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Headline Harrisburg
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Friday, July 17, 2020
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The latest news from the State Capitol |
Please do not reply directly to this email, as it returns to an unmanned account.
You are welcome to contact me through this link.
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This email includes:
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Preventing It from Happening Again |
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Improvements Coming to Winslow Hill Road |
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Voting in Favor of Jobs |
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Help for the Homeless |
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Update on the Protect and Serve Initiative |
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Help for Our Veterans |
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Date Extended for License to Carry Permits |
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Preventing It from Happening Again
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With bipartisan support, the House
and Senate have passed legislation that would give Pennsylvania voters a
voice in any future emergency declarations. Senate Bill 1166
would begin the process of possibly amending the Pennsylvania
Constitution to prohibit a governor from extending an emergency
declaration behind 21 days without permission from the General Assembly.
Key points:
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The
General Assembly must also pass the exact same bill in the 2021-22
Legislative Session in order to be placed on the ballot as a referendum
as early as the May 2021 Primary Election.
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If
that happens, voters would then decide whether or not to amend the
state Constitution, something that would not be subject to approval or
veto by the governor and could not be overturned by the courts. |
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Improvements Coming to Winslow Hill Road
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Benezette Township has received a
nearly $3 million grant that will be used to improve a stretch of
Winslow Hill Road which serves as the sole access point for the Elk
Country Visitor’s Center and two elk viewing areas.
The grant is one of 27 distributed
for use with highway, bridge, transit, and bike and pedestrian projects
in 23 counties.
The source of the funding is the
Multimodal Transportation Fund, which provides grants to encourage
economic development and ensure that a safe and reliable system of
transportation is available to the residents of this commonwealth.
The fund is administered jointly by
the Department of Community and Economic Development and the Department
of Transportation.
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Voting in Favor of Jobs for PA
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A measure designed to boost job
creation through tax credits to attract industries that use methane in
the manufacture of petrochemicals and fertilizers in the northeastern
region of the state awaits Gov. Tom Wolf’s signature after being
approved by both the House and Senate this week.
The concept is part of the
GoodJobs4PA initiative, which aims to grow the economy and facilitate
well-paying career opportunities for citizens across the Commonwealth.
The original proposal – House Bill 1100 – was vetoed by the governor earlier this year, but House Bill 732 includes minor modifications to that legislation and now have the support of the administration.
The Local Resource Manufacturing Tax
Credit is estimated to generate more than $600 million in annual labor
income and leverage more than $1.6 billion in economic output.
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Help for the Homeless
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Clearfield and Elk counties are
about to receive financial support through the federal Coronavirus Aid,
Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to address the impact of the
coronavirus on the homeless population and prevent future homelessness
across the commonwealth.
Both counties are served by Lawrence
County Social Services, which will receive a more than $3.3 million
grant.
The majority of the funding is
targeted at homelessness prevention, with the remaining support
allocated to rapidly housing those who are homeless, emergency shelter
services and street outreach, and data collection and administration
needs.
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Update on the Protect and Serve Initiative
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The following two pieces of
legislation relating to calls for reforms to our system of law
enforcement have been signed into law. I supported both of them when
they were voted on the House floor as part of the Protect and Serve
Initiative.
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Act 57 of 2020 (formerly House Bill 1841)
will improve transparency in law enforcement’s hiring process by
requiring an employer to disclose employment information to a law
enforcement agency that is conducting a background investigation of an
applicant.
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Act 59 of 2020 (formerly House Bill 1910)
will require police officers and district magistrates to receive
mandatory training that will help them to recognize early signs of child
abuse and the reporting requirements, as well as interact and
deescalate behavior in potentially dangerous situations. It will also
increase mental health support for members of law enforcement with
post-traumatic stress disorder. |
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Help for Our Veterans
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The Pennsylvania Department of
Military and Veterans Affairs' new initiative is called PA VetConnect.
Pennsylvania is home to nearly
800,000 veterans, and PA VETConnect is here to help them determine their
needs, find resources that meet those needs, and connect veterans with
the right resources.
Please click here to learn more.
We’re resuming our monthly veterans
outreach service; however, it is being done by appointment only.
The first Tuesday of each month, a
representative from the American Legion visits my district offices to
discuss issues such as pensions, compensation, educational opportunities
and health care. Veterans do not need to be a member of the American
Legion in order to take advantage of this service.
If you would like to make an appointment for the Monday, Aug. 4 meeting in my DuBois district office, please call 814-375-4688.
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Date Extended for License to Carry Permits
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License to carry firearms permits that
expire on March 19, 2020, or later are now
valid through Sept. 30, 2020. The previous expiration date was July 31.
The extension is necessary due to
the closure of some county courthouses and sheriff's offices, as well as
other ongoing COVID-19 mitigation efforts.
In Pennsylvania, an individual
21-years-old or older may apply for a license to carry firearms by
submitting a completed application to the sheriff of the county in which
they reside or, if a resident of a city of the first class, with the
chief of police of that city. The sheriff has 45 days to investigate and
determine an individual's eligibility to be issued a license, which is
valid for five years.
A license to carry firearms is
required to carry a firearm concealed on one's person or in a vehicle.
Any person who carries a firearm concealed on or about his person except
in his place of abode or fixed place of business without a valid and
lawfully issued license commits a felony of the third degree.
For more information on carrying a
firearm in Pennsylvania, visit the PA State Police website at
psp.pa.gov.
Beverly S. Fay
