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In this Update:
PA Legislators Focus on On-Farm Conservation Efforts
Farmers play a critical role in Pennsylvania as agriculture is the state’s top industry. They also improve our food security by reducing our dependence on food supplied by other countries. Recently, Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski and I, as majority chairs of the Senate and House Agriculture and Rural Affairs committees, led discussions about on-farm conservation efforts during Penn State’s Ag Progress Days event. Farmers across the state are focused on addressing food waste, pursuing manure management and, most importantly, ensuring the long-term sustainability of vital resources like our water and soil that will allow them to preserve our agricultural heritage. To support these important initiatives, Senate Republicans voted to dedicate $10 million in the state budget for conservation efforts among Pennsylvania farmers through the new Agriculture Innovation and Development Program. The program is focused on providing farmers and agribusinesses with the resources to adopt new technological practices. Highlights in the 47th
Congratulations to Lakeside Superior Consulting who had their grand opening ribbon cutting ceremony earlier last week! They are excited to serve residents in Cranberry Township!
The Hookstown Fair had a great opening night! I had the pleasure of sharing agriculture updates with attendees and witness the crowning of this year’s Fair Queen and Princess. Congratulations to Jozlyn Marnhout (2024 Fair Queen) and Ella Marnhout (2024 Fair Princess)!
Goldscheitter Christmas Tree Farm was the backdrop for a recent agriculture roundtable and tour which was hosted by the Butler County Farm Bureau PA. I and other elected officials met with the local farming community to discuss concerns within the industry. This Christmas tree farm, located in Sarver, PA, is owned and operated by Tom Goldscheitter and has been in his family since 1986. It has 6 acres of remarkable trees that are getting ready for the holiday season in just a few short months!
During Ag Progress Days, it was a pleasure getting to meet with the Pennsylvania 4-H State Council and the Pennsylvania FFA Foundation State Officers as well as cohost a joint Ag Committee informational hearing with Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski to discuss PA on-farm conservation efforts. Each year, Penn State always puts on a great event to showcase the importance of our agriculture industry! Center for Dairy Excellence Offering Dairy Farmers Biosecurity Kits to Aid in Preventing HPAIIn partnership with Penn State Extension, the Center for Dairy Excellence is offering free Everyday Biosecurity Kits to help dairy farmers high path avian influenza prevention and/or management. Kits will include:
These kits DO NOT replace the necessity of having farmers building their own biosecurity plan. Kits can be requested by clicking here. A Closer Look at Supporting Student Safety Initiatives
Families need to be able to trust their children will be protected from harm when they’re at school, and students deserve to focus on their learning. Continuing Senate Republicans’ leadership of efforts to provide safe learning environments for students, $100 million was included in this year’s state budget for all school districts to address school safety, security needs and mental health concerns. An additional $20 million for safety grants is also made available to nonpublic schools that apply by Thursday, Sept. 26. Applications for both grant programs are available online. New this year, schools may use their funding for the purchase of lockable cellphone bags to benefit students’ mental health by giving them a much-needed break from their mobile devices while in school. Over the last decade there has been a sharp drop in children’s mental health, which directly correlates to the increased use of cellphones and social media apps. The cellphone bags are another tool schools may choose to use if they feel it’s appropriate based on their area, school board and parents’ perspective. Recently passed legislation calls for every school district in Pennsylvania to have a school security officer who has completed armed security training to protect students. The security presence will consist of at least one trained and vetted school security officer, which may be either a school police officer, school resource officer or school security guard. See what other steps Senate Republicans are taking in our work to strengthen Pennsylvania here. Join Us for Our Beaver County Senior Expo on Sept. 27
We will be hosting our Beaver County Senior Expo on Sept. 27, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Community College of Beaver County in Monaca! Pre-registration for this event is encouraged, which you can do by clicking here. For more information, please reach out to my Rochester district office at 724-774-0444. Transportation Improvement Grants Awarded to Municipalities in Beaver and Butler Counties
The following municipalities in Beaver and Butler counties have been awarded Multimodal Transportation Fund grants to assist with transportation improvement needs:
Senate Approves $75 Million to Expand Educational Opportunities for Students
Parents know best when it comes to the individual needs of their children, which is why Senate Republicans continue to stand up for parental empowerment and involvement in their children’s education. We’ve worked to dedicate an additional $75 million this year to the Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program (EITC). The EITC program helps to provide students with the opportunity to learn in the environment that best meets their specific educational needs. Through a collaborative approach of providing tax credits to businesses making contributions to create additional educational opportunities for Pennsylvania families, more children are able to receive assistance. Eligible contributions are those made to scholarship organizations, educational improvement organizations and pre-kindergarten scholarship organizations. Students are eligible to receive a scholarship if their household’s annual income is no greater than $112,348 plus $19,775 for each dependent member of the household. Learn more about the EITC program here. You Can Now Get Customized Travel Alerts with 511PA
We all want to avoid heavy traffic, road closures and anything else that will delay us on the road, and potential hassles will be different for motorists depending on where they live and where they are going. 511PA now offers the opportunity to sign up for personalized travel alerts based on specific areas and routes, days and times, and road issue (type of trouble and when cleared). On 511PA’s website, navigate to “My 511” at the top to set up an account to begin receiving alerts. Expanded Access to Benefits for PA Disabled Veterans
A new Pennsylvania law that went into effect this month exempts 100% of disabled veterans’ benefit payments from income calculations for any commonwealth program or benefit. Act 27 of 2024 ensures veterans who receive disability compensation will not have those payments counted against them when applying to programs such as the Real Estate Property Tax Exemption, the Educational Gratuity Program, the Veterans Temporary Assistance Program and the Military Family Relief Assistance Program. The exclusion also applies to unspent veterans’ benefit payments and is extended to the unmarried surviving spouse of a veteran upon that veteran’s death. Celebrating Back to School Month by Brushing Up on School Bus Safety
As students head back to school, school buses require additional caution from drivers. School districts are now permitted to use automated cameras on stop signal arms to enforce the school bus stopping law. Learn more and find parent safety tips and a reminder of other laws here. Pennsylvania law requires motorists to stop at least 10 feet away from school buses when their red lights are flashing and their stop arm is extended. Motorists following or traveling alongside a school bus must also stop until the red lights have stopped flashing, the stop arm is withdrawn, and all children have reached safety. Do not proceed until all the children have reached a place of safety. Penalties for failure to obey school bus safety laws can result in a $250 fine and a $35 surcharge to be deposited into the School Bus Safety Grant Program account, five points on a driving record and a 60-day license suspension.
Please contact me to provide input on any state-related matter, or to receive help in dealing with a state agency. |
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