Throughout its more than 40 years in existence, the Pennsylvania Lottery has funded approximately 75 percent of the state’s Department of Aging budget through programs that offer low-cost prescription drugs, free and reduced-fare transit, property tax and rent rebates, long-term living services and senior centers. Today, our Lottery is one of the most profitable in the nation.  When Pennsylvania legalized slots gaming in 2004 and expanded to table games in 2010, one of the issues the Legislature faced was how the state’s lottery would be affected by these additions to the gambling industry. …

School safety is of the utmost importance for everyone in our communities as well as employees of a school district. We send our children to these institutions to receive an education believing that this place is a safe haven for all who are involved in the development and learning of our young ones. The recent tragedies that have occurred across the United States and in particular, Sandy Hook, remind us that even the young and innocent are often the target of some mentally disturbed individuals. Last week, the Pennsylvania Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 10 (SB 10) which would provide …

Next week marks National Library Week throughout the country.  First debuting in 1958, National Library week is sponsored by the American Library Association and observed by libraries nationwide each April. The kickoff will begin on Sunday, April 14, where communities across the United States will recognize of the role of libraries, librarians and library workers and the services and resources libraries and library staff provide to the community. Although all libraries within the Commonwealth have a great importance to the state, the 42nd district is very fortunate to have one of state’s …

Pennsylvania has one of the largest highway networks in the country and is one of the most heavily traveled, ranking fifth nationally in miles of state-maintained highways. In March, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) released its first ever Transportation Performance Report which details the Commonwealth’s efforts in safety, mobility, system preservation and accountability. The results of the report underscored the need for a significant transportation investment in the coming months. The Transportation Performance Report highlights how Pennsylvania’s transportation …

Last week, Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl announced the City of Pittsburgh would be filing a lawsuit against University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) seeking a removal of UPMC’s tax-exempt status and payment of back payroll taxes. I commend Mayor Ravenstahl and the city for challenging UPMC’s non-profit status and for bringing this issue before the Court of Common Pleas to determine whether UPMC deserves its current non-profit status. UPMC should welcome the opportunity to provide transparency and prove to the public that they are truly non-profit, once and for all. The time has come …

As a response to the Jerry Sandusky and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia child abuse scandals, the Pennsylvania General Assembly created a Task Force on Child Protection in January 2012. The mission of the task force was to review the state’s child protection laws and procedures. After months of testimony throughout the state by various advocacy groups and professionals who deal with child abuse on a daily basis, the task force released their recommendations in November 2012. At a press conference on Tuesday, a bipartisan package of bills was introduced that provide for sweeping reform by …

Last week, the Commonwealth Court ruled that two statutes that stripped money from the successful adultBasic and Medical Assistance for Workers with Disabilities programs were unconstitutional because they diverted money from the federal Tobacco Settlement to finance items other than health care in the general budget. I consider this ruling a victory in favor of hard-working Pennsylvanians who have found themselves in a position where they lack health care benefits because of Corbett Administration policies of cutting programs for low-income residents. Under the Tobacco Settlement in 1998, …

Last July, Pennsylvania passed a law that created the Keystone Works program. Under this initiative, unemployed individuals can receive free job training with an employer while continuing to receive unemployment compensation benefits. Although this program is only in its beginning stages, Keystone Works is already proving to be a very successful program that not only benefits unemployed workers, but also businesses and the state. Keystone Works trainings are for open positions in high priority occupations (HPOs), as determined by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, which are in …

Pennsylvania is the nineteenth largest economy in the world, making our state a very attractive place for entrepreneurs to launch a business. However, newer businesses often need capital in order to build a company and banks often shy away from providing this necessary funding during the first few, high risk, years. Last week, the Senate Finance Committee approved legislation I authored that would give certain start-up businesses the tools they need to establish and grow in our state. Senate Bill 141 (SB 141) would use excess Keystone State Innovation Zone dollars to provide a 25 percent tax …

The current state store system that Pennsylvania has in place began in 1933 after the ending of Prohibition. Many attempts to privatize our system have occurred over the years with the earliest effort taking place during the Thornburgh Administration in 1983. Governor Ridge continued with the privatizing endeavor throughout the 1990s and Governor Corbett has been the most recent advocate. Up until this point, all attempts by these administrations have failed. Last week, Governor Corbett announced a proposal to privatize the state’s liquor system. Under the Governor’s plan, the more than 600 …

Last November, I expressed my concerns with the news that Highmark and West Penn Allegheny Health System (WPAHS) had ended negotiations to finalize their affiliation agreement. The two entities appeared in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court in October after WPAHS claimed Highmark breached their affiliation agreement by insisting WPAHS file for bankruptcy prior to executing the agreement. As a result, WPAHS began searching for other suitors in place of Highmark, which prompted Highmark to ask the Court to block WPAHS from talking to other potential partners. A Common Pleas judge ruled on the …

As Vice-Chair of the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) Board of Directors, I am pleased to be hosting, in conjunction with PHEAA, a PHEAA Financial Aid Education Day. This free seminar will be held this Saturday, Jan. 26, and run from 10 a.m. until noon at the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC)—Allegheny Campus, in the Auditorium, Room S-260, in the Student Service Center Building.   Representatives from PHEAA will explain to students and their families what financial aid opportunities are available and which resources can assist in obtaining them. Attendees …

Last Friday, the Corbett Administration issued a “notice of award” of a 20-year management contract for the Pennsylvania Lottery's $3.5-billion operation to the British-based firm Camelot Global Services, PA, LLC. The notice of award is not yet a binding contract commitment, but a first step in the privatizing process. The Administration now has less than a week to execute an agreement that will turn the management of the Pennsylvania Lottery over to the private company. The Administration is currently under a lot of scrutiny by many members of the General Assembly, as well as the labor union…

During the 2011-12 legislative session, the General Assembly passed legislation, Act 2 of 2012, which increased prize limits for small games of chance for the first time in 23 years. Under this legislation, prize limits for daily games increase from $500 to $1,000, weekly games from $5,000 to $25,000, and monthly raffles from $5,000 to $10,000. These changes to the Local Option Small Games of Chance Act will help many of our non-profit organizations raise additional and much-needed revenue. Whether it be veterans’ or fraternal organizations, religious groups, or civic or service associations…

According to the state constitution, the new Pennsylvania General Assembly meets on a biennial basis on the first Tuesday in January to swear in the members for the upcoming legislative session. This year, the occasion falls on New Year’s Day. This timing provides me with a great opportunity to express my priorities on what issues myself and the Pennsylvania General Assembly will hopefully address during the 2013-14 session. Since 2005, I have worked hard to craft legislation aimed at helping abused and underprivileged children and families. Last year Governor Corbett signed into law a bill I…

Local municipalities across the state are facing a broad spectrum of challenges including economic development, taxation, crime, education, and the rising costs for personnel and the delivery of social services. In an attempt to alleviate these communities of some the impact of aging and distressed communities so often face, the Pennsylvania Senate Democrats recently announced our Growth, Progress, and Sustainability (GPS) plan to help transform our neighborhoods and achieve sustainability for the future. Since 1987, 27 municipalities, including Pittsburgh, have been declared “financially …

To my great disappointment, Governor Tom Corbett has decided to allow the federal government to run Pennsylvania’s health insurance exchange that will serve an estimated one million Pennsylvanians. Our state now joins 19 other states that have also made the decision to give up states’ rights to decide what’s best for its citizens, with the majority of these states being led by Republican governors. Ironically, these states are going against a fundamental conservative belief that states should make their own decisions rather than to give control to the federal government. The Affordable Care …

I have written many times over the last several months of the need for the administration to make the process of obtaining a voter ID more simple and convenient for voters who lack photo identification and wish to vote. Since the Commonwealth Court issued an injunction requiring a stay in the implementation of the Voter ID law for the November general election, there has been ample time to consider how to improve the process by which voters lacking an acceptable photo ID under the law can obtain the appropriate credentials. Regardless of your position on the photo ID requirement spelled out …

In the past, I have discussed the benefits the Pennsylvania film tax credit has brought to our state, including the more than 16,300 direct jobs and over $739 million in wages. As the administration starts to draft a proposed 2013-14 budget in the coming months, now is the time to consider increasing the Pennsylvania film tax credit so that this very successful program can continue providing financial perks to companies to come to our state and invest in our economy. Currently, the film tax credit offers directors and producers who film 60 percent of their production within Pennsylvania a 25 …

As a response to the Jerry Sandusky and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia child abuse scandals, the Pennsylvania General Assembly created a Task Force on Child Protection in January to review the state’s child protection laws and procedures. After months of testimonies throughout the state being given by various advocate groups and professionals who deal with child abuse on a daily basis, the task force released their recommendations on Nov. 27. The following is a brief outline of suggestions by the task force: Eliminate certain restricting language in the definition of “child abuse” and …