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BREAKING: Local Legislators Announce Investment to Improve Access to High-Speed Internet in Bradford County

Rep. Clint Owlett, Rep. Tina Pickett, and I are pleased to announce that Claverack Rural Electric Cooperative is being awarded $4.7 million to increase access to reliable, high-speed internet. This funding was made possible through the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority’s (PBDA) federally funded Broadband Infrastructure Program.

Read more HERE.

Yaw, Flick Announce Funding for Revitalization Project in City of Williamsport

Earlier this week, Rep. Jamie Flick and I were pleased to announce $700,000 in funding awarded to the Pajama Factory complex located in the City of Williamsport.

This funding was awarded through the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency’s (PHFA) Community Revitalization Fund Program (CRFP) and will be used for the renovation of one of the complex’s buildings set to be converted into residential and affordable housing units.

Read more HERE.

Legislative Update

Last week, two bills I sponsored were passed by the Senate and now move to the House of Representatives for consideration. Senate Bill 831 establishes the legal and regulatory framework for potential carbon dioxide capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS) in Pennsylvania. This legislation is a pragmatic solution to a problem that we all want to solve- reducing our carbon emissions without crippling the reliability of our existing power grid.

Additionally, the Senate passed Senate Bill 819, which increases fines and penalties against those who willfully damage, destroy, vandalize, deface, or tamper with equipment in a critical infrastructure facility. Destabilizing the power grid comes with huge national security risks and doing so should not be taken lightly. Purposeful damage to these facilities can have a far-ranging impact. We need to send a message to those who would attempt to destroy vital infrastructure and hold these bad actors accountable.

The Senate Judiciary Committee, where I serve as Vice-Chair, advanced Senate Bill 1127, which would require a prosecutor to notify the United States Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) whenever a criminal defendant is an illegal immigrant. This bill will establish uniformity across the state, providing more accountability in the process and ensuring that no individual, regardless of their immigration status, evades responsibility for criminal action.

The Senate also approved a bill aimed at increasing the number of volunteer firefighters in Pennsylvania by reforming the certification process. Pennsylvania in the 1970s had as many as 300,000 volunteer firefighters. There currently are fewer than 38,000 volunteer firefighters in the commonwealth. Current firefighter applicants must complete four training modules totaling 188 hours. They then must pass a cumulative test covering all four modules. Sen. Mastriano’s Senate Bill 1101 would reform the certification process by enabling applicants to be tested following each of the four modules.

Lastly, two bills to boost economic development and improve workforce development also saw movement last week. Senate Bill 761, sponsored by Sen. Bartolotta and approved by the Senate Labor and Industry Committee, would utilize data that already exists but is not shared with local development boards in a timely fashion. Delayed information and data sharing impacts the ability of these boards to efficiently analyze programs and policy.

Senate Bill 497, sponsored by Sen. Robinson and approved by the Senate,  will establish and support public-private partnerships between state-related universities and private engineering entities through a grant and loan program. Focusing on infrastructure and innovation, these collaborations will develop programs to fund shared research facilities and equipment while creating incentives to attract high-technology industries for advanced manufacturing within Pennsylvania.

On the Road…

Rep. Jamie Flick, Rep. Joe Hamm and I had a great evening with the Susquehanna Valley Friends of NRA at the Hughesville Volunteer Fire Department. Thank you for having us!

It was great to see so many familiar faces from the 23^rd District at the PA State Association of Township Supervisors legislative conference in Hershey earlier this week. Thank you to all of our township officials who sacrifice so much of their time to serve our communities!

Thank you to the team at Valley View Rehab in Montoursville for a great tour and discussion about the facility’s future plans.

Valley View provides skilled nursing care including physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and social services for 163 residents at various levels of medical need.

“Lift for Life” Competition Raises Funds for Williamsport Firefighter Screenings

Congratulations to all the participants of Williamsport’s recent “Lift for Life” competition, hosted by Lumber Capital Athletics and organized by Taylor Chrisenberry. The event raised just over $2,100, bringing the total fund to just over $20,000. The ultimate goal is for the fund to reach $65,000. All proceeds will help raise money for preventative cancer screenings for our Williamsport Firefighters.

Read more in the Sun-Gazette.

Wyalusing Students Win Popular Vote In ‘What’s so Cool About Manufacturing’ Video Contest

Photo Credit: The Daily Review

Congratulations to the students from Wyalusing Area School District who won the Viewer’s Choice Award during the What’s So Cool About Manufacturing awards on April 12 in Towanda.

The Viewer’s Choice Award is given to the team that earned the most online views due to their outreach plan. Wyalusing’s team was led by teacher coach Katie Fischer and included students John Cook, Lia Fischer, Arabella Girven, Jenna Morningstar, and Griffin Sheldon.

What’s So Cool About Manufacturing is a Pennsylvania-wide, nationally recognized video contest that helps to promote companies in the manufacturing industry; teams of students from each participating district partner with a local manufacturing company to produce a video highlighting the coolest parts of their specific industry.

Primary Election Day is Tuesday, April 23

Primary Election Day is early this year: Tuesday, April 23, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. If you’re not sure where to report to vote, check here using the Department of State website. In addition to providing the address of your polling place, it will also tell you if you are an annual mail-in or absentee voter.

New Crime-Fighting Tool for the Public

PSP Tips offers the public a new way to share information related to active investigations, cold cases, the apprehension of wanted persons or locating missing persons. It includes information about nearly 100 cold case homicides, missing persons and other unsolved crimes. New cases will be added frequently.

Featured cases include the 1973 homicide of an eight-year-old girl in Greene County, the unsolved killing in 1977 of a high school junior in Blair County, the 1981 disappearance of a Lackawanna County teenager and the search for the children of Susan Reinert, a Montgomery County teacher found murdered near Harrisburg in 1979. All cases in which the Pennsylvania State Police requests public assistance can be viewed on Facebook and Twitter.

Your tip could provide investigators with a long-awaited breakthrough that will finally bring closure and justice for the victims’ families. All information submitted to PSP Tips can be provided anonymously, if desired. Submit information using the toll-free phone number, 1-800-4PA-TIPS (1-800-472-8477) or online.

Five Steps to Safer Digging

April is Pennsylvania 8-1-1 Safe Digging Month, which is the perfect time to review the five steps for safely preparing for any outdoor project that requires excavation so you don’t hit an underground utility line.

Mark your proposed work site with white paint, flags or chalk. Then, as required by state law, contact PA One Call at least three to 10 business days prior to excavation. Pennsylvanians can dial 8-1-1 to connect with the One Call system and out-of-state residents or businesses can call 1-800-242-1776. Wait to begin work until the lawful start date. Track the progress of your request through the email that details what each utility company did to mark the location of their underground lines. Dig carefully.

Following the five steps to safer digging minimizes risk to the contractors or homeowners who are doing the digging; to utility workers and emergency responders who are mobilized to deal with the damage; and to bystanders who live, work or travel near the locations of the incidents. Learn more here.

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