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In this Update:
House Leadership Killing Bills with Strong, Bipartisan Support
Every year, thousands of bills are introduced in our state Senate and House of Representatives. While six of my bills were signed into law in the past two years, nine more were passed by the Senate with strong support and have remained in the House without any debate or a single vote. The House has not moved:
Many of these proposals received bipartisan support in the Senate and would have received significant support in the House had they been brought up for a vote. Unfortunately, they will soon die when this two-year session ends, unless the House leadership begins to move very quickly, after months and months of delay. Restoring Another Historic Building in Downtown Tamaqua
A project to restore another downtown Tamaqua façade, 117 West Broad Street (which formerly housed a Chinese restaurant), was awarded a state grant of $79,444 last week. Rep. Jamie Barton and I worked with local leaders to secure this highly competitive funding.
The planned improvements will help restore the historic look and feel of the building, which was built around 1870. In an article published by the Times News, Micah Gursky, the executive director of Tamaqua Area Community Partnership was quoted as saying this restoration “will make a dramatic difference on that block of West Broad Street.” Downtown Tamaqua, from its restored 1874 Railroad Station to its two microbreweries, restaurants, and overnight accommodations and LCCC’s Morgan Campus, has made some significant progress since I was growing up in our “half a double” on Arlington Street in the 1970s. I look forward to working with Tamaqua’s many local volunteers on future improvements in the years to come. Last week, we announced that more than $10 million in state grants from the Local Share Account Program, which distributes gaming revenue to economic development projects, was awarded to 32 projects throughout the 29th district in Schuylkill, Carbon, and southern Luzerne counties. This is just one of MANY local projects that is now a reality. Congratulations, Kathy Henderson!
Congratulations to Kathy Henderson, the Executive Director of Carbon Chamber & Economic Development Corporation, on a well-deserved retirement! Kathy has led efforts to breathe new life into towns and neighborhoods throughout her 34-year career. Rep. Doyle Heffley and I presented her with official Senate and House citations on Friday as thanks for her work to bring new opportunities to our area. In her role, she has played a key part in many developments in Carbon County – new overnight accommodations, employers, attractions for visitors, and economic development plans. Here are a few examples: The communities in the Panther Valley – Summit Hill, Nesquehoning, Coaldale, and Lansford – were accepted into the Blueprint Communities program, a proven catalyst for community revitalization efforts. The program will assist local leaders with creating and executing a revitalization plan. The former St. Michael the Archangel church in Lansford, one of the most beautiful, historic, and visible sites in the entire Panther valley, is being transformed into Melrose Manor. The former rectory has been renovated into a nine-bedroom short term rental unit, which is now open. The church will become an events and wedding venue. Progress is being made towards restoring and reopening the historic train station in Lansford. Summit Hill is working to open a new interactive visitors center that showcases the history of coal mining in our area. The massive KME plant at the western entrance to Nesquehoning closed in 2021. Thanks to the work of local entrepreneurs, it is now fully reopened, housing the Narrow Valley Sportsplex, a Bulldog Fire Apparatus facility, and a new train station. Working Together to Breathe New Life into Hazleton
Rep. Dane Watro was the guest speaker at the Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce’s Red Carpet Breakfast this week. His remarks to the employers and local leaders in attendance focused on our ongoing work to breathe new life into the region. Thanks to strong public-private partnerships, we’ve made significant progress, although much work remains ahead. The Altamont Hotel is nearly ready to reopen as 68 market-rate apartments, renovations to the Hazleton One Community Center and the Hazleton LaunchBox are moving forward thanks to state grants, and the blighted and vacant Matuella’s Dairy building will soon be demolished. In the photo here, I joined Rep. Watro and Liz Tolan, Sugarloaf Township Manager, at the breakfast. New Law Creates Rape Kit Tracking System
Having received unanimous support from the General Assembly, a bill to establish a statewide rape kit evidence tracking system is now law. Act 122 of 2024 allows survivors to track the status of their rape kits throughout the testing process, from collection to destruction. With this legislation, Pennsylvania joins 35 states and the District of Columbia that have already implemented rape kit tracking systems. It brings Pennsylvania into compliance with the Fairness for Rape Kit Backlog Survivors provision of the recent Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) reauthorization. To comply with VAWA, the law provides a waiver for survivors who file untimely claims for compensation due to delays in rape kit testing. Survivors would not need to undergo an appeal process for consideration of this waiver. Bill Giving Parents Info About Student Tick Removal Now Law
Legislation giving parents the opportunity to access important information about their child’s health was approved by the Senate and is now law. It requires schools to notify a parent or guardian if a tick is removed from a student and provide the tick to them for testing. When discovering a tick on yourself, a family member or a pet, it’s important to send it to the Pennsylvania Tick Research Lab at East Stroudsburg University. For free, the tick can be tested for common illnesses to provide you and your health care provider with valuable information about potential exposure. For more than a decade, Pennsylvania has had more cases of Lyme disease than any other state in the nation. While Lyme disease is reason enough to take precautions, ticks also carry a host of other illnesses with undesirable symptoms. Time to Turn Clocks Back This Weekend
Daylight saving time will end at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3, so Pennsylvania residents should turn their clocks back one hour before going to bed on Saturday night. Biannual time changes can be a great reminder to check or change the batteries in smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms. Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms should be replaced every 10 years and located near bedrooms and on each level of the residence. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5
Election Day is on Tuesday, Nov. 5, and polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. If you are in line by 8 p.m., you will be able to vote. If you would like to vote with a mail-in or absentee ballot, your county election office must receive it by Tuesday, Nov. 5, at 8 p.m. Track your ballot to confirm it was received. Any voter who requested to vote using a mail-in or absentee ballot but would prefer to vote in person may do so. Bring the ballot and the envelope to surrender at the polls. If you don’t have those materials, you may vote using a provisional ballot. Call 1-877-VOTESPA (1-877-868-3772) if you experience any issues. My website features a list of frequently asked questions about our elections, which can be viewed here. If you have any other questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. |
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