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DWG: Route 611 Closure
This prolonged closure has done more harm than necessary. I totally respect that there are laws they are trying to respect within the National Park Service, but when you want to get something done – you can get it done. The state has secured the necessary emergency funding and has specialized crews ready to begin the work – but permitting issues continue to delay the process. View the latest at this Pocono Record Article or in this WFMZ report. Last week, I issued this press release. In July, I also issued a press release on this issue and a video regarding the urgency to begin the necessary work. Report on PA’s Education System
Members of the Basic Education Funding Commission shared a report updating the commonwealth’s funding formula for K-12 education as required by law. The plan would provide great budget stability for school districts, ensure students will receive at least the same amount as the current year’s historic budget allocations and seek to institute increased accountability for hard-earned tax dollars paying for public education. To create a plan that benefits students while respecting the taxpayers, the members of the commission gather testimony from more than 90 individuals at 14 public hearings and received more than 1,000 comments through the public website. Learn more. Applying for the Senior Property Tax Rent Rebate
This year, the Senior Property Tax Rent Rebate has been expanded. Contact my office to see if you are eligible! While this is a step in the right direction, I have a proposal that would expand this rebate even more. Read more here. Attracting and Retaining the Best Teachers
In addition to a high rate of teachers retiring or switching professions, fewer students are training to become teachers. To fight that concerning trend, we created a teacher stipend program. Through the program, a $10,000 stipend is available for individuals to complete their student teaching requirement. Students may claim an additional $5,000 stipend if they complete their student teaching in schools that don’t traditionally have student teachers and schools with high teacher vacancies. Another new law reduces barriers for teachers moving to Pennsylvania by entering the state into the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact. Teachers with eligible certification in other compact states would not be required to complete additional materials, exams or coursework when applying for certification in Pennsylvania. They would still be required to complete background checks and other security clearances. 2023 Accomplishments: Healthy and Safe Communities
Families, not government, are the heart of our commonwealth. To empower families, we must provide healthy and safe communities. In 2023, Senate Republicans passed a key health care measure that eliminated out-of-pocket costs for genetic testing of hereditary cancer syndromes and supplemental screenings for women at high risk of developing breast cancer. We also addressed crucial public health needs for emergency medical services, hospitals and nursing homes and ensured Pennsylvanians continue to receive access to needed health care services. Other new laws provide critical nourishment for medically fragile babies and increase access to licensed addiction treatment programs for people facing substance use disorder. January is Human Trafficking Prevention Month
In recognition of January as Human Trafficking Prevention Month, the Senate Majority Policy Committee recently held a hearing to help raise awareness about the complexities of human trafficking crime and to discuss strategies for prevention, victim support and the prosecution of traffickers. Law enforcement, policymakers and people on the front lines of raising awareness about and helping victims of human trafficking joined the conversation. By way of force, fraud and coercion, human traffickers push their victims into sexual exploitation and domestic servitude. In 2021, 315 victims were identified in Pennsylvania. If you suspect human trafficking, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or the ChildLine at 1-800-932-0313. The Senate also passed legislation to ensure sexually exploited children who are human trafficking victims have full access to appropriate services and support. Act 39 of 2023 would ensure that third-party control is never a consideration for access to services, and Senate Bill 45 would eliminate the third-party control requirement to access victim services under the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline Notification Act.
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