Top Senate Leader wants vote on school property tax reform…

In this update:

Senate President Pro Tempore calls for a vote on school property tax elimination and reform
Highlights from the 2020 Pennsylvania Farm Show
- Mike Waugh’s legacy on display at 104^th annual Farm Show
- Interview with Agriculture Secretary Redding on the future of farming
- Spring Grove’s Caputo Brothers testifies at Senate hearing
- Hugh McPherson and Barron Shaw interview on past, present and future of local orchards
- Congrats to Farm Show scholarship award recipients Grant Cash and Daniel Rohrbaugh
- Cheers to 30 years with PA Dairymen’s Milkshakes
- Farm Show goes until tomorrow (Saturday) at 5 p.m.
Slow down! Speed cameras on I-83 at Exit 4 (Shrewsbury interchange) to protect workers
National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day reminds us to say thank you
Discussing education issues in the latest edition of the School Boards Association’s statewide publication
Upcoming Census job fairs
Mobile Office in Manchester Township this upcoming Thursday (Jan. 16)&

Senate President Pro Tempore calls for a vote on school property tax elimination and reform

One of the top issues for every community in the 28^th Senatorial District is our school property tax crisis. The hundreds of calls, emails and letters I have received from community residents on this issue led me to sponsor legislation to address our excessive school property taxes by shifting to a more fair and equitable way to fund our public schools.

The Altoona Mirror recently featured some encouraging comments on the issue from Senator Joe Scarnati, who serves as the Senate President Pro Tempore. He “indicated his desire to see [the Senate] cast an up or down vote on a school property tax reform plan.”

You can read the full article here.

Highlights from the 2020 Pennsylvania Farm Show

It has been an absolute joy to see so many York Countians at the 104^th Pennsylvania Farm Show this week.

Mike Waugh’s legacy on display at 104th annual Farm Show

Monday night featured the annual Mike Waugh Celebrity Draft Horse Competition, which raises money for scholarships for students interested in pursuing careers in the agriculture field.

The competition involves guiding horses around obstacles and is a friendly competition for legislators, TV personalities and agency leaders.

The event is a great testament to Senator Waugh, who is my predecessor and left a lasting legacy on the agriculture community in York County and across Pennsylvania. Senator Waugh started this competition many years ago because he saw the value of providing the next generation of farmers with scholarships to encourage them to pursue those valuable degrees.

I am pictured below with Duke, who was Senator Waugh’s horse and continues to be one of the horses involved in the competition.

Learn more about this great competition that honors the life and service of Senator Waugh below.

Interview with Agriculture Secretary Redding on the future of farming

Secretary Russell Redding, who serves as the top official at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, sat down with me on Tuesday for an interview about the state of our Commonwealth’s agriculture industry. I encourage you take a few minutes to watch our discussion below.

Spring Grove’s Caputo Brothers testifies at Senate hearing

Rynn Caputo of Caputo Brothers Creamery based in Spring Grove testified at a Senate Majority Policy Committee public hearing held at the Farm Show Complex. Rynn provided great feedback on how the 2019 PA Farm Package is helping her grow her family’s business as well as some opportunities for the state to strengthen our dairies.

You can watch our interaction below.

You can learn more about this hearing, including watching the full event, here.

Hugh McPherson and Barron Shaw interview on past, present and future of local orchards

Hugh McPherson of Maize Quest and Maple Lawn Winery and Cider House, as well as Barron Shaw of Shaw Orchards Farm Market discussed with me their unique backgrounds and their respective positions at their well-known family businesses.

You can watch our discussion below.

Hugh McPherson

Barron Shaw

You can view our photos from our interviews here.
Congrats to Farm Show scholarship award recipients Grant Cash and Daniel Rohrbaugh

Several students from across the state were awarded scholarships on Tuesday morning at the annual Pennsylvania Farm Show Foundation breakfast. The 28^th Senatorial District had not one, but two young men who earned these very competitive scholarships.

Grant Cash of York and Daniel Rohrbaugh of Seven Valleys earned scholarships from the foundation. I was grateful to spend some time with these young leaders and their families.

Daniel attends Kansas State University and is a fourth-generation Angus breeder. You can watch his scholarship award presentation and our interview below.

Grant is a student at Penn State University. He plans to build farm equipment after graduation. You can watch his scholarship award presentation below.

You can view photos from the scholarship awards breakfast here.

Cheers to 30 years with PA Dairymen’s Milkshakes

On Monday, my husband Rick joined me for the Senator Mike Waugh Celebrity Draft Horse Competition. It also happened to be our 30^th wedding anniversary. We raised a toast with the popular Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Farm Show Milkshake! I am incredibly grateful to have Rick by my side every step of the way and support me in my public service.

Farm Show goes until tomorrow (Saturday) at 5 p.m.

As a reminder, the 104^th Pennsylvania Farm Show runs through tomorrow, Saturday, until 5 p.m.

All of the information, including parking and a directory, can be found here.

Slow down! Speed cameras on I-83 at Exit 4 (Shrewsbury interchange) to protect workers

Automated speed enforcement systems, also known as speed cameras, are used to catch motorists exceeding the speed limit by 11 mph.

The law only allows these systems to be in use when workers are present within an active work zone in order to save the lives of both workers and motorists.

Motorists will see these devices in use at the Exit 4 (Shrewsbury) interchange along Interstate 83. First-time offenders will face a fine of $75 with repeat offenders facing fines of $150.

You can learn more about this in this ABC27 story.

National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day reminds us to say thank you

Yesterday was National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. As a community, we value the time, dedication and sacrifices our state, county and local law enforcement officers make each day.

While this day occurs once a year, we should always say thank you to the men and women who protect our communities and keep our neighborhoods safe.

Discussing education issues in the latest edition of the School Boards Association’s statewide publication

As the latest recipient of the William Howard Day Award from the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, I sat down with the association to discuss what the award means to the district I represent, and other education challenges and priorities for the 28^th District.

We discussed many issues, including unfunded mandates (spoiler alert: I don’t like unfunded mandates!).

You can read the full article, which appeared in their statewide publication the “Bulletin,” here.

Upcoming Census job fairs

The Census Bureau is looking for York Countians who want to work toward a complete count for the 2020 Census. As part of the mission, there will be two job fairs next week. Below are the details.

Mobile Office in Manchester Township this upcoming Thursday (Jan. 16)

On Thursday, January 16 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., our office will be in Manchester Township as part of our ongoing commitment to make your state Senate more accessible to you. More details can be found here.

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