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 …

  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 year, the United States Supreme Court ruled that it is up to each individual state to voluntarily decide to expand the Medicaid program as part of the decision on the federal Affordable Care Act, which will begin to cover people on Jan. 1, 2014. Last week, Governor Corbett announced that at this time Pennsylvania will not opt into expansion. Medicaid is the state-federal program created in the 1960s to provide health care benefits for working individuals with income levels below the federal poverty level. An expansion in Pennsylvania would raise the income level of those who qualify …

  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…

  Last Tuesday, Governor Corbett announced his 2013-14 budget proposal. Since 2011, the Governor has made drastic and deep cuts to many essential state programs and services, which has contributed to Pennsylvania’s recent trend of growing unemployment and slow crawl out of an economic recession. Although Governor Corbett’s most recent state plan contains the restoration of some reductions from previous years, the majority of the Governor’s proposal is based on unsure funding sources and the uncertain passage of privatizing state programs. Overall, Governor Corbett has announced a plan that …

  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 …

  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 …

  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…

  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…

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 …

  In June 2011, Highmark, the region’s dominant health insurer, and West Penn Allegheny Health System (WPAHS), the second largest hospital network in the area, announced an agreement for what they called a “capital partnership.” Highmark would begin to invest $475 million in terms of grants, loans and donations over four years to stabilize the financially ailing WPAHS. This infusion of funding would also grant the hospital system the ability to continue to deliver quality medical services until the two entities could navigate regulatory approval requirements by the Pennsylvania Insurance …

As Veteran’s Day approaches, I’d like to acknowledge and thank our military men and women for their service to our country and our families. The commitment of these brave individuals is one for which we should all be grateful. As your state Senator, I will continue working to ensure that active members of the military as well as our veterans and their families receive the necessary opportunities in order to improve their lives upon returning home. Legislation Supporting Veterans There were several pieces of legislation relating to veterans which were enacted during the final days of the 2011-…

The General Assembly last week concluded voting session for the 2011-2012 legislative session.  While there were many important measures enacted during this session, I cannot help but also reflect upon the number of crucial issues that have gone unfinished or been ignored by the Corbett Administration and majority party in the House and Senate. From the crippling funding cuts to our education system and the dismantling of safety net programs that benefit our most vulnerable citizens to the lack of action on our state’s transportation infrastructure and mass transit funding crisis, the past …

A recent report, the Young Adults Report 2012, issued by the University of Pittsburgh's University Center for Social and Urban Research and PittsburghTODAY shows that over the past five years Pittsburgh has seen a percent influx of residents aged 20-34. This turnaround contradicts, with data, the impression that still exists in some circles that Pittsburgh is losing its young population. In fact, this report forecasts that population will grow an additional 8 percent by 2020. The Young Adults Report 2012 also shows that Pittsburgh ranks fifth in the nation for workers aged 25-34 who have …

Imagine signing all of the proper paperwork to finance and purchase a newly constructed dream home only to find out down the road that a mechanics’ lien has been placed on your investment without you knowing. Or imagine your house being damaged by a tornado that rolled through town and in an effort to fix your property, a mechanics’ lien has been placed on your home. These are some examples of why two consumer protection bills sitting before the Pennsylvania Legislature need to become law. In 2009, a number of homeowners in Royersford, Pennsylvania, who purchased property, found themselves …

On average, an estimated 250,000 soldiers leave active military duty every year. Just last week, 33,000 surge troops that President Obama ordered to Afghanistan in December 2009 were sent home. This drawdown of United States forces is in keeping with the President’s timetable to pull out all conventional combat forces by the end of 2014. While these soldiers should be welcomed home in the coming days with open arms, many will face a new hurdle resulting from the deep recession: unemployment.     Post 9/11 veterans are facing an economic environment unprecedented to drawdown periods of any …