Honoring Our Veterans: Shinglehouse Bridge Dedication Set for Monday

On Facebook Website Bio Latest News State Forms Photo Gallery Contact Capitol Update Friday, November 08, 2013 The latest news from the State Capitol Honoring Our Veterans: Shinglehouse Bridge Dedication Set for Monday Please join me on Veterans Day for a bridge dedication ceremony honoring a local veteran of the Vietnam War who made the ultimate sacrifice for his country. U.S. Army Spc. Gerald Duane Stonemetz will be memorialized at noon on Monday, Nov. 11, when the bridge carrying State Route 44 over the Oswayo Creek in Shinglehouse Borough is named in his honor. The ceremony, which I am hosting jointly with Shinglehouse American Legion Post 530, will be held at the bridge site. Stonemetz was a resident of Shinglehouse who served in the U.S. Army and died in a vehicle crash in Vietnam on Jan. 8, 1969, at the age of 21. He was awarded the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Ribbon and Marksman Badge with rifle bar.                       I had a great time talking with fourth-graders at Otto-Eldred Elementary School on Friday. Thank you all for the warm welcome!        Thank you to everyone who came out to the town hall meeting at the Emporium Volunteer Fire Department on Thursday. I appreciated the opportunity to hear from you on issues such as transportation, health care, prevailing wage, broadband coverage and more.     Supporting Our Veterans Recognizing the sacrifices made by Pennsylvania’s veterans, the General Assembly has taken up a number of bills this session to support them. The following bills have been approved by the House and are awaiting consideration by the Senate, unless otherwise noted.  • National Guard Leave: House Bill 88 clarifies the current law regarding leaves of absence for members of the Pennsylvania National Guard by stating that the 15-day leave of absence is to be applied to a 24-hour day and prohibits an officer or employee from being required to return to duty within 18 hours of being relieved of federal or state active duty.    • Military Education Consideration: House Bill 107 ensures a service member’s military education and training is taken into consideration for the purpose of fulfilling requirements for professional credentials to prevent the duplication of training and education of a veteran and get them into a civilian career more quickly.    • Veterans Job Tax Credit: House Bill 159 establishes a $4,000 annual tax credit to taxpayers that hire veterans to work at small businesses they own.    • Tuition Assistance for Veterans: House Bill 472 provides in-state tuition rates at community colleges and state-related/state-owned institutions of higher learning for veterans, military and civilian personnel, along with their spouses and dependent children, so long as they are residents of the Commonwealth on the first day of the semester.    • Higher Education Accessibility: House Bill 1164 requires colleges, universities and institutions of higher learning in Pennsylvania to provide current military service personnel and honorably discharged veterans with priority registration.   • Recognizing Veterans’ Experience: Act 82 of 2013 allows the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to waive certain testing requirements for commercial driver’s license applicants who are either active members or veterans of the United States Armed Forces and who have operated an appropriate vehicle for at least two years prior to the application.     For information about programs and services for veterans, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs website. Good News for Hunters, Landowners A new state law ensures property owners are not held responsible for hunting violations committed by those who are granted permission to hunt on their land. This is an important step to ensuring private property owners remain willing to allow hunting on their land. Previously, the law could be interpreted to mean landowners could be held liable for the actions of hunters who committed violations of hunting law on their property. The new law makes it clear landowners are not liable, as long as they did not aid, abet, assist, attempt or conspire in the commission of any unlawful act committed on their land.