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BREAKING: Shapiro Energy Plan Ignores Looming Crisis

Yesterday, Gov. Shapiro unveiled his plan for energy in Pennsylvania. While touting Pennsylvania’s legacy as an energy leader that once fueled the industrial revolution, Gov. Shapiro appears to be adopting the same misguided policies of his predecessor by imposing a RGGI-like, job-killing carbon tax on electric generation and other mandates. The Governor left out the real crisis we are facing in the next 10 years – the generation of baseload electricity.

Our grid is currently stable; however, by 2028 increased demand and lack of reliable thermal replacement generation will promote the collapse of the already strained electric grid.

Read more HERE…

In the News…

Sun – Gazette: Regional elected officials learn how to respond to medical emergencies. Read more HERE…

Delaware Valley Journal: Study warns PA electric grid could face blackouts by 2028. Read more HERE…

Republican Herald: Child care crisis explored at Center for Rural Pennsylvania hearing. Read more HERE…

Annual Government Seminar for Area High School Students Held at Penn College

On Thursday, more than 200 students from 18 schools across Bradford, Lycoming, Sullivan, Tioga, and Union counties converged on Pennsylvania College of Technology’s campus for this year’s Student Government Seminar.

The seminar gives high school students the opportunity to engage with elected officials, debate important issues, develop legislation, and vote on “mock bills” in an open session. Each year, I’m so impressed by the interest, leadership, and decision-making skills displayed by these fantastic groups of students.

A big THANK YOU to PCT for their generous hospitality and to all of this year’s volunteers, participants, and sponsors for another very successful event! We couldn’t do it without all of you!

Update from the Center for Rural Pennsylvania

On Friday, the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, which I chair, held a Global Pathways for a Thriving Rural Workforce symposium which was supported by a generous grant by the U.S. Department of State, and the Center for Rural Pennsylvania.

The Center has extensively looked at rural population trends, access to healthcare, workforce development, and innovation. Through this grant, they will be able to help workers successfully integrate into the rural workforce and determine where they can have the most impact.

We had a great discuss on how this funding will help boost local livelihoods, fill industrial gaps, and encourage local leadership.

On Monday, the Center held a hearing in Pottsville, Schuylkill County, to discuss childcare access in rural Pennsylvania.

The Board of Directors heard from officials from the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning, the Schuylkill County Chamber of Commerce, the Pennsylvania Child Care Association, and many others.

We discussed how the lack of child care has severe implications in the workplace. I noted that, as I travel around the state, I hear business leaders saying they have jobs but don’t have a workforce. An impact survey showed that the cost of infant child care represents 40% of the median income of single parents in Pennsylvania. The cost of child care is keeping a lot of people out of the workforce and low salaries for child care providers have resulted in high rates of turnover.

Mary Ann Devlin, executive director of Child Development Inc. in Pottsville, suggested that easing the requirement that child care teachers must have a college degree would help ease the burden of finding and retaining providers.

Watch the full hearing HERE.

C.E. McCall Middle School Choir Performs at the Capitol

March is “Music in Our Schools Month,” and area schools have the opportunity to showcase their musical talents.

Thank you to the wonderful students from the C.E. McCall Middle School choir in Montoursville for your fantastic performance!

Vote Wellsboro as your Favorite Small Town in the Northeast!

USA Today has put together a list of 20 small towns located in the Northeastern U.S. with no more than 25,000 residents and is asking people to vote for their favorite. This year, Wellsboro is in the running!

The towns were selected by a panel of experts based on various factors such as history, the landscape, and entertainment. To view the list and vote for Wellsboro as your favorite small town, click HERE. 

Pennsylvania Homeowner Assistance Fund to Reopen

The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) recently announced that the Pennsylvania Homeowner Assistance Fund (PAHAF) is reopening on Monday, March 18, 2024, to homeowners struggling as a result of pandemic-related financial hardships.

 PAHAF provides financial assistance to eligible homeowners for mortgage and housing-related expenses to address delinquency and avoid default, foreclosure, or displacement from their homes. 

More information on eligibility and applications HERE.

Senate Finishes Review of Shapiro’s Budget Proposal

The Senate Appropriations Committee finished the last of its review of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget proposal, which totals more than $48.3 billion and would increase state spending by 7.1% above the current year’s budget. The governor’s proposal would completely drain the state’s savings and relies on income and spending estimates that are unrealistic.

The Department of Revenue and Governor’s Budget Office hearing focused on the report issued by the non-partisan Independent Fiscal Office that indicates a $24 billion gap between Shapiro’s spending plans and the revenue the state expects to collect in the next five years. These projections show it will be all but impossible to balance budgets in the next five years without deep spending cuts and massive tax increases.

At the Department of Health hearing, the committee questioned why – as with other departments – the budget shows level funding over five years, which denies legislators the information to accurately assess the ultimate impact on taxpayers. Shapiro proposed spending $4 million to pay the medical debt of certain Pennsylvanians, and members asked for details about how the money will be distributed and if the program will necessitate additional staffing.

Having completed the official review of Shapiro’s budget proposal, the Senate will use its findings from the hearings to craft its own spending plan, with the goal of enacting a final 2024-25 state budget. Find video and recaps of every budget hearing at PASenateGOP.com.

Help Available to Fight Drug and Alcohol Abuse

State assistance is available for nonprofit organizations, government entities, community groups and parent groups that work to prevent the consequences of drug and alcohol abuse from harming Pennsylvanians.

Funding can be used to reduce the demand for, or provide an alternative to, drug and alcohol abuse and the violence and other consequences these substances can cause. It can also be used to prevent drug and alcohol abuse and associated problems through educational programming.

Apply for the grant of up to $2,000 through the Office of Attorney General Community Drug Abuse Prevention Grant Program.

2024 Adult Trout Stocking Schedule Available

The 2024 adult trout stocking schedule is now available. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission will stock approximately 3.2 million adult trout in 695 streams and 128 lakes open to public angling. An additional 1.2 million trout will be stocked by cooperative nurseries.

The trout stocking schedule is searchable by county, lists the waterways in alphabetical order, and indicates stocking dates, meeting locations for volunteers, and the species of trout that are planned to be stocked at each location. Pennsylvania’s statewide Opening Day of Trout Season is April 6. A single, statewide Mentored Youth Trout Day will take place March 30.

Trout to be stocked will include approximately 2.3 million Rainbow Trout, 702,000 Brown Trout, 132,000 Brook Trout and 14,000 Golden Rainbow Trout. As with past practice, the average size of the trout produced for stocking is 11 inches in length.

Cybersecurity Resources for Local Governments

Despite the perception that local governments are too small to be the target of bad actors online, Pennsylvania’s thousands of municipalities are at risk of cyberattack. In fact, 69% of state and local governments reported being hit in 2023 by ransomware – malicious software designed to block access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid.

To combat these attacks that often come with costly consequences, local governments should conduct a cyber assessment and make sure municipal employees understand the importance of using strong passwords and spotting suspicious emails. The initiative grew out of a January hearing held by the Senate Communications and Technology Committee and the Senate Local Government Committee focusing on cybersecurity threats faced by local governments and municipal authorities.

Funding opportunities exist to support cybersecurity efforts through the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, which administers a program that distributes federal funding. Local governments can learn more at the new Senate Republican Cybersecurity Resources for Local Governments webpage.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Saint Patrick, who lived in the fifth century, is the patron saint of Ireland and was credited with bringing Christianity to the country.

Even though the Irish have observed St. Patrick’s Day as a religious holiday for more than 1,000 years, the first St. Patrick’s Day parade actually took place in America. Records show the first parade was held on March 17, 1601, in a Spanish colony in what is now St. Augustine, Fla.

“May your troubles be less and your blessings be more, and nothing but happiness come through your door.” – Irish blessing

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