View this email in a browser

SIGN UP TODAY:  Municipal Leaders Grant & Resource Workshop Set for March 12

I am inviting elected government officials and staff to attend my “Municipal Leaders Grant and Resource Workshop,” which will be held Thursday, March 12th in the Penn’s Inn Room inside the Campus Center at Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport.  Registration opens at 5:30PM with the program beginning at 6PM.  Light refreshments will be provided.

The workshop will feature experts from the following departments: Community and Economic Development, Transportation, Conservation and Natural Resources, PennVEST, and General Services, in addition to the Senate Republican Caucus Services Grant Team.

As part of the workshop, you will receive a reference manual that contains a comprehensive listing of grant programs and important contact information.  I believe you will find the manual to be a valuable reference for many years to come.

There is no charge for the event, but seating is limited and pre-registration is necessary.  Multiple people from your municipality or county are welcome to attend.  To register for the workshop, click here or contact my Williamsport district office 570-322-6457.

Lycoming County Wins $5.6 Million Federal Grant to Improve Levee

Lycoming County has won a $5.6 million federal competitive grant that will be used to replace and improve an I-wall and repair several drainage cross pipes in the Williamsport levee flood control system. The grant was awarded to the County yesterday by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) and is part of the Disaster Recovery declaration announced in August 2018.

The Greater Williamsport Levee is the second largest flood control system of its kind in Pennsylvania. Constructed by the US Army Corps of Engineers in the 1950’s, the levee keeps the West Branch Susquehanna River from flooding the downtown business district and nearby businesses and industry. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the levee protects approximately $4 billion in economic assets and thousands of jobs in the commercial core of North Central Pennsylvania.

Discussing Natural Gas Post-Production Costs with Pennsylvania’s Attorney General 

On Monday, I had the opportunity to question Attorney General Josh Shapiro during the Senate Appropriations Committee budget hearing.  A number of topics discussed included an update on the lawsuit over natural gas drilling payments owed to landowners, the recent opioid settlement and how proceeds would be distributed to Pennsylvania communities, and efforts to reduce prescription drug and fentanyl overdose deaths.

Questioning L&I Officials on Prevailing Wage Reform

This week, I questioned officials from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry over their stance on prevailing wage.

The prevailing wage law was passed in 1961, and the dollar amount for a prevailing wage project in 1961 was stated to be $25,000.  It’s been 59 years and that law has not been amended, although there have been attempts to amend it.  When pressed on whether to entertain an increase in the threshold, officials deferred to the advice of the Prevailing Wage Advisory Board.

Appropriations Hearing with Auditor General Eugene DePasquale

During the PA Senate Budget hearing with Pennsylvania’s Auditor General, I asked about pharmacy benefit managers and rebates in the pharmaceutical industry.  In addition, a number of other topics were addressed by my colleagues including fraud, waste and abuse in the Department of Human Services, audits of managed care organizations, voter registration integrity and the Governor’s proposed fee for state police service. To watch the complete hearing, click here.

National FFA Week!  Celebrating Agriculture and Ag Education

Founded as Future Farmers of America, FFA members are Agriculture Education students engaged in career and leadership development. The Pennsylvania FFA Association has produced 210 Ag Science teachers, and the nearly 13,000 PA FFA members will help maintain Pennsylvania’s proud farming legacy.  Let’s celebrate National FFA Week from February 22^nd to 29^th!  For more information, click here.

Make PA Count!

Now is the time! The 2020 Census is underway, and I urge you to fill out your Census form.  Please encourage relatives, friends and neighbors to fill out and return their forms as well. 

The 2020 Census will provide a snapshot of our nation’s population, and the results are vitally important to our state. This once-a-decade federal requirement generates information that helps businesses, researchers, and communities make important decisions. It also determines congressional representation, and is used to direct hundreds of billions in federal funding to communities nationwide for hospitals, fire departments, school lunch programs, and other critical programs and services. So please, take the time to be counted.  To learn more, click here.

2024 © Senate of Pennsylvania | https://www.senatorgeneyaw.com | Privacy Policy