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In this Update:
My Bill Empowering Parents, Increasing Transparency Receives Senate Support
The Senate passed my bill this week to empower parents and help rebuild the trust between school districts and the families they serve. Senate Bill 246 would require parental and employee notification when there is a weapon on any school property that violates its weapons policy, as well as when there are cases of harassment and bullying. The bill would apply to public, nonpublic and private schools. Parents in a district I represent only found out about a knife being brought to school because a parent read a police report about it. One of my constituents called for increased transparency following that egregious occurrence. There is broad agreement from both Republicans and Democrats that schools need to inform parents or guardians and staff about situations that impact the safety of children. The Senate passed SB 246 with a 45-4 vote. I look forward to similar support as the bill moves to the House of Representatives for consideration. Senate Unanimously Passes My Bill to Improve Oversight of Allentown NIZ
Senate Bill 367, which I sponsored, passed the Senate unanimously and advances to the House of Representatives for consideration. It would enable the statutorily required audits of local tax transfers in the Allentown Neighborhood Improvement Zone (NIZ). Specifically, it would authorize the independent auditor for the NIZ contracting authority (the Allentown NIZ Development Authority, or ANIZDA) access to a qualified NIZ business’s state and local tax information to conduct these audits. The bill also would make changes to the ANIZDA board, on which more than half the members serve expired terms, a concern raised during an independent review of the NIZ program last year. Senate Bill 367 would establish a new board and process for selecting members: three appointed by the mayor, one by each of the three state representatives representing Allentown, and one by each of the two state senators, with a third selected by the senators jointly. Since taking office two and a half years ago, I’ve been fighting for more transparency and accountability from the NIZ, and I think real progress that serves the public interest is being made. I appreciate that my Democratic colleague, Sen. Nick Miller, shares this goal, and I am hopeful our bipartisan approach will succeed in getting this bill to the governor. Senate Votes to Help Fire and EMS Departments
The Senate passed legislation to address Pennsylvania’s volunteer firefighter shortage that, if left unaddressed, threatens to cause local tax hikes to fund paid services. The bill would also fix recent issues with emergency services grant funding. Senate Bill 466 would allow job training credits to count toward Firefighter I Certification, giving volunteer recruits a more flexible pathway to credentialing. It would also correct a recent administrative error that led to a number of Fire Company and Emergency Medical Services grants being rescinded. Many departments had already budgeted for those funds, and the bill would ensure they receive the support they were promised. To prevent similar issues, the bill would also establish a one-time, 15-day grace period – available once every three years – for fire and EMS companies to submit required reports without needing to demonstrate undue hardship. It moves to the House of Representatives for consideration. Bill Ensuring Sportsmen’s Rights are Protected Receives Senate Support
Legislation to protect sportsmen’s rights by aligning state law with the federal and state constitution passed the Senate and is headed to the House of Representatives for consideration. The Pennsylvania Game Code contains sections indicating it is unlawful to refuse to answer questions from representatives of the Game Commission. However, that violates the United States and Pennsylvania constitutions, which ensure no person may be “compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself” and “he cannot be compelled to give evidence against himself.” Senate Bill 518 would remove the offending sections, ensuring the protection of sportsmen’s constitutional rights. New Sextortion Scam Blackmails Children
A disturbing new scam involves organized groups of Nigerian cybercriminals targeting American children online. After befriending them – sometimes even posing as their classmates – and exchanging nude photos, the criminals blackmail them and demand money. Organized Nigerian criminals have increased this practice, known as sextortion, by 1,000% in the last 18 months. It can cause unthinkable consequences, including even suicide after a child is told that the image will be sent to their family, friends and everyone in their school if they don’t pay. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children offers a helpful tool to anyone facing this overwhelming scenario. Take It Down is a free service that allows a child to have a “hash value” – essentially a digital fingerprint – assigned to the photo being used against them. The “hash value” is then sent out to participating sites such as Instagram, Snapchat and even pornography sites that put a block on the image so it cannot be seen, shared, or spread, rendering it useless for the blackmailer. A child never has to upload the photo to the service, nor does anyone ever view the image in the process. Win Money for Your Child’s Education
In honor of PA 529 Day on May 29, Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity invites families to contribute $10 or more to their child’s PA 529 account in May to be automatically eligible for one of six regional awards of $5,529. PA 529 plans allow families to use their savings to pay for a wide variety of education expenses, including at any qualified educational institution, from K-12 to college and career training programs. If the child doesn’t pursue education, the beneficiary can be updated to certain family members or used to repay the principal and interest on a qualified education loan for a PA 529 beneficiary or sibling. Anyone – parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and family friends – can contribute to a PA 529 plan. Saving with PA 529 does not impact a student’s eligibility for Pennsylvania state financial aid. Learn more. Election Day is Tuesday, May 20
Election Day is Tuesday, May 20, 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 applied for a mail-in or absentee ballot, your county election office must receive it by Tuesday, May 20, 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.
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