Lycoming County Project Awarded Multimodal Funding

River Valley Transit will receive $1,193,306 in Multimodal Transportation Funding for the realignment of Franklin Street and reconstruction of Basin Street. The project will include bike lanes, transit stops, ADA ramps, sidewalks, lighting, and storm water management. I was pleased to lend my support for this project.

On Friday, October 5th, PennDOT will begin accepting applications for the next round of funding for grants under the Multimodal Transportation Fund.

For more information about the program visit www.penndot.gov and click on Multimodal Transportation under “Projects & Programs”.

Meeting Miss Pennsylvania 2018

Senator Yaw meets “Miss Pennsylvania 2018,” Gettysburg native Kayla Repasky.  As Miss PA, Kayla serves as the goodwill ambassador for all five of Pennsylvania’s Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

Senator Gene Yaw speaks during Pennsylvania Public Media’s documentary screening “Battling Opioids”, held last week in the Ryan Office Building in Harrisburg.

Pictured L to R: Senator Gene Yaw joins award winning journalist and WVIA host Paola Giangiacomo, Raphael Barishansky, Pennsylvania Department of Health; and Stefanie Salavantis, Luzerne County District Attorney as they discuss current strategies to fight the opioid crisis throughout Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania during WVIA’s “Battling Opioids” Community Forum. The Forum was held on September 26 in Pittston.

Senator Gene Yaw served as the Keynote Speaker for the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry’s DEP Quarterly Update at Harrisburg University on September 26.

REAL ID Extension Granted

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has extended the deadline — from October 10 to August 2019 — for Pennsylvania to issue REAL IDs that allow state residents to board commercial airlines and enter certain federal facilities.

Driver’s licenses and photo ID cards that are compliant with REAL ID are expected to be available in Pennsylvania March 2019.

Without the extension, residents with current state IDs would need a passport or other approved document to board planes or access federal facilities.

The federal law requires driver’s licenses and ID cards to have security enhancements and to be issued to people who prove they are legally in the United States.

For more information on REAL ID, https://www.dmv.pa.gov/REALID/Pages/default.aspx

Voter Registration Closes on Monday, October 8

The last day to register to vote or to update your registration before the November 6 General Election is Monday, October 8.

You may register to vote or update your name, address, and/or party affiliation on your existing registration record by one of the following methods:

To register to vote, a person must:

  • Be a citizen of the United States for at least one month before the next election;
  • Be a resident of Pennsylvania and your election district for at least 30 days before the next election; and
  • Be at least 18 years of age on the day of the next election.

CIL NCPA to Hold Annual Fall Festival

The Center for Independent Living of North Central PA (CIL NCPA), located at 24 E. 3rd Street in Williamsport, PA 17701 is holding its annual Fall Festival on Friday October 5, 2018 from 5:00PM to 8:00PM.

There will be games, activities and refreshments. This features an accessible haunted house, the only known one in the area. CIL NCPA serves 11 NC and NE PA counties with disability services and other supports.

For more information, please contact Amy Cline- 570-327-9070 or acline@cilncp.org. You can learn more about us at www.cilncp.org.

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