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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
“A life without Love is like a year without Summer.” REMINDER: Canton Outreach Set for June 28A member of my staff will be available to meet with area residents on Thursday, June 28th – 3PM-5PM – at the Green Free Library, 38 North Center Street, Canton, PA 17724. Constituent services are always available at my Williamsport District Office, located at 175 Pine Street, Suite 105, from 9AM-5PM, or by calling (800) 443-5772, or my Capitol Office by calling (717) 787-3280. Senate Approves On-Time, No-Tax Budget That Invests in Education, School SafetyOn June 21st, the state Senate approved a fiscally responsible budget for Fiscal Year 2018-2019 that holds the line on spending, increases funding for education and school safety initiatives, and includes no new taxes. The final spending total of $32.7 billion remains below the rate of inflation, and well within the limits prescribed in the Taxpayer Bill of Rights. It also allocates money to the state’s Rainy Day fund for the first time in more than a decade. The budget makes a historic investment in school safety with more than $60 million in new funding for school resource officers, security equipment and other proven methods of preventing school violence. To read more, click here. To review the FY 2018-19 Enacted General Fund Budget (HB 2121) Tracking Run, click here. Senate Approves Agriculture BillsRecognizing the importance of agriculture to Pennsylvania’s economy, the Senate passed several measures last week to support farmers. These actions are in addition to the FY 2018-19 budget agreement that would restore funding to a number of critical programs under the Department of Agriculture, which Governor Wolf sought to eliminate in his February budget proposal. The Senate approved Senate Bill 1171, legislation that would give farmers greater input on proposed environmental regulations that could impact their farms. It would also ensure representatives from every region of the state are included. The Senate also approved Senate Bill 819 to ensure agri-tourism activities – such as farm tours, hay rides and corn mazes – are authorized on farms that are part of the state’s farmland preservation program. The state budget also includes $3 million to combat the spread of the Spotted Lanternfly, an invasive species that threatens the grape, hops and logging industries. Products in 13 Pennsylvania counties remain under quarantine to prevent the pest from spreading to other parts of the state. Senate Sends Comprehensive School Safety Measure to Governor’s Desk
On June 22nd, the state Senate approved a comprehensive, bipartisan school safety bill that will dedicate significant new resources to help prevent school violence. Senate Bill 1142 would create the School Safety and Security Grant Program to distribute $60 million in new school safety funding that was included in the state budget. The new funding is in addition to the $10 million dedicated to an existing grant program created in 2013. The two grant programs will provide funding for a variety of measures designed to improve student safety and reduce school violence. To read more, click here. Bill to Broaden Access to Epinephrine Heads to HouseA bill that would allow restaurants, sports venues, amusement parks, colleges, daycare centers and other entities to store non-patient specific epinephrine injectors for emergency use was approved by the Senate. House Bill 126 would broaden the number of entities that could store non-patient specific epinephrine injectors. Under current law, only schools are allowed to store injectors without a patient-specific prescription. New Law Will Allow Hospice Workers to Dispose Of Unused Prescription DrugsSenate Bill 978, legislation allowing hospice workers to dispose of medications left behind when a home hospice patient passes away, will soon become law. The bill relieves the burden of grieving families, and helps to keep the drugs out of the wrong hands. The modification was necessary due to a change to federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) rules that prohibited disposal by homecare providers, unless specifically authorized by the state. Joint PIAA Legislative Oversight Committee Public Hearing HeldLast week, the Joint PIAA Legislative Oversight Committee held a public hearing to discuss student-athlete transfer issues and a PIAA competition classification proposal. The Pennsylvania Athletic Oversight Committee was created by Act 70 of 2004 by the General Assembly as a legislative oversight committee to meet at least once a year for the purposes of reviewing the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association’s continued compliance with Act 91 of 2000, responding to issues related to the activities of the Association and to issue an annual report of its findings to the presiding officers in both Chambers. USDA Funding AvailableI recently learned that USDA Rural Development has surplus funds available that must be used by August 1st. These funds can be used for water, sewer, and stormwater projects by public and non-profit entities, and must serve rural areas of population of 10,000 or less. For more information please contact: USDA Rural Development |
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