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In this update:
Legislation honoring 2001 Dallastown grad, fallen Marine signed into lawThe Governor invited me to his office on Wednesday evening for a private bill signing ceremony as he signed my Senate Bill 441, which will commemorate a local fallen Marine and 2001 Dallastown graduate. Sgt. Christopher M. Wrinkle was deployed to Afghanistan in 2011 as part of the Marine Special Operations Company G and Marine Special Operations Team 8221. The barracks in Herat Province, Afghanistan where he was stationed caught fire. He was able to escape, only to realize his service dog, Tosca, was not out of the blaze. Heroically he ran into the blaze to rescue his partner only to tragically lose his life in the truest act of courage and loyalty. Sgt. Wrinkle’s story is one that should not be forgotten. My Senate Bill 441 will ensure his uncommon bravery and loyalty will be remembered by a grateful community. In the near future, when the sign is completed, we will unveil the Sgt. Christopher M. Wrinkle and Tosca Memorial Bridge in Dallastown. You can read more about Wednesday night’s bill signing ceremony, as well as more information about Sgt. Wrinkle, here. Senate takes important step to fight human traffickingThe Senate Judiciary Committee took an important step to crack down on human trafficking by unanimously approving a bill I sponsored that creates tougher punishments against individuals who solicit sexual services of a human trafficking victim. The legislation, the “Buyer Beware Act,” has strong bipartisan support. Representative Seth Grove (R-York) has the same proposal in the House of Representatives. The bill would increase penalties to a first-degree felony if an individual solicits, advertises, transports or houses a human trafficking victim in sexual servitude. Most trafficked victims are between the ages of 12-14. What Rep. Grove and I hope this approach will stop is the demand of human trafficking in Pennsylvania. By punishing the individual soliciting the services of these victims with significant penalties, we can greatly reduce human trafficking throughout our state. You can read more about our efforts here. Program looks at regulatory reform effortsLast month, Representative Kate Klunk (R-York) and I sat down with Carl Marrara, who hosts the Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association’s (PMA) television program, “PMA Perspective.” The interview was taped at the J.D. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship on York College’s campus. It was a perfect backdrop as we toured the business incubators and met with job creators following our interview. PMA Perspective aired on the Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN) earlier this week and is now online for you to view. We believe that this package of legislation will help grow local jobs, empower employees as well as provide more savings to taxpayers. Please take a few minutes to watch our program here. Assisting integral members of our volunteer fire companiesI’ve partnered with Senator Scott Martin (R-Lancaster) to address a growing concern from many local volunteer fire companies. Our Senate Bill 94 would ensure all active duty volunteer firefighters, fire police, officers or directors of a volunteer fire company, and integral members of a volunteer fire company are covered under the state’s workers’ compensation program. You can learn more about this reform here. Bill providing options for school safety approved by SenateOn Tuesday, I stood in support of Senator Mike Regan’s (R-York/Cumberland) legislation that would provide oversight and guidance for school security guards, school resource officers and school police officers, as well as authorizing county sheriffs and deputy sheriffs to work as school resource officers. You can learn more about this reform that would give school districts more options when it comes to addressing school safety concerns here. Measures to evaluate broadband deployment move out of committeeAs the new chair of the Senate Communications and Technology Committee, I have made expanding access to high-speed internet a priority for the committee based on local concerns I’ve heard from students, parents, employees, employers, patients, health care professionals and farmers, to name a few. On Wednesday, the committee approved two resolutions I authored to move the issue forward. Specifically, my Senate Resolution 47 would establish a bipartisan and bicameral commission to recommend improvements for the deployment of high-speed internet in unserved and underserved areas. Senate Resolution 48 would require a study by the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to conduct an in-depth investigation and audit into the compliance of telecommunications carriers with prior state laws that required the deployment of broadband in the mid-1990s and early 2000s. We’ve seen how the state has squandered hundreds of millions of dollars into a statewide radio network that has not lived up to expectations. Before any more public taxpayer dollars are invested into the deployment of broadband, we need to know if any mistakes were made in the past and how we can correct those errors moving forward. With limited taxpayer resources, we must be diligent to ensure we make the most impactful investments in the Commonwealth. You can learn more about our committee meeting here. Local Boy Scout recognized in Senate of PennsylvaniaChristian Snouffer, and his parents, Brad and Jackie, were my guests at the state Capitol on Wednesday. Christian is a decorated Boy Scout who has earned three conservation awards. He is a member of Troop 69, based out of the Salem Lutheran Church in Jacobus. During session, I introduced Christian and his parents to my colleagues in the Senate. You can watch my introduction below. Christian has a very bright future ahead of him! Bass season kicks off tomorrow (Saturday)A friendly reminder to all York County anglers: bass season starts statewide tomorrow (Saturday, June 15.) The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission posted this news release with more information you may find to be helpful. Welcoming Miss York County to the state CapitolRepresentative Kate Klunk (R-York) and I met with Miss York County, as well as Miss Pennsylvania and Miss Pennsylvania Teen before session on Tuesday. It was great to spend time with these young women who are advancing causes to improve the lives of Pennsylvanians. Miss York County is dedicating her efforts to bringing more awareness to autism throughout York County and across the state. We are extremely fortunate to have such strong women who care about important issues representing our county and our commonwealth. O say does that star-spangled banner yet waveHappy Flag Day! On this date (June 14) in 1777, the Continental Congress passed the Flag Act, which reads: “Resolved: That the flag of the United States be made of 13 stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be 13 stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.” Since then, to this day, it has flown boldly over the land of the free because of the brave! Upcoming PennDOT projectsYou can see PennDOT’s maintenance projects planned for next week below: On deckThe Senate of Pennsylvania reconvenes for voting on Monday, June 17 at 1 p.m. You can find out more about next week’s Senate session by visiting www.SenatorKristin.com/session. |
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