Farm-equipment law would help Berks agriculture, state senator says

The Pennsylvania Senate has passed legislation that would lift restrictions on small community farm-equipment dealers who want to carry and sell competitive products, according to state Sen. Judy Schwank.

It would also provide more options for sellers and consumers of farm products, said Schwank, the Democratic chairwoman of the Senate Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee. >>Read more…

Schwank applauds passage of farm equipment bill

The Senate passed legislation today that would lift restrictions on small community farm equipment dealers that want to carry and sell competitive products, while providing more options for sellers and consumers of farm products, according to state Sen. Judy Schwank.

Currently, the Pennsylvania Dealership Law regulates contracts between independent dealers and suppliers of agricultural equipment. Under Senate Bill 1169, independent agricultural equipment dealers and suppliers would be able to sell multiple product lines. >>Read more…

Prospectus Berco marks 35 years of service

Prospectus Berco celebrated its 35th anniversary Wednesday with an open house and tours of its Reading headquarters.

The nonprofit was incorporated March 14, 1977, by a group of volunteers from the Berks County Chapter of the Association for Retarded Citizens. >>Read more…

Plan makes progress to name Berks County road for Vietnam vet missing in action

A bill moved forward Wednesday, March 14, to name a six-mile stretch of road between Robesonia and Bernville for a Vietnam War pilot who was not found after his helicopter went down in 1972.

The Senate Transportation Committee voted unanimously to designate State Routes 3035 and 3033, which run through Robesonia and Heidelberg, North Heidelberg and Penn townships, as the Capt. David Eric Pannabecker POW-MIA Memorial Highway. >>Read more…

Bring your ID to the voting booth

In November, anyone who wants to vote in Pennsylvania will need a photo identification.

The bill was up for debate for three days and Wednesday night the governor signed it into law.

Many people have strong reactions to the measure. >>Read more…

County gets grant to aid with juvenile hearings

The offices of the Berks County district attorney and public defender will receive grants to help deal with the increasing needs of juvenile offenders, state Rep. Thomas R. Caltagirone and state Sen. Judy Schwank said in a joint announcement Tuesday.

A $15,042 grant will help pay for two assistant district attorneys and support staff.

A $15,043 grant will partially fund a full-time assistant public defender and support staff.

>>Read more…

Berks County juvenile-court system gets $30,000 for more staff

The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency has approved more than $30,000 in grants to bolster the juvenile-justice system in Berks County.

The district attorney’s office received $15,042 to help fund two assistant district attorneys and one support staff member for the county juvenile court.

The funding will help increase the number of prehearing diversion cases and prehearing case negotiations, and reduce the number of preventable case continuances. >>Read more…

State awards three recycling grants in Berks County

The state has awarded a total of more than $41,565 in grants to the Berks County Solid Waste Authority, Kenhorst and Mohnton for recycling efforts.

“These funds will enhance local recycling efforts that will, in turn, improve our environment,” state Sen. Judy Schwank said. “I’m pleased that the state is encouraging communities to make Pennsylvania a cleaner and greener place to live and work.” >>Read more…

112-acre farm in Lower Heidelberg Township preserved forever

Another 112 acres of Berks County farmland will be preserved through the purchase of conservation easements, valued at $279,750, approved by the Pennsylvania Agricultural Land Preservation Board.

The farm, on Palm Road in Lower Heidelberg Township, is owned by the Wolfskill family.

“Our farmlands play a crucial role in the vitality of our state and local economy, so it’s imperative that we preserve our agricultural industry,” said state Sen. Judy Schwank, a preservation board member. >>Read more…

Schwank: Access to Birth, Death Records Now Available

Starting today, the public may now access birth and death records online and in person for free at the Pennsylvania State Archives thanks to a new law, according to state Sen. Judy Schwank.

“This is good news for families who are seeking information about their loved ones and for researchers who are looking to learn more about their communities,” Schwank said. “The new law will make it more convenient to search the state’s archives for this important information.” >>Read more…

Mary Young: Budget response honor for Schwank

Gov. Tom Corbett’s proposed budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 contains cuts and has no increase over the current $27.1 billion spending plan.

You wouldn’t know that if you listened to or read his speech. Not once did the Republican governor mention the bottom line. The numbers he did mention didn’t tell us anything about which departments were getting cut and by how much.

State Sen. Judy Schwank, a Ruscombmanor Township Democrat who represents Reading and most of eastern Berks County, was chosen by the Senate Democrats to prepare their official response, no easy task considering the lack of details. >>Read more…

Schwank: Budget Proposal Again Calls for Short-Sighted Cuts

State Sen. Judy Schwank today said that, for a second straight year, the governor’s Pennsylvania budget proposal calls for short-sighted cuts and no long-term solution for moving Pennsylvania forward.

“Once again, we have been offered a budget proposal that focuses more on short-sighted cuts than long-term strategic investment,” Schwank said of the $27.14 billion 2012-13 state budget. “The budget proposal announced today fails to foster job creation, close corporate tax loopholes or find a long-term transportation infrastructure funding solution. >>Read more…

Democrats want more for families, seniors

The policies reflected in Gov. Tom Corbett’s proposed budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 won’t resolve issues impacting families, senior citizens, students and others, according to the Senate’s Democratic caucus.

And Corbett failed to produce a jobs plan or a workable transportation initiative, Senate Democrats charged in their budget response prepared by Sen. Judy Schwank of Ruscombmanor Township. Schwank was chosen by the leadership to prepare the response. >>Read more…

Pennsylvania State Education Association endorses Rep. Eugene DePasquale’s bill to help distressed school districts

Harrisburg and Steelton-Highspire are among the 18 school districts that would receive additional money to apply toward academic programs that have been shown to help raise student achievement under a bill that Rep. Eugene DePasquale, D-York, is sponsoring.

At a Capitol news conference with Pennsylvania State Education Association President Mike Crossey at his side, DePasquale outlined his plan, known as Priority Assistance Grant for Education (PAGE) program, that would direct $30 million to districts in academic or fiscal distress. Sen. Judy Schwank, D-Berks County, is introducing an identical bill in the Senate. >>Read more…

Schwank’s biggest accomplishment: getting elected

[The legislator responded to a bctv.org survey asking about her service in 2011.]

State Sen. Judy Schwank’s responses:

Biggest accomplishment

I consider my biggest accomplishments of the past year being elected to serve the citizens of the 11th District, reconnecting with my constituents, and providing them with the conscientious representation and constituent services they deserve. >>Read more…

Legislators share insights on agricultural issues

State House and Senate district lines might not change for another year, economic troubles in Europe could have local effects and a tough budget season lies ahead.

Those are some of the items discussed by legislators at Thursday’s Berks Agriculture Resource Network meeting at the Berks County Agriculture Center in Bern Township.

About 35 BARN members listened to U.S. Rep. Charles W. Dent, a Lehigh County Republican who represents part of Berks, and state Sen. Judy Schwank, a Ruscombmanor Township Democrat, speak about current Pennsylvania agricultural issues in the legislature. >>Read more…

$5 million state loan will aid hotel project on Penn Street

A $5 million state loan has been approved for the Greater Berks Development Fund for planned projects in Reading.

The projects include a planned four-star hotel downtown, according to state Sen. Judy Schwank, a Ruscombmanor Township Democrat, and state Rep. Thomas R. Caltagirone, a Reading Democrat, both of whom announced the loan Wednesday.

The hotel to be built on Penn Street across from the Sovereign Center will boost tourism and the local economy, they stated in a press release. >>Read more…

State will loan $5 million for Reading hotel project

The state has awarded a $5 million loan toward the construction of a long-planned four-star hotel in downtown Reading.

“It’s a big step forward,” said Albert Boscov, the retailing magnate who runs the nonprofit development organization Our City Reading and has spearheaded many projects in Reading. >>Read more…

Agriculture issues to be aired by Schwank at meeting

State Sen. Judy Schwank, a Ruscombmanor Township Democrat, will discuss legislative issues pertaining to agriculture at the Berks Agricultural Resource Network’s directors meeting on Thursday.

The free public meeting is from 9 to 11 a.m. in the auditorium in the Berks County Agricultural Center along County Welfare Road.

The meeting also will feature a presentation by Jodi Torock of the Penn State Extension Northampton County on the Start Farming program. >>Read more…

$500,000 grant awarded for after-school programs in Reading

The Reading School District on Thursday received a $500,000 federal grant aimed at bolstering after-school programs.

The state Department of Education announced that Reading was one of 17 school districts across the state to receive a 21st Century Community Learning Center Challenge grant.

The grants are given to help establish community learning centers in struggling school districts. >>Read more…

Schwank aided truce between city school board, 5 administrators

State Sen. Judy Schwank knew it was a problem too important to ignore.

Five top administrators in the Reading School District had announced they were quitting over differences with the school board, leaving the district in limbo in the middle of the school year.

“I was concerned the doors to the schools wouldn’t open when this happened,” Schwank said. “In my opinion, this situation was a disaster waiting to happen.” >>Read more…

Berks Women in Crisis honors 3 for their work

Berks Women in Crisis finally found the right place for its new larger headquarters, just as the economy tanked.

Some had second thoughts about raising money, but a dedicated group raised $3.2 million for the new headquarters at Third and Chestnut streets.

On Monday, the fundraising campaign’s co-chairwomen, Helen Najarian and Sara P. Ehrlich, received the nonprofit’s annual Voices for Change Awards. >>Read more…

Commission to Create and Strengthen Child Protection Laws

In the wake of the child sex abuse scandal at Penn State, Pennsylvania lawmakers are creating a bipartisan commission to strengthen and create new laws to protect children. The Senate GOP spokesman said that he expects a resolution creating the joint task force to be considered and approved next week.

Meanwhile, Senate Democrats are bringing attention to the various bills that they’ve proposed or will propose to make kids safer. Pennsylvania Senator Judy Schwank (D-Berks County) says that her caucus also wants a thorough review of institutional boards.

>>Read more…

Panel to target child sex abuse

HARRISBURG — Another panel, this time through state government, is being crafted in response to the Penn State University child sex abuse case.

The commission, which is expected to include lawmakers, agency officials and representatives of child-advocacy groups, will be tasked with searching for gaps in current state requirements for handling suspected child-abuse incidents.

While legislative leaders are still haggling over who should be included and are drafting the necessary resolutions to create that panel, Senate Democrats on Wednesday outlined a lengthy list of potential changes for it to consider.

>>Read more…