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In This Edition:
Strengthening the Integrity of Pennsylvania’s Elections
Most Pennsylvanians say they are dissatisfied with the way elections are conducted in the state, according to a recent poll. To address this, the General Assembly passed significant election integrity measures. The General Assembly passed two proposed amendments to the Pennsylvania Constitution addressing elections. If approved again in the 2023-24 legislative session, the questions will be put on the ballot for voters to decide. One of these amendments would require all voters to present a valid form of identification prior to voting in person or by mail. Seventy-four percent of Pennsylvanians support requiring voters to present identification to vote. A separate proposed amendment would require the General Assembly to provide for audits of elections, including the administration of elections and the results. This crucial work would be performed by the state Auditor General. In addition to moving these constitutional questions one step closer to voters, the General Assembly passed Act 88 of 2022 to get private money out of the administration of our elections. The legislation was created after certain counties received millions of dollars from a group funded by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg during the 2020 Election. The new law creates grants for counties to cover costs such as hiring and training staff, printing ballots, and managing voting machines and tabulation equipment. In return, counties who accept the money are required to take several critical steps to ensure the integrity of the process. Pennsylvanians have advocated for real and meaningful changes that will promote confidence in the fairness of our election system. As elected officials, it is our responsibility to ensure every part of our voting system is above reproach. Special Education Additional School Year Notification Deadline is Monday
The General Assembly recently passed a proposal to provide an additional year of instruction to special education students who reached the age of 21 during the 2021-22 school year or before the 2022-23 school year starts. Due to COVID-19, many of these students suffered immense learning loss and need a bridge before aging out of the public school system. Information about this provision is available here. Parents must submit the Act 55 of 2022 Student Enrollment Notification Form to their school district by this Monday, Aug. 1. New Law Improves Access to Home Health Care Services
Legislation recently passed by the General Assembly and enacted into law will help improve access to home health care services by making permanent two regulations waived during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, non-physician practitioners were unable to order or oversee orders for home health care services. Additionally, registered nurses were not able to perform remote visits to patients in need of home health care services. Due to great need, those regulations were waived during the pandemic. Act 30 of 2022 makes these exceptions permanent, so health care services are more accessible to those individuals who cannot leave their homes to obtain care or treatment. Help for Veterans and Beneficiaries Facing Unexpected Hardships
Pennsylvania veterans and beneficiaries facing a crisis can receive financial relief for necessities of life such as food, shelter, fuel and clothing through the Veterans Temporary Assistance program. Eligible veterans or their beneficiaries can qualify for up to $1,600 in a 12-month period. Eligibility requirements include: a person who served in the U.S. Armed Forces (discharged under honorable conditions), died in service or was killed in action, or suffered a service-connected disability. To apply, contact the County Veterans Affairs Director in your county. Watch Out for Energy Marketing Scams
Consumers should be alert for potential energy marketing scams, especially unsolicited telemarketing calls requesting immediate action and promising far-reaching savings on energy bills. One type of misleading solicitation involves robocalls from unidentified sources making vague and potentially misleading statements about customer discounts, refunds, rebates, and bonuses if the customer acts now. The calls often appear as a local telephone number on recipients’ caller ID, which is often fake or “spoofed,” or the calls fail to display any number at all. According to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, if the sales agent fails to immediately identify themselves and the reason for the call, the consumer should end the call. Find out more about scammers and how to avoid them here. Please Support Local Independent Retailers
Local, independent retailers reinvest more of their revenues into local communities than chain retailers and much more of their revenues than Amazon. Shopping local and supporting independent retailers contributes to the health and prosperity of our communities. I hope you give them a chance to earn your business year-round. Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Title IX
I recently celebrated the 50th Anniversary of Title IX with Explore York PA and Pennsylvania’s premier sports destination, Sport York, at Historic Ashland. York’s highly decorated, multi-sport, Special Olympics athlete, Loretta Claiborne, shared that, “Title IX is about being a woman and being the best.” No doubt, York County is home to many exceptional female athletes including four-time U.S. National Team gymnast, Trinity Thomas from West York, who inspired all with her remarks! Congratulations to Lisa Baker, owner of Carmen Fusco Pro Baseball and Softball Academy, on being awarded the inaugural Playmaker Award for taking her own Title IX experience and turning it into a career to help other young women achieve their dreams. And special thanks to OSS Health’s Dr. Abbie Kelley for sharing the important work she is doing keeping female athletes healthy and in the game! PA Treasurer at the York Fair
I was happy to join PA Treasurer Stacy Garrity at the York State Fair. Her team has a booth in Memorial Hall East. They can help you find your unclaimed property, or you can do it online here. The team can also share information on the PA529 College Savings Program and PA ABLE Savings Program. Growing Business Moves to Downtown York
The 28th District is home to a new and innovative business in the Augmented Reality (AR) field, Home Vision AR. It began at the J.D. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship at York College of Pennsylvania. Now Andy Lynch and Mike Ferreira have moved their growing business to downtown York. HomeVisionAR uses augmented reality to map homes for real estate agents, builders and property managers so vacationers or clients can virtually interact with the property. Read more about this new, innovative, and growing business. Three Local Young Men Become Eagle Scouts
Congratulations to Connor Moran, Brenden Martinez and Lucas Moran of Troop 27 in Stewartstown on achieving the rank of Eagle Scout! It was an honor to present them with citations from the Senate of Pennsylvania in recognition of their significant achievements. Connor and Lucas are the twin sons of Shaun and Laura Moran. Connor repainted the fire lane curbs in Stewartstown for his Eagle project, and Lucas installed a small flower garden with landscape pavers around a flagpole in Stewartstown for the Hopewell Area Recreation & Parks for his Eagle project. Brenden Martinez, the son of David and Robin Martinez, painted fire hydrants in Stewartstown Borough for his Eagle Project. Well done, gentlemen! Upcoming PennDOT maintenance projectsYou can view PennDOT’s list of scheduled maintenance projects for next week below.
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