Topper Responds to Governor’s Budget Announcement

Mar. 23, 2016 /

HARRISBURG – Today, Gov. Tom Wolf announced that he would let House Bill 1801, which is the supplemental budget to close out Fiscal Year 2015-16, to become law without his signature. This bill restores the governor’s previous line-item vetoes to basic education, agriculture and corrections funding. According to Article IV, Section 15 of the Pennsylvania Constitution, any legislation that is neither signed or vetoed by the governor, automatically becomes law within 10 days without.

Kampf Thanks Gov. Wolf for Accepting Budget, Releasing Funds for Schools

Mar. 23, 2016 /

HARRISBURG—Rep. Warren Kampf (R-Montgomery/Chester) thanks Gov. Tom Wolf for his decision to allow the supplemental budget recently passed by the General Assembly, which would increase funds to schools without raising taxes, to become law without his signature. House Bill 1801 would fund state services through June 30, including portions of the budget vetoed by Gov. Tom Wolf in December.

Bloom Relieved Wolf Finally Relents on Tax Hikes

Mar. 23, 2016 /

HARRISBURG – In a press conference today, Gov. Tom Wolf announced he will allow the General Assembly’s latest 2015-16 budget plan to become law. The balanced $30 billion supplemental budget restores funding to schools and agriculture and increases basic education funding by $200 million without tax hikes. Rep. Stephen Bloom (R-Cumberland) issued the following statement in response to Wolf’s budget announcement:

Benninghoff Bill Would Update Truancy Laws, Combat School Dropouts

Mar. 23, 2016 /

HARRISBURG – Rep. Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin) has introduced a bill to substantially amend the state’s truancy laws, which have not been fundamentally changed since the early 1990s. Benninghoff’s legislation, House Bill 1907, would update these laws and policies to more effectively combat truancy and school dropouts.

State Lawmakers Present Bipartisan Solutions to End Pennsylvania’s Illegal Alien Invasion

Mar. 23, 2016 /

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania House State Government Committee Chairman Representative Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler), Representative Martina White (R-Philadelphia), Representative Doyle Heffley (R-Carbon), and Representative Jerry Knowles (R-Berks/Carbon/Schuylkill) joined together to officially introduce three pieces of bipartisan legislation to curb illegal immigration throughout the Commonwealth.

Boback Encourages Colon Cancer Awareness

Mar. 23, 2016 /

HARRISBURG – Rep. Karen Boback (R-Lackawanna/Luzerne/Wyoming) was joined by Rep. Maria Donatucci (D-Delaware/Philadelphia) at a press conference today to emphasize the importance of colon cancer screening and awareness.

Murt Resolution on Women in the Military Passes Committee

Mar. 22, 2016 /

HARRISBURG—A resolution sponsored by Rep. Tom Murt (R-Montgomery/Philadelphia) asking the federal government to investigate the needs of women in the military has passed the Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee.

Harper to Participate in Judicial Retirement Forum

Mar. 22, 2016 /

WHAT: Rep. Kate Harper (R-Montgomery) will serve as a panelist in a discussion about Pennsylvania’s mandatory retirement age for judges. Harper is the prime sponsor of legislation seeking to amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to increase the retirement age from 70 to 75. The proposed constitutional amendment is slated to appear as a referendum on the ballot later this year, the final step in the amendment process.

Barrar Introduces Legislation to Extend Fire/EMS Grant Program

Mar. 22, 2016 /

HARRISBURG – During today’s House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, a bill introduced by Rep. Steve Barrar (R-Chester/Delaware) received unanimous support. House Bill 1877 and its corresponding amendment together seek to reauthorize and extend the existing grant program for fire companies and emergency medical services companies in the Commonwealth.

State Lawmakers to Offer Solutions to Shutdown Pennsylvania’s Illegal Alien Invasion

Mar. 22, 2016 /

WHO: Pennsylvania House State Government Committee Chairman Representative Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler) will join with Representatives Martina White (R-Philadelphia), Dom Costa (D-Allegheny), Doyle Heffley (R-Carbon), Jerry Knowles (R-Berks/Carbon/Schuylkill) and other legislative co-sponsors to officially introduce legislation to protect all Pennsylvania workers with E-Verify; establish legal and economic sanctions against any illegal alien “sanctuary” city; and require applicants for state or local public benefits to provide proof of identity and/or eligibility through the Systematic Alien Verification of Entitlement (SAVE) program.

Ignition Interlock Legislation Advances, Says Heffley

Mar. 22, 2016 /

HARRISBURG – To help make roads safer, Senate Bill 290, which would make the ignition interlock program mandatory for first-time DUI offenders with high blood alcohol levels, advanced this week out of the House Transportation Committee, said Rep. Doyle Heffley (R-Carbon).

House Children and Youth Committee to Study Bills to Reform Adoption Hearing Process

Mar. 22, 2016 /

WHAT: The House Children and Youth Committee, led by Rep. Kathy Watson (R-Bucks/144th), will hold the second in a series of public hearings on reforming the adoption process in Pennsylvania. The legislation to be examined at this hearing includes House Bill 1525, which would require the courts to set a hearing date no more than 20 days after the birth parent(s) file with the court a petition voluntarily relinquishing their parental rights; House Bill1 1527, which would repeal the requirement of an intermediary report from the adoption process; and House Bill 1531,which would eliminate the requirement of holding a hearing to confirm a consent to an adoption when the birth parent or parents of the child being placed for adoption have executed valid consents to an adoption.

Boback Encourages Colon Cancer Awareness

Mar. 22, 2016 /

WHAT: Reps. Karen Boback (R-Lackawanna/Luzerne/Wyoming) and Rep. Maria Donatucci (D-Delaware/Philadelphia) will be holding a press conference to designate March 31, 2016, as C.A.S.U.A.L. (Colon Cancer Awareness Saves Unlimited Adult Lives) Day and to recognize March 216 as National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in Pennsylvania.