HARRISBURG – Sen. Rosemary Brown (R-40) announced today that a package of bills amending Pennsylvania’s municipal codes to support emergency medical services (EMS) and fire company funding unanimously passed out of the House Local Government Committee.

“These bills provide local governments with the flexibility they need to ensure that both EMS and fire services are properly funded to meet growing demands,” Brown said. “It’s critical that we address the staffing shortages and financial challenges these essential services face every day.”

Municipalities currently have the option to enact a local tax to support EMS. However, only half of the revenue generated can be spent on personnel costs. The bills, which were amended in the Senate to include fire companies, will now apply to both local EMS and fire taxes, allowing municipalities to more effectively allocate funds.

“The current cap on how these taxes can be used is no longer practical given the strain on our EMS providers and fire companies,” Brown said. “By removing these restrictions, local governments will have greater discretion to direct resources where they are needed most – particularly in hiring and retaining the qualified personnel required to keep our communities safe.”

Brown’s bills would not alter the tax rate municipalities may charge under existing law, but would permit them to waive the current cap and allocate a larger portion of revenue to personnel costs.

“Residents deserve fast and reliable emergency services, and we need to give our local governments the tools to provide that,” Brown said. “This legislation maximizes the impact of the existing revenue without placing additional tax burdens on residents.”

Senate Bills 1132, 1133 and 1134 – now amended to include fire companies – will continue to move through the legislative process.

CONTACT:
Mackenzie Mueller

HARRISBURG – Following Constellation Energy’s announcement today that it signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with Microsoft to launch the Crane Clean Energy Center (CCEC) and restart Three Mile Island (TMI) Unit 1, Sen. Lynda Schlegel Culver (R-27) expressed excitement and optimism about the news.

“It is exciting to hear that Constellation Energy has agreed with Microsoft to restart TMI Unit 1,” Culver said. “This investment will have a huge impact on the immediate community, the region and the entire commonwealth. Investments in Pennsylvania’s energy capacity will make us more attractive for industries looking to expand. It’s simple: investments in Pennsylvania energy create new jobs with family-sustaining wages.”

The announcement states that CCEC expects to be online by 2028.

“Nuclear generation produces clean, carbon-free and sustainable energy,” Culver said. “Expansions in nuclear energy will strengthen grid reliability, diversify Pennsylvania’s energy portfolio and enable us to be the top energy exporter in the nation.”

More information about the plan for TMI can be found at ConstellationEnergy.com. Information on the Nuclear Energy Caucus can be found at NuclearEnergy.PASenateGOP.com.

Media Contact: Betsy Reichenbach
717-787-8928

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Senate passed two critical pieces of legislation to reform the state’s juvenile justice system. Introduced by Sen. Lisa Baker (R-20), the bills implement key recommendations from Pennsylvania’s Juvenile Justice Task Force.

“These reforms are designed to align our juvenile justice system with proven methods for improving youth outcomes and addressing significant gaps in current practices,” said Baker. “By passing this legislation, we are taking important steps to give young people a true second chance.”

The bills address recommendations from the Juvenile Justice Task Force Report to help streamline the expungement process, provide equitable legal representation for juveniles and improve accountability and oversight in juvenile court proceedings.

Senate Bill 169 updates the juvenile court system by requiring disposition review hearings every 3 months instead of 9. The hearings are designed to ensure juveniles receive necessary services and treatment, assess their threat to the community and decide if they should remain in placement or be released under supervision. The court will also set the date for the next review hearing.

“This outdated practice poses a serious obstacle to employment, education and housing for many individuals who have completed their supervision or had their cases dismissed,” Baker said. “It’s only fair that we extend the same second-chance opportunities we’ve granted for adult offender to these young people.”

Senate Bill 170 modifies the expungement of juvenile records by reducing the waiting period for expungement from 5 years to 2 years for most misdemeanors, while maintaining the 5-year period for felonies, misdemeanor firearm offenses and indecent assault. The bill also standardizes the expungement process by requiring the Chief Juvenile Probation Officer to initiate expungements for eligible individuals, with the district attorney having the opportunity to object. Exceptions to expungement, such as for sex offenses and cases with subsequent convictions or pending proceedings, remain unchanged.

“These are meaningful reforms that will offer fairness, accountability and hope to young people across Pennsylvania,” said Baker.

Both bills now head to the House of Representatives for consideration.

CONTACT: Jennifer Wilson

HARRISBURG – The Senate today passed the Denise Williams Act, sponsored by Sen. Wayne Langerholc, Jr. (R-35), which would create a grant program to be used to establish Safe Exchange Zones throughout Pennsylvania.

Senate Bill 173 is named in memory of Denise Williams, a Cambria County resident who went to purchase an item on Facebook Marketplace and was brutally murdered during the exchange.

This legislation would help establish safe areas in public view and close proximity of law enforcement for individuals to exchange goods purchased through an online marketplace, carry out child custody exchanges, and conduct similar interactions.

“Safe Exchange Zones have been created in Johnstown and other areas to ensure the safety of individuals during transactions and exchanges, protecting them from potential threats or assaults,” Langerholc said. “This legislation codifies the work of District Attorney Greg Neugebauer and various law enforcement agencies in Cambria County. It will strengthen the safety of communities across the commonwealth by providing the necessary assistance to establish more of these zones.”

The establishment of Safe Exchange Zones will be voluntary and contingent upon approval of the participating law enforcement agencies. These zones will be equipped with video surveillance and be located either within 100 feet of a law enforcement office or near a public area with an active public presence.

The bill will be sent to the House of Representatives for consideration.

CONTACT: Gwenn Dando

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Senate approved legislation today to repeal the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) carbon tax enacted through executive order by the Wolf Administration in 2019, according to Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward (R-39), Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R-41), Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Scott Martin (R-13) and Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee Chair Gene Yaw (R-23).

RGGI, a multi-state compact, would increase electricity rates for consumers, cut energy and manufacturing jobs and lead to the closure of Pennsylvania power plants. No new investments in baseload generation have come to Pennsylvania in the five years since the Wolf Administration attempted to enter the state into RGGI.

Last year, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court ruled Pennsylvania’s entrance into RGGI may only be achieved through legislation duly enacted by the General Assembly, not merely through rulemaking promulgated by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Environmental Quality Board (EQB). This ruling has been appealed to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court by Gov. Josh Shapiro, and that appeal remains pending.

Govs. Tom Wolf and Shapiro have faced sharp criticism for pushing Pennsylvania to participate in RGGI despite bipartisan objections from the General Assembly.

Senate Bill 1058, introduced by Yaw, will abrogate the CO2 Budget Trading Program regulation that was promulgated by DEP and EQB.

“Pennsylvania’s greatest asset is our ability to produce energy. Gov. Shapiro’s push for a carbon tax has already increased costs for Pennsylvania families who are already grappling with the rising costs of food and gas,” Ward said. “RGGI is an unnecessary carbon tax that would increase Pennsylvanians’ electric bills by 30%, eliminate 22,000 homegrown jobs and increase the cost of everyday products with no significant environmental benefit. Instead, our focus should be on unleashing our commonwealth’s energy potential to strengthen Pennsylvania’s economy now and for the future.”

“The RGGI Electricity Tax must be stopped. Even though the Commonwealth Court has ruled RGGI is unconstitutional, Gov. Shapiro has continued his push with the Supreme Court,” Pittman said. “If the RGGI Electricity Tax would go into effect, it would mean hundreds of millions of dollars of increases on electric bills, impacting every electricity consumer in this commonwealth. We must help families feeling the strain of inflation – not put more pressure on their household budgets.”

“We face tremendous challenges in the years ahead to ensure our electricity grid is reliable and energy is affordable for Pennsylvanians. RGGI makes it much harder for us to achieve both these goals,” Martin said. “The idea of Pennsylvania participating in this multi-state electricity tax scheme was wrong from the beginning, and it’s a mistake we need to remedy so our state can have a prosperous future.”

“Leaving our environmental and economic destiny to the whims of RGGI’s New England states is just bad policy for Pennsylvania when our electric power is distributed east and west in the PJM grid,” Yaw said. “It is time to repeal this regulation and focus on putting forth commonsense, environmentally responsible energy policy that recognizes and champions Pennsylvania as an energy producer.”

This legislation comes on the heels of a series of hearings with members of the Ohio General Assembly to discuss PJM and reliability of the mid-Atlantic power grid it manages. PJM projects that 20% of its existing capacity will retire between now and 2030, leaving them without sufficient power to meet the demands of consumers.

Thermal generation retirements, like the recently announced Brandon Shores power plant closure in Maryland, coupled with the threat of RGGI, only further compromise the integrity of the electric grid. Recently, one Federal Energy Regulatory Commissioner (FERC) said the shutdown could cause a “potentially catastrophic” scenario. However, a recent FERC order shows that concerns about the outlook of the region’s power production are being heard.

The bill now moves to the House of Representatives.

 

CONTACT:

Erica Clayton Wright (Sen. Ward) 
Kate Flessner (Sen. Pittman) 
Jason Thompson (Sen. Martin) 
Elizabeth Weitzel (Sen. Yaw)

HARRISBURG – In recognition of Hunger Action Month, Sen. Elder Vogel, Jr. (R-47) stood with local and state leaders to shed light on the impacts of food insecurity in Pennsylvania and how the state is involved in addressing and spreading awareness about hunger.

According to Feeding America, with a population of almost 13 million, one in eight (1.5 million) Pennsylvanians and one in six (436,250) children continue to face some kind of food insecurity.

“There is no county in our commonwealth that has been untouched by food insecurity,” said Vogel. “With many factors contributing to Pennsylvanians experiencing hunger, such as the rise in inflation and overall price increases, residents continue to face the difficult decision of choosing between paying their bills and purchasing groceries for their family. All our residents deserve to have access to quality, healthy food, and as a legislator I remain committed to supporting responsible initiatives that will make this a reality.”

Vogel and Rep. Emily Kinkead (D-20) lead the bipartisan Legislative Hunger Caucus and oversee the Capitol Hunger Garden.

The Hunger Garden has been in operation since 2010 and has been maintained by volunteers, Penn State Master Gardeners, and the Department of General Services. Hundreds of pounds of produce continue to be donated to Downtown Daily Bread who in turn provides hearty meals to the homeless in the Harrisburg area. This year so far 426 pounds of produce have been donated with more to come as the season continues.

Other press conference attendees included Pennsylvania Dept. of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding; Pennsylvania Dept. of Human Services Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh; Feeding PA CEO Julie Bancroft; Central PA Food Bank CEO Joe Arthur; and Hunters Sharing the Harvest Executive Director Randy Ferguson.

The state departments of Agriculture and Human Services continue to play a critical role in assisting with nutrition and food assistance which are available statewide to those in need.

Secretaries Redding and Arkoosh provided their perspectives as to how their departments actively assist to address food insecurity.

“In a state where we have so much bounty, no one should go hungry,” said Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding. “Partnerships with Feeding Pennsylvania, Hunger-Free Pennsylvania, and groups like Hunters sharing the Harvest extend our reach to Pennsylvanians who need our help. The department connects more than two million Pennsylvanians annually with healthy, local food through the Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System and Local Food Purchase Assistance and other food assistance programs. Over the past year, these state and federal investments alone meant that $15 million in Pennsylvania-produced fruit, vegetables, animal protein, and dairy products reached families in need in every county in the state, while also supporting our farms and communities.”

“Every Pennsylvanian deserves the dignity and peace of mind of knowing where their next meal is coming from. Helping our communities affected by food insecurity requires public investment in anti-hunger initiatives and strong partnerships with agriculture, anti-hunger organizations, and private partners – work that DHS is proud to support,” said Human Services Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh. “SNAP and anti-hunger programs are here to help, so I urge those who need help paying for food to apply for nutrition assistance rather than going without and putting your health at risk. For those who are able, please consider donating your time or treasure to local food banks, pantries, and community kitchens. Our communities are only as strong as our neighbors who are struggling, so let’s work together to make sure every Pennsylvanian has what they need to be healthy, pursue their goals, and thrive.” 

Ferguson, who is the executive director for Hunters Sharing the Harvest, shared a unique account of how his organization helps fight hunger through distribution of donated venison.

“Pennsylvania hunters are not just taking care of their families with the deer they are harvesting here in Pennsylvania, but they are performing a social service on a scale that may surprise you,” said Ferguson.

Ferguson stated that last year alone, Pennsylvania hunters donated 262,000 pounds (about 7,000 deer) of venison, which they equate to 1.3 million servings of venison, to the food insecure in the state. Over the course of the organization’s 33 years in operation approximately 2.5 million pounds of venison have been donated in Pennsylvania.

On the legislative front, the General Assembly has helped fight against hunger in many ways, especially through its state budget.

Specifically in this year’s budget, the legislature allocated:

• $98.8 million toward School Food Services.
• $26.7 million toward the State Food Purchase Program under PA Dept. of Agriculture.
• $2 million toward the Fresh Food Financing Initiative under the PA Dept. of Agriculture.
• $1 million toward the Food Access Initiative under the PA Dept. of Community and Economic Development which funds the DCED Fresh Food Financing Initiative administered by The Food Trust.

To view the full press conference, click here.

If you or someone you know is struggling with food insecurity, visit https://bit.ly/4g72rfD to learn more about the state and federal resources that are available.

CONTACT: Abby Chiumento, 717-787-3076 (Sen. Vogel)
                  Shannon Powers (Sec. Redding)
                  Natalie Scott (Sec. Arkoosh)