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Click here to find the latest information on coronavirus from the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Op-Ed: What Critics Get Wrong About Energy Choice

Last month, seven environmental groups wrote a misguided letter to Philadelphia officials bashing legislation that I sponsored as counterintuitive to the city’s decarbonization goals.

In October, six Democrats, including two from the southeast corner of the state, joined all 28 Republicans and our chamber’s lone Independent to approve Senate Bill 275. That’s a veto proof majority, for those counting.

Why? Because the bill’s purpose is simple: it prevents Pennsylvania’s 2,500-plus municipalities from banning access to certain utilities, like natural gas or heating oil. This will preserve consumer access to affordable electricity, no matter where they live, and prevent a chaotic patchwork of regulations that ultimately undermine statewide environmental and energy policies.

It also reaffirms what many local and statewide officials, including the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, already understand to be true: municipalities do not have the authority to restrict energy sources.  READ MORE

Spartronics Contract Manufacturing Latest Williamsport-Based Business Specializing in Defense & Aerospace

A local manufacturing facility that serves key vertical markets, including the U.S. military, was in the spotlight last Wednesday.

Spartronics Contract Manufacturing, located on Reach Road, offers a range of comprehensive services for their customers including printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) and subsystem integration to full-box build (high-level assemblies). Additional services include product design, manufacturing testing, supply chain management, sustaining engineering, and a suite of aftermarket services to support the full product lifecycle.  Their customer sectors range from defense, space, commercial aerospace, medical devices, life sciences and instrumentation and control. Additionally, their network of factories includes locations in the United States and Vietnam.

I’m proud to say that Williamsport is becoming the hub for companies specializing in the aerospace and defense industries. Spartronics’ contract manufacturing and quality management systems have been exceeding their customers’ expectations. That says a tremendous amount about our local workforce and their job skills. These jobs are dedicated to saving lives across the globe and securing our nation.

Proposed Redistricting Plans Remain in the Spotlight

Newly proposed state Senate and House maps propose significant changes to the representation of Lycoming, Sullivan, Susquehanna and Union counties. These proposed maps could see major changes before they are ultimately approved by the Legislative Reapportionment Commission. Visit this link to share your thoughts on the proposals with the commission.

In the State Senate, the 23rd Senatorial District would continue to encompass all of Bradford, Lycoming, Sullivan and Union counties, but would no longer include Susquehanna County. Instead, all of Tioga County would be included in the District.

The State House districts in the 23rd District would see major changes under the proposed plan, as well.

LYCOMING County (83rd District represented by Rep. Jeff Wheeland)

Part of LYCOMING County consisting of the CITY of Williamsport and the TOWNSHIPS of Armstrong, Fairfield, Loyalsock, Mill Creek, Muncy, Upper Fairfield and Wolf and the BOROUGHS of Duboistown, Hughesville, Montoursville and South Williamsport.

LYCOMING, SULLIVAN and UNION Counties (84th District represented by Rep. Joe Hamm)

Part of LYCOMING County consisting of the TOWNSHIPS of Brady, Cascade, Clinton, Eldred, Franklin, Gamble, Hepburn, Jordan, Moreland, Muncy Creek, Penn, Plunketts Creek, Shrewsbury and Washington and the BOROUGHS of Montgomery, Muncy and Picture Rocks; All of SULLIVAN County and Part of UNION County consisting of the TOWNSHIPS of Buffalo, Gregg, Hartley, Kelly, Lewis, Limestone, West Buffalo and White Deer and the BOROUGHS of Hartleton, Lewisburg, Mifflinburg and New Berlin.

BRADFORD and TIOGA Counties. (68th District represented by Rep. Clint Owlett)

Part of BRADFORD County consisting of the TOWNSHIPS of Armenia, Burlington, Canton, Columbia, Franklin, Granville, Leroy, Monroe, North Towanda, Overton, Ridgebury, Smithfield, South Creek, Springfield, Towanda, Troy, Wells and West Burlington and the BOROUGHS of Alba, Burlington, Canton, Monroe, Sylvania and Troy and All of TIOGA County.

BRADFORD and WYOMING Counties. (110th District represented by Rep. Tina Pickett)

Part of BRADFORD County consisting of the TOWNSHIPS of Albany, Asylum, Athens, Herrick, Litchfield, Orwell, Pike, Rome, Sheshequin, Standing Stone, Stevens, Terry, Tuscarora, Ulster, Warren, Wilmot, Windham, Wyalusing and Wysox and the BOROUGHS of Athens, Leraysville, New Albany, Rome, Sayre, South Waverly, Towanda and Wyalusing and All of WYOMING County.

SUSQUEHANNA and WAYNE Counties. (111th District represented by Rep. Jonathan Fritz)

All of SUSQUEHANNA County and Part of WAYNE County consisting of the TOWNSHIPS of Berlin, Buckingham, Canaan, Clinton, Damascus, Dyberry, Lebanon, Manchester, Mount Pleasant, Oregon, Preston, Scott, South Canaan and Texas and the BOROUGHS of Bethany, Honesdale, Prompton, Starrucca and Waymart.

JUNIATA, MIFFLIN, SNYDER and UNION Counties. (85th District represented by Rep. David Rowe)

Part of JUNIATA County consisting of the TOWNSHIPS of Fayette and Monroe; Part of MIFFLIN County consisting of the TOWNSHIPS of Decatur and Derry and the BOROUGH of Burnham; All of SNYDER County and Part of UNION County consisting of the TOWNSHIPS of East Buffalo and Union.

PA Farm Show Kicks Off

The 106th Pennsylvania Farm Show kicked off Saturday in Harrisburg, and will feature nearly 6,000 animals, 12,000 competitive events and exhibits, 300 commercial exhibits and hundreds of educational and entertaining events.

In addition to the farm animals and competition, the Farm Show is known for the Food Court smorgasbord. You can find a complete schedule of events here.

During the Farm Show, the Pennsylvania State Grange will be hosting a legislative panel on January 13th at 10:00am in the Monongahela Room on the Maclay Street side of the farm show on the 2nd floor. This year’s panel will focus on Solar Development.

The Pennsylvania State Grange knows vital it is to develop alternative sources of energy. Farmers have been at the cutting edge of these technologies such as using methane to generate electricity. Producing utility-scale solar energy from rural PA is the next big frontier. The Grange convened this 2022 Farm Show program to present perspectives from the General Assembly and solar industry stakeholders on how to make this goal a reality without reducing the food potential from productive farmland. Sen. Gene Yaw and Rep. Dan Moul will both be presenting on the issue. The panel will also offer advice for landowners if they are approached by solar companies.

Visitors to the Farm Show Complex will not be required to wear a mask, but the Department of Agriculture is encouraging people to wear masks and practice social distancing at the event. Entrance is free, but parking costs $15 per car at all Farm Show complex lots.

Senate Accomplishments: Health Care

In its ongoing effort to improve access to quality health care, the Senate rounded out 2021 by passing new laws to preserve and expand prescription drug assistance for Pennsylvania senior citizens.

Passed by the Senate and signed into law last month was legislation that extends the Social Security cost-of-living-adjustment moratorium for individuals enrolled in PACE and PACENET to preserve access to these senior citizen prescription drug programs.

The Senate also passed a new law that expands income eligibility for PACENET, allowing an additional 24,000 Pennsylvania seniors to receive help with prescription drug costs.

Other new healthcare laws passed by the Senate boosted donations to fight breast cancer, created the Living Donor Protection Act, encouraged more physician assistants to stay and practice in the Commonwealth, reduced nursing home labor shortages, continued to confront the opioid crisis, and more.

Resource Page for COVID-19 Prevention and Treatments

There are now multiple COVID-19 prevention and treatment options authorized by the FDA for emergency use in patients at high risk of developing severe COVID-19. While they’re not substitutes for vaccines, they might be right for some people.

The state Department of Health website has information regarding the distribution of COVID-19 Prevention and Treatments, covering:

• Pre-Exposure Prevention
• Post-Exposure Prevention
• COVID-19 Treatment
• Oral Antivirals
• Monoclonal Antibodies

You can find locations for prevention medicines and treatment at Therapeutics Distribution | HHS Protect Public Data Hub and information also can be found on local distributions of the oral antiviral medications Paxlovid and Molnupiravir. The supply of oral antiviral medications is extremely limited until national production increases. Consult with your healthcare provider on the appropriateness and availability of these treatments.

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