Simmons Seeking Legislative Fix to Phone Snafu

Sep. 21, 2016 /

HARRISBURG – A problem during a recent telephone town hall meeting hosted by Rep. Justin Simmons (R-Lehigh/Montgomery/Northampton) that affected a number of customers has led him to seek a legislative solution.

Bucks House Delegation Requests Christie Reconsider Decision on Reciprocity

Sep. 21, 2016 /

HARRISBURG – Rep. Scott Petri (R-178) and several other members of the Bucks County delegation of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives sent a letter to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, imploring him to reconsider his plan to revoke a 38-year-long reciprocity agreement that allows Pennsylvania residents who work in New Jersey, and New Jersey residents who work in Pennsylvania, to pay income taxes where they live.

Barrar and Committee Vote to Make More Veterans Eligible for State Benefit Programs

Sep. 21, 2016 /

HARRISBURG – Led by majority chairman Rep. Steve Barrar (R-Chester/Delaware), the Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee unanimously approved legislation to reduce the portion of veterans’ VA benefits and compensation that can be counted as income to 50 percent for state benefit programs with income thresholds.

Reese: Allow Liquor Sales in Hotels, Restaurants and Grocery Stores

Sep. 21, 2016 /

HARRISBURG -- Legislation to allow hotel and restaurant licensees to begin selling distilled liquor was introduced Wednesday as a means to further improve Pennsylvania’s liquor laws. The bill’s author, Rep. Mike Reese (R-Westmoreland/Somerset), called his proposal another step to make purchasing spirits more consumer friendly and withdraw Pennsylvania from the business of selling alcohol.

Kaufer: Hundreds Packed PA’s Day of Hope Rally at Capitol

Sep. 20, 2016 /

HARRISBURG – On Tuesday, Rep. Aaron Kaufer (R-Luzerne) joined hundreds of Pennsylvanians, several House and Senate colleagues, as well as Gov. Tom Wolf and members of his administration and others, at the PA HOPE (Heroin, Opioid, Prevention and Education) Caucus’s “Day of Hope” rally held at the state Capitol.

House Recognizes September as Suicide Prevention Month

Sep. 20, 2016 /

HARRISBURG – Rep. Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin) announced today that his House resolution designating September 2016 as Suicide Prevention Month in Pennsylvania passed the House with unanimous support.

Keller’s Bill Allowing Legal Challenges of Local Gun Laws Advances to House Floor

Sep. 20, 2016 /

HARRISBURG – Legislation sponsored by Rep. Mark Keller (R-Perry/Cumberland) that would allow a person or member organization to legally challenge a municipal firearms ordinance today was approved by the House Judiciary Committee in a bipartisan vote of 21-6. House Bill 2258 would also allow reimbursement for the cost of the civil action.

House Children and Youth Committee to Consider More Adoption Reform Bills

Sep. 20, 2016 /

WHAT: The House Children and Youth Committee will consider three more bills to reform the adoption process in Pennsylvania. House Bill 1525, sponsored by Rep. Scott Petri (R-Bucks), would streamline and expedite the procedures for terminating parental rights; House Bill 1528, sponsored by Rep. Dan Moul (R-Adams), would allow adoptive families to appeal to the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services the amount of an adoption subsidy provided by local authorities; and House Bill 1530, sponsored by Rep. Harry Lewis (R-Chester), would make it easier for parents who are incarcerated to relinquish their parental rights by allowing correctional staff to witness the individual’s consent to adoption.

House Committee to Vote Bills Dealing With Hunting, Fishing License Fee Increases

Sep. 20, 2016 /

WHAT: The House Game and Fisheries Committee, chaired by state Rep. Keith Gillespie (R-York), will vote Senate bills 1166 and 1168. These pieces of legislation would allow the Pennsylvania Game Commission and Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission to set their own license fees. Currently, hunting and fishing license costs and fees are established, and can only be changed, by legislative action.

Rapp Resolution Recognizes Surgical Technologist Week

Sep. 19, 2016 /

HARRISBURG — Sponsored by Rep. Kathy Rapp (R-Warren/Crawford/Forest), a resolution officially designating the week of Sept. 18-24, 2016, as “Surgical Technologist Week” in Pennsylvania unanimously passed the state House on Monday.

PA Tax Amnesty Program Outlined, Marsico Says

Sep. 19, 2016 /

HARRISBURG – The state Department of Revenue has announced guidelines for a state tax amnesty program adopted by the General Assembly as part of Act 84 of 2016, Rep. Ron Marsico (R-Lower Paxton) said today.