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Municipal Officials & Staff:  Grant Workshop Registration Closing March 11th at Noon

The last day to register for the Municipal Grant Workshop is tomorrow March 11th at 12PM.  Municipal leaders and staff wishing to SIGN UP may do so by, clicking here, or by calling my Williamsport District office at 570-322-6457.  There is no charge for the event, but seating is limited and pre-registration is necessary.

The event will be held on Thursday, March 12th, 6PM, in the Penn’s Inn Room inside the Campus Center at Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport.  The municipal workshop will feature experts from the following departments: Community and Economic Development, DCNR, PennVEST & General Services, in addition to the state Senate Republican Caucus Services Grant Team.  For more details, click here.

Williamsport Sun-Gazette LTE:  What You Should Know About Proposed PA Property Tax Plans

Recently in a letter to the editor, I was criticized for withholding support of Senate Bill 76 and House Bill 76, state legislation that proposes to eliminate some real estate property taxes for Pennsylvania property owners.  Neither of these bills involve a tax reduction.   Instead, by eliminating school real estate taxes, but not all real estate taxes, these bills propose to shift taxes away from real estate.   The question then becomes, “Who pays for this shift?”   According to the letter writer, this shift involves increasing the state’s personal income tax by 1.6% and by increasing the sales tax by 1%, which are implied to be “minimal” increases.  That comment falls within the realm of being a misleading half-truth.

SB 76 and HB 76 propose to increase the personal income tax from 3.07% to 4.95% which is a 1.88% increase.   (The letter writer refers to a 1.6% increase but there is no proposal with such an increase.)  The fact not addressed is what is the percentage of increase from the base number?   To continue reading, click here.  

Susquehanna County ‘Ag Day’ Marks 31st Year 

[Pictured with Amanda Iveson, 2020 Maple Ambassador for the Endless Mountains Maple Syrup Producers Association] 

[Pictured with Farm Bureau Members, Extension Staff and Elected Officials] 

[Pictured with Cody Adams, Elk Lake 6th Grader] 

On March 6th, I was happy to attend the 31st anniversary of the start of Susquehanna County Ag Day. It is great to see so many young people attending.  The event, held at Elk Lake High School, kicked off with 75 plus vendors, 15 educational workshops, health organizations, lunch, pie baking contest, pie auction, and delicious dairy products including milk, cheese, and ice cream!  I look forward to this event each year.  What started as Dairy Day has in recent years expanded into an event that celebrates all aspects of the agriculture industry, covering numerous educational topics and drawing hundreds of guests to the school. 

Senate Republican Leadership Commits Support to Efforts to Combat COVID-19 in PA

State Senate leaders this week issued a statement about the Senate’s support for efforts to combat COVID-19:

“We have been in contact with the governor and are committed to the efforts to fight COVID-19 in the Commonwealth. We will work with our colleagues to address the steps needed to combat the spread of this virus.” 

“We encourage everyone to visit the Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control websites regularly for updates while continuing to put into practice recommendations such as washing hands properly, refraining from touching your face and staying home when feeling sick.”

If you have recent travel history or have been in contact with a known #COVID19 exposure, we encourage Pennsylvanians to call 1-877-PA-HEALTH (1-877-724-3258) to discuss their symptoms and exposure to determine if a test is needed. 

WAHS Junior Competes at Poetry Out Loud State Championship on Monday 

[WASD student Oam Patel is pictured with Nick Troutman, aide to Sen. Yaw, prior to the 2020 ‘Poetry Out Loud’ State Finals Competition at the PA State Museum in Harrisburg on Monday]

Williamsport Area High School junior Oam Patel competed at the Poetry Out Loud state championship yesterday in Harrisburg, along with 13 other finalists who won their regional contests to qualify for the competition.

Oam secured a first-place win at the regional level in Towanda on Jan. 17 by reciting “Dream Song 14” by John Berryman, “After Working 60 Hours Again for What Reason?” by Bob Hicok, and “Charles Sumner” by Charlotte L. Fortin Grimke.

“Poetry Out Loud (POL) encourages the nation’s youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation. More than 3.8 million high school students from more than 16,000 high schools across the United States have discovered the magic of beautiful language through Poetry Out Loud.” For more information on Poetry Out Loud, or for a listing of 2020 winners (to be updated), click here.

Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board Accepting Applications for Grants to Reduce Underage and Dangerous Drinking

The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) is now accepting applications for grants to fund programs that discourage and reduce underage and dangerous drinking, and promote a message of responsible alcohol consumption by those of legal drinking age.

Eligible grant applicants include school districts, institutions of higher education, community organizations, municipal police departments, municipal officials, and non-profit organizations.  Grant funded initiatives have included increased police patrols, social norms campaigns, “Parents Who Host, Lose the Most” campaigns, college alcohol assessment surveys, online alcohol education programs, peer training, and more.

The deadline to apply is noon on Friday, March 20.  The grant application and guidelines can be found on the grants page of the PLCB website

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