Sep. 28, 2016
HARRISBURG – On Wednesday, Gov. Tom Wolf spoke before a joint session of the General Assembly about Pennsylvania’s ongoing opioid and heroin abuse crisis. Throughout the 2015-16 legislative session, Rep. Aaron Kaufer (R-Luzerne) has been leading policy discussions and developing solutions for this issue, and the governor acknowledged Kaufer and other legislators for their work on this issue during his speech. After the governor’s address, Kaufer issued the following statement:
“While admittedly I am disappointed that the special session to solely discuss the many issues surrounding Pennsylvania’s opioid-abuse crisis didn’t happen as originally discussed, I am still appreciative for the governor bringing greater attention to this issue.
“Since the special session didn’t happen, it’s even more important that the several good opioid abuse bills the House passed in June get considered in the Senate before this legislative session ends. These bills include potential improvements to opioid prescribing practices, better training for health care professionals, expanded access to treatment and enhanced educational efforts. The governor mentioned these bills in his address today, and wants to be able to sign them into law as soon as possible. I urge the Senate to vote on these bills now.
“As a co-founder and co-chairman of the new PA HOPE (Heroin, Opioid, Prevention and Education) Caucus, I spent a large portion of the summer attending hearings all across the state, gathering testimony from medical professionals, law enforcement officials, health care and treatment center personnel, and families and friends who live on the front line of this crisis. As a result, I recently introduced 10 bills that all include potential solutions to this issue. This is a multi-faceted crisis affecting communities in every corner of our state, and several bills will be necessary to achieve the results our communities need.
“I will continue to do all I can to deliver positive results as quickly as possible. Every day we leave this issue unaddressed is another day we lose ten more Pennsylvanians, be them family members, loved ones, friends and members of our communities. This is not a political issue, and I urge my fellow legislators to do what is right for the people of Pennsylvania and be part of the solution.”
For more information about the opioid and heroin abuse crisis that is touching every corner of the Commonwealth, visit pahopecaucus.com. For any other state-related issue, contact Kaufer’s district office in Luzerne located at 161 Main St., by calling 570-283-1001. Information can also be found online at
RepKaufer.com or
Facebook.com/RepKaufer.
Representative Aaron Kaufer
120th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Krisinda Corbin
717.705.2032
KCorbin@pahousegop.com
RepKaufer.com /
Facebook.com/RepKaufer