July 10, 2014
READING, July 10, 2014 – More Berks County residents will be able to recycle their waste now that $110,000 in new state grants is headed to two local governments’ recycling programs, state Sen. Judy Schwank announced today.
Exeter Township will receive $79,781 through the Recycling Performance Grant Program for diverting 9,012 tons of waste from landfills through its municipal recycling program in 2011.
The Berks County Solid Waste Authority will receive three grants worth a total of $31,143 through The PA Small Business and Household Pollution Prevention Grant Program.
“Exeter Township officials and residents can be proud of the success of their local recycling program, and this grant is appropriate proof of their good work,” said Sen. Schwank. “And, now that they are they helping to protect our environment by helping more people recycle their waste, they are getting new state investments to help them do more.”
Recycling performance grants are an incentive for Pennsylvania communities to increase the amount of materials they recycle as they promote economic growth through job creation and market expansion.
The Berks County Solid Waste Authority is getting three grants totaling $31,143 from the Pennsylvania Small Business and Household Pollution Prevention Grant Program, which reimburses local governments for half of the cost of developing and operating household hazardous waste collection events.
“Most people know about recycling, but not everyone has the opportunity to participate,” Schwank said. “Collections events are great ways to send unwanted plastic, glass, paper and metal to companies that can re-use the waste for other beneficial products, and I am pleased the authority is getting this money so it can continue its good work.”
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July 1, 2014
HARRISBURG, July 1, 2014 – The proposal that would make it a crime to publish unapproved, sexually explicit pictures of a former partner moved one step closer to becoming law today when the Pennsylvania Senate agreed to return an amended version of the bill to the House for final consideration, state Sen. Judy Schwank said today.
House Bill 2107 now represents a beefed up compromise between Sen. Schwank’s original proposal, Senate Bill 1167, and Rep. Thomas Murt’s (R-Montgomery County) legislation.
“Senate Bill 1167 put Pennsylvania in the vanguard of states addressing this new form of assault perpetrated overwhelmingly on women,” Schwank said during floor debate. “There are people who don’t appreciate how harmful these acts are to the victims. They are devastating. And, to make things worse, they have no expiration date. Nothing ever disappears from the internet.”
HB 2107, which targets what has been called “revenge porn,” would mean people who publicly post sexual images of their partners to annoy and harm them would commit a crime that carries potential penalties of up to two years in jail when an adult is the victim and up to five years when the victim is a minor.
Sen. Schwank said offenders would also be financially responsible for the injuries they cause their victims, through civil suit, and concurrent jurisdiction in district attorney offices and the state attorney general will ensure that there are appropriate resources to prosecute.
“Revenge porn is an unfortunate and misleading term because it suggests that the victims are complicit in the public viewing of the images,” the senator said. “To think the victim is somehow deserving of the consequences is as false as the belief so many used to have that victims of domestic violence oftentimes deserved the abuse inflicted on them.”
HB 2107 has the support of the Pennsylvania District Attorneys’ Association, Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, and the Women’s Law Project.
“We believe this proposal satisfies First Amendment concerns that have troubled proposals in other states,” Schwank said.
Currently in Pennsylvania, harassment law only requires the prosecution of an offender if he or she uses a drawing or caricature to embarrass someone. The use of photographic images, unless repeatedly published, is not covered by current statute.
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June 30, 2014
HARRISBURG, June 30, 2014 – Because it fails to address Pennsylvania’s real issues – like property tax reform and taxing Marcellus Shale companies – state Sen. Sen. Judy Schwank today voted “no” on Pennsylvania’s $29.1 billion 2014-2015 budget.
“We have worked hard in Harrisburg to help Republicans and Gov. Tom Corbett understand that Pennsylvania is deeper in its financial quagmire because of the policies of the past four years,” Schwank, the Democratic chair of the Senate Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee said.
“Pennsylvanians, unlike Marcellus Shale companies that are reaping billions of dollars in profits taking natural gas from beneath our earth, are struggling. Yet we can’t even agree to a small tax on the gas Marcellus Shale companies extract because Republicans and the governor are only interested in protecting them,” Sen. Schwank said. “Pennsylvania is the only state not to tax the natural gas that is being pulled from our ground.”
Had Pennsylvania levied a 5 percent severance tax on gas drillers, as Senate Democrats proposed in March, Schwank said the tax would have generated $700 million in new revenue to improve education, better protect the environment and spark new economic development.
Coupled with the $400 million that also would have flowed to the commonwealth under Medicaid expansion, most of the state’s $1.5 billion deficit would have been painlessly covered and 500,000 residents, including 23,000 veterans, would finally have received health care insurance.
“Instead, our $1.5 billion Corbett deficit has been ‘covered’ by inflated projections and deep cuts to essential economic development, environmental protection and job creation programs. And, no new funding streams mean we will have less ability to offset fiscal shortfalls if projections fall short, as some are anticipating could happen by early 2015 to the tune of $2.5 billion.
“Billions of dollars are being squandered by the commonwealth. This should be money we can invest with to offset education funding shortfalls that schools districts continue to pass on to local taxpayers through higher property taxes.
“School property tax bills are being mailed out now and I am painfully aware the effect this is having on residents, particularly seniors and those on fixed incomes,” Sen. Schwank said.
“The window is closing on the chance for us to deliver true property tax relief to our homeowners, but the General Assembly has some time to address this critical issue before the 2013-14 session ends later this year,” she said.
While Democrats in the Senate and House have been vocal about what they believe needs to be done to right Pennsylvania’s financial ship, Schwank said they were invited late to budget talks.
“If all parties would have been at the table, perhaps a consensus could have been found to find real solutions. Instead, partisan politics took center stage to the detriment of our commonwealth and our residents,” the senator said.
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June 25, 2014
HARRISBURG, June 25, 2014 – A bill containing a proposal by state Sen. Judy Schwank that would name Route 12 in Alsace Township, Berks County, as the “Special Warfare Operator Chief (SEAL) Lance M. Vaccaro Highway” has been approved by the Senate.
“Chief Special Warfare Operator Vaccaro did not die on the battlefield; he died while conducting parachute training operations in Arizona,” Sen. Schwank said. “But he was a combat-tested leader and one who earned the utmost respect of the men and women he worked with. His bravery and dedication to country reflect well on Berks County. This road naming is an appropriate tribute.”
Vaccaro died March 6, 2008, after suffering injuries near Marana, AZ.
Born in Reading in 1972, Vaccaro graduated from Oley Valley High School in 1990 and enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1991.
Before his untimely death, the Special Warfare Operator Chief became a member of the Navy’s Elite SEALS in 1997 and was deployed to Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq.
Vaccaro earned the following military awards and decorations: Defense Meritorious Service Medal; three Joint Service Commendation Medals, including one with Valor; Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal; Army Commendation Medal; Joint Service Achievement Medal; four Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals; two Combat Action Ribbons; Presidential Unit Citation; Navy Unit Commendation; Navy “E” Ribbon; Good Conduct Medal; Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal; Kosovo Campaign Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Iraq Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Armed Forces Service Medal; Sea Service Deployment Ribbons; NATO Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Rifle Expert Medal; and Pistol Expert Medal.
“Chief Special Warfare Operator Vaccaro embodied all of the elements of a brave soldier dedicated to the American cause: freedom and liberty,” Sen. Schwank said. “When people drive on Route 12, I hope they carefully note the signs that will soon mark Pricetown Road as the ‘Special Warfare Operator Chief (SEAL) Lance M. Vaccaro Highway,’ and I hope they never forget the ultimate price this man paid.”
Sen. Schwank made her proposal an amendment to House Bill 2072 and the Senate unanimously approved the legislation today. The measure will be returned to the House for concurrence before heading to the governor for his consideration.
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June 20, 2014
HARRISBURG, June 20, 2014 – State Sens. Stewart Greenleaf (R-Montgomery) and Judy Schwank (D-Berks) today announced changes they are proposing to state law following the death of a Reading woman while she was jailed for truancy charges in Berks County Prison.
Eileen DiNino, a 55-year-old mother of seven, died of undetermined causes June 7 as she was serving a 48-hour sentence for not paying fines a magisterial district justice imposed following her sons’ absences from school.
The legislation Schwank and Greenleaf are proposing would remove the current requirement that a person serve up to five days in jail for not paying truancy fines and replace it with the requirement that school districts set up individualized Truancy Elimination Plans. TEPs, as they are called, use best practices to identify and deal with truancy cases before they reach the point where they must be referred to courts or juvenile authorities.
“Imprisonment does not solve the problem of truancy, and tragedies such as this are completely avoidable,” said Greenleaf, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “Truancy is a serious problem across the state, and we must implement TEPs and other best practices to bring children and their families back on track. Incarcerating parents is not the answer and, if anything, it only serves to further distress struggling families.”
“We must get back to the real issue, which is how to get students in school and keep them there,” said Schwank, who represents the district where DiNino lived and the prison is based.
If a case subsequently is referred to court, the judge may still impose a sentence that includes a fine, participation in a parenting education course or community service, but not jail.
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June 12, 2014
READING, June 12, 2014 – People who depend on state property tax or rent rebates now have another six months to submit an application for the money, state Senator Judy Schwank (D-Berks) said today after being notified by the Department of Revenue.
Applicants now have until Dec. 31 to submit their free requests for the money, which is designed for eligible residents who: are at least 65 years old; are widows and widowers who are at least 50 years old; and people with disabilities age 18 and older.
“The June 30 deadline was fast approaching, so I am pleased that the Department of Revenue has agreed to give qualified people another six months to get some of the money back that they’ve paid in property taxes or rent,” Schwank said. “As always, my office is available to help residents of the 11th Senatorial District fill out and turn in their applications, if they need our assistance.”
The annual income limit is $35,000 for homeowners and $15,000 for renters. Half of Social Security income is excluded from consideration.
Rebates range from $250 to $650. Some eligible homeowners could receive up to $975.
So far, state Revenue officials say 465,000 people have applied for rebates.
Call Schwank’s district office at 610-929-2151 to request an application or ask questions, or visit the Department of Revenue’s website, www.revenue.state.pa.us, to download an application.
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June 12, 2014
HARRISBURG, June 12, 2014 – A 25-acre Berks County farm has become the latest to be protected from future development under the state’s farmland preservation program, Sen. Judy Schwank said today.
The John and Marie Hill farm in Perry Township was added to the fold following the purchase of agricultural easements.
“Berks County is a leader in farmland preservation and it is good to know another 25 acres will continue as prime agricultural land for years to come,” Schwank said.
The 24.7 acres of easements are valued at more than $61,000 and were approved today by the Pennsylvania Agricultural Land Preservation Board, of which Schwank is a member.
The commonwealth has protected 4,612 farms totaling 491,423 acres since the program’s inception in 1988. In Berks County, 675 farms consisting of 67,691 acres have been preserved. Berks County has preserved more acreage of farmland than any other county in the state program.
The long-term goal of the state’s program is to permanently preserve farmland. The holders of the easements have the right to prevent development or improvements of the land for purposes other than agricultural production.
Local, county or state government – or any combination of the three – may buy easements. Counties that decide to have an easement purchase program must create an agricultural land preservation board.
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June 3, 2014
HARRISBURG, June 3, 2014 – To encourage low-income families with children to enter and stay in the work force, Sen. Judy Schwank today said she will introduce legislation excluding a larger share of their earnings in determining eligibility for state Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, or TANF, benefits.
Sen. Schwank’s proposal would increase the earned-income disregard, the share of earnings that would not be counted in determining TANF eligibility, to 75 percent from 50 percent.
States receive federal TANF block grants to cover food, shelter, utilities, and non-medical expenses. Recipients generally cannot collect benefits longer than five years in a lifetime.
“TANF provides a maximum of $403 for a family of three,” Schwank said this morning during a press conference announcing additional issues on which the legislative Women’s Health Caucus will focus. “This is an amount that hasn’t changed for 25 years, and is less than a third of the poverty level for a single parent with one child.”
Schwank is a co-chair of the caucus, which rolled out its second phase of legislation under the “Pennsylvania Agenda for Women’s Health” banner to help improve the lives of women, children and all workers in Pennsylvania.
The new proposals would also:
- Curb political interference in medical decisions;
- Establish a Women Veterans Health Care Task Force to identify and address gaps in health care for women veterans;
- Address deep poverty among women with children by directing a study of the impact of minor income increases on eligibility for important, income-based services and programs;
- Ensure that fair retirement security is provided for widows of state and municipal employees; and
- Protect all workers from sexual harassment by extending the provisions against sexual harassment to small and large employers.
“We need to recognize … the peculiar health needs that women veterans have. We need to ensure that mothers can work their way up from poverty for themselves and their children without having to deal with sexual harassment at work or the risk of losing bare-bones public support,” Sen. Schwank said.
“We need to make sure that medical information and services are dictated not by political considerations or others that put the beliefs of certain faiths ahead of others but are only based on medical appropriateness,” she said.
“For the good of women in Pennsylvania, for the good of their children, and for the good of our community, women deserve equal consideration and treatment in Pennsylvania,” the senator concluded.
Members of the Women’s Health Caucus who spoke during the press conference today included co-chairman and Rep. Dan Frankel (D-Allegheny), Rep. Mike Schlossberg (D-Lehigh), Rep. Michelle Brownlee (D-Philadelphia), Rep. Steve Santarsiero (D-Bucks), and Sen. Mike Stack (D-Philadelphia).
The group unveiled the first phase of its agenda in December.
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May 27, 2014
READING, May 27, 2014 – Residents of the Muhlenberg Township and Alsace areas of Berks County will have the opportunity at 7 p.m., Thursday, May 29, to share their thoughts and concerns with state Sen. Judy Schwank during her next town hall meeting.
“We are coming down to the wire on Pennsylvania’s new budget so it will be good to hear what residents in the Muhlenberg and Alsace areas are thinking about this annual process,” Schwank said. “We will also talk about other local issues, thoughts and concerns and I am looking forward to that.”
Thursday’s town hall will take place in the Muhlenberg Township Rec Center. These community-wide meetings are an essential part of the senator’s work in the 11th Senatorial District.
Scheduled to join Sen. Schwank during the May 29 town hall will be representatives from the state Department of Community and Economic Development, who plan to share ideas and information about community revitalization opportunities.
Media coverage is welcomed.
WHAT:Sen. Judy Schwank to hold Town Hall Meeting
WHEN: 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
WHERE:Muhlenberg Township Rec Center, 3025 River Road, Reading
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May 6, 2014
HARRISBURG, May 6, 2014 – State Sen. Judy Schwank today voted in favor of a bill to create a prescription drug monitoring program that would increase the quality of patient care, give health care consumers a better record of the drugs they have been prescribed, and help law enforcement agencies prevent fraud and drug abuse.
The Pennsylvania Senate overwhelmingly approved Senate Bill 1180 this afternoon.
Sen. Schwank said the measure would help Berks County families who have been wracked by heroin-related deaths and arrests in the past year, including the arrests this week of 13 Topton-area residents and the deaths of six Kutztown and Brandywine Heights high school graduates since 2013.
“Even though heroin is not subject to this registry, the back story to heroin overdoses often is that victims turned to this deadly drug … only after becoming addicted, often legitimately, to more costly prescriptive medications,” Schwank said during Senate debate. “The registry this bill would establish will help to prevent that.”
According to an October 2013 report, Prescription Drug Abuse: Strategies to Stop the Epidemic, Pennsylvania had the 14th highest drug overdose mortality rate. A majority of the deaths were prescription drug related.
In fact, the study said, Pennsylvania has experienced an 89-percent increase in drug overdose deaths since 1999; moving from 8.1 per 100,000 people to 15.3 per 100,000.
Schwank has worked with 11th Senatorial District families, local police officers, health professionals and addiction counselors to find a way to decrease prescription drug abuse. She said she voted for SB 1180 because the latest version of the proposal promises to help them do a better job while maintaining the privacy of consumers.
“The news regularly reports acts of misuse of personal information by public and private entities that obtain it legally, of its theft by hackers seeking to cause mischief or with deeper criminal intentions, and of hard-to-correct data base errors that are accidental but still cause serious consequences to the individuals involved,” the senator said. “These are all risks that need to be taken seriously, because the harm they cause can be quite serious.
“Sen. Vance deserves congratulations for her leadership on this bill, and I, personally, want to acknowledge her willingness to work with those, like me, who were concerned by particular aspects of the bill as it initially was crafted,” Sen. Schwank said.
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May 6, 2014
HARRISBURG, May 6, 2014 – More Berks County residents will be able to recycle more of their consumer waste with the awarding of $1.25 million from Pennsylvania’s Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling and Waste Reduction Act.
“Since Act 101 was implemented in 1988, the commonwealth has awarded millions to help residents in the 11th Senatorial District and throughout the state keep more paper, plastic, metal, and glass out of our landfills,” Sen. Schwank said today. “While many Berks Countians recycle now, this 54th round of recycling grants from the state will help us increase our efforts to protect our environment.”
Grant funding is used by municipalities to develop and implement recycling programs.
Projects can range from the operation of compost facilities and web-based recycling programs to the addition of recycling capacity and the development of educational materials to encourage more people to not throw recyclable goods into the trash.
“Agriculture is a vital industry in Berks County. Losing it to landfills would be a shame and unnecessary,” Schwank said. “I’m pleased that 10 of our communities will benefit with this latest round of funding.”
Act 101 mandates recycling in municipalities with more than 10,000 residents. Municipalities with 5,000 to 10,000 people and have a population density greater than 300 people per square mile must also recycle.
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Editor’s Note: The list of Berks County communities receiving Act 101 grants follows:
APPLICANT PROJECT $$$
Berks County Recycling Recycling Center $109,849
Bern Township Leaf waste, curbside recycling $64,171
Cumru Township Leaf waste collection $247,565
Exeter Township Leaf waste, curbside recycling $99,004
Kutztown Borough Recycling center, leaf waste collection $250,000
Maidencreek Township Curbside, educational recycling programs $89,887
Mount Penn Borough Curbside, leaf waste recycling programs $69,983
Topton Borough Curbside, leaf waste recycling programs $101,281
Wernersville Borough Leaf waste program $121,852
Wyomissing Borough Curbside, leaf waste recycling programs $98,987
May 5, 2014
HARRISBURG, May 5, 2014 – In response to the arrests today of 13 mostly underage Berks County residents by Pennsylvania State Police, state Sen. Judy Schwank issued the following statement:
“I am grateful for the excellent investigative work of the Berks County District Attorney’s office and state police, but the arrest today of more than a dozen of our children underscores an already underscored problem.
“Ten of the 13 people charged in this latest drug raid were younger than 21. If the charges are upheld, that will mean these students are taking drugs into our schools or they are buying them there. This has always been a problem but the growing presence of heroin as a drug of choice means we must do more to re-wage our war on drugs.
“Our children, people like the ones who have been charged today with possession of heroin, cocaine and marijuana, are dying in alarming numbers. This cannot happen.
“As I have emphasized, we need to do much more to make sure families are more aware of the danger signs of drug abuse, especially heroin, and they must know that police officers are searching longer and harder to stop this growing – but preventable – problem.
“Action must also be taken in the General Assembly. There are legislative options before us to consider. If they need to be improved or changed, we should do that. Our silence is complicity. We must not be complicit as our kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews succumb to heroin’s deadly grip.
“The arrests this morning are important but the continued vigilance of the entire community is needed to stem the tide on prescription drug/heroin abuse. We can’t let our guard down.”
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April 22, 2014
READING, April 22, 2014 – Students planning to attend college or return to a post-secondary institution and need help paying for it have until May 1 to apply for a state grant through the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, or PHEAA, state Sen. Judy Schwank said today.
“Earning a college degree is one of the best ways to get ahead in the work world but getting to college is not always the most affordable,” Schwank (D-Berks) said. “PHEAA can make it possible, but students and families who have yet to apply for financial aid have just nine days to do so.
According to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average unemployment rate for Bachelor’s degree recipients was 4 percent while the average unemployment rate for high school graduates was 7.5 percent. People who have less than a high school diploma suffer a jobless rate of 11 percent.
In terms of salary, the bureau said median weekly earnings for a person with a Bachelor’s degree was $1,108, $651 for a high school graduate and $472 for workers who did not graduate from high school.
To become eligible for a state grant through PHEAA, Schwank said applicants must first complete the 2014-15 Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. Applicants can access both applications through the PHEAA website: www.pheaa.org.
“The time and energy you invest in your education will pay dividends in the future,” Schwank said. “I started as a teacher and worked for many years as an educator and director with the Penn State Agriculture Extension Office and served as a Dean at Delaware Valley College. I know that the power of a good education transforms lives.”
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April 1, 2014
HARRISBURG, April 1, 2014 – State Sen. Judy Schwank will meet with constituents at 7 p.m., Thursday, April 3, during a town hall meeting in Wyomissing.
“With only three months remaining before adopting a new state budget, this will be a great time to meet with residents of the Wyomissing area and hear what they have to say about the state of the commonwealth,” Sen. Schwank (D-Berks) said.
Thursday’s town hall will take place in the Wyomissing Area Junior/Senior High School and is part of Schwank’s ongoing series of meetings that she hosts throughout the 11th Senatorial District.
As she has in the past, the senator’s event will feature local officials. Guest speakers this time will Berks County District Attorney John Adams and an officer from his detective staff, plus command staff from the Wyomissing Police Department.
Media coverage is welcomed.
WHAT: Sen. Judy Schwank to hold Town Hall Meeting
WHEN: 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
WHERE: Wyomissing Area Junior/Senior High School auditorium, 630 Evans Ave., Wyomissing
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March 28, 2014
READING, March 27, 2014 – To improve the education of children, better protect Pennsylvania’s environment and spark long-awaited economic development, Sen. Judy Schwank (D-Berks) today announced her support for new legislation that would impose a severance tax on natural gas drilling in the state’s Marcellus Shale region.
The 5 percent levy, which would raise $720 million in the coming fiscal year, would make critical investments in public education, job creation, and the environment.
Standing before a paint factory in Reading that has been vacant for the past seven years, Schwank said the tax on the very profitable Marcellus Shale companies would provide much-needed funding for critical areas that have suffered in previous state budgets, especially economic development and the environment.
“With the modest 5 percent severance tax we are advocating today, Pennsylvania would be able to restore countless vacant sites throughout the commonwealth,” Schwank said. “We would be able to invest $195 million in 2014-’15 to programs that spark local economies and grow jobs. That pool of resources would increase to $250 million the following year.
“Equally important: our proposal makes sure that natural gas drillers, which include some of the largest corporations in the world, are paying their fair share going forward,” she said.
The Marcellus Shale severance would also help to infuse more investment into the state’s Growing Greener program.
If approved, Sen. Schwank said the 5 percent tax would increase Growing Greener’s annual investment from $18 million this year to $75 million 2014-’15. The popular program would receive $120 million in year two of the levy; $150 million the following year.
Sen. Schwank said this proposal would generate far more revenue than the state currently receives from natural gas drilling. Pennsylvania is only projected to receive $217 million this year as a result of the current drilling impact fee. The proposed legislation would generate $937 million through a combination of the fee and severance tax.
Thirty-six states assess some kind of severance tax on natural gas drillers. Nearly all of them apply that duty on the extraction of oil and gas.
Pennsylvania is the only major state to not tax natural gas drillers, and that fact alone, the senator reminded, defeats opponents’ argument that the levy is a jobs-creation killer.
“Over the past three years, Pennsylvania has gone from 8th to 48th among in job creation,” Schwank said. “Secondly, where natural gas companies are paying an extraction levy – jobs ARE being created and the natural gas companies continue to profit … handsomely.”
Most importantly, Schwank, who was joined at the press conference by Reading City Councilwoman Donna Reed, Kutztown Mayor Sandy Green and IBEW Local 743 Business Manager Mel Fishburn, said public opinion polls show overwhelming support for a tax on the companies that drill for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale play.
The most recent Mercyhurst University poll found that Pennsylvanians favor the levy, 70-17.
Sen. Schwank’s press conference to announce her support for the severance tax was one of three in the commonwealth. Senate Democratic Appropriations Chairman Vince Hughes highlighted the benefits of the levy on education during a rally in Philadelphia. Sen. John Yudichak (D-Carbon/Luzerne) emphasized the positive impact the Marcellus Shale duty would have for Pennsylvanians during an event in Hanover Township, Luzerne County.
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March 25, 2014
HARRISBURG, March 25, 2014 – Two Berks County organizations that work to help veterans have been awarded a total of $37,000 in grants from the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, state Sen. Judy Schwank announced today.
The Berks County Department of Veterans Affairs is receiving $27,000 for its “Berks County Veterans Affairs Roadshow,” and the Berks Counseling Center is receiving $10,000 for its “Helping Hands” program.
“These important grants will help us better help returning soldiers who might need this assistance,” Schwank said. “What’s great about these awards is the money is coming from Pennsylvania motorists; people who want to help our veterans.”
The inaugural grant awards are through the DMVA’s new Pennsylvania Veterans’ Trust Fund, which is funded by the $3 donations that people voluntarily make when they apply for or renew their driver’s license and photo IDs or renew their motor vehicle registrations. Money is also generated through the sale of “Honoring Our Veterans” license plates.
Berks County DVA and the Berks Counseling Center are two of the 10 organizations across the commonwealth that are receiving the new grants.
“The money for the Berks County DVA will help its roadshow conduct outreach workshops, educational events and increase awareness of available services,” the senator said. “The money for Berks Counseling Center will provide supportive services for veterans and their families.
“The award of these grants shows how small contributions can add up to making a big difference. In this instance, the money is helping the women and men who have fought to protect our freedoms and now need our help to re-acclimate as civilians,” Schwank said.
To learn more about the Veterans’ Trust Fund, visit www.vtf.state.pa.us.
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March 17, 2014
HARRISBURG, March 17, 2014 – Sen. Judy Schwank will deliver the fourth installment of her Berks County Model Senate beginning at noon, March 18, at Albright College.
Schwank’s model senate gives students from 15 Berks County schools a first-hand glimpse of life as a state lawmaker. One more session is planned.
Tuesday’s session will include a “Senate debate” where student senators will discuss, debate and vote on legislation created and amended by them. Potential legislation to be considered, including each bill’s prime sponsor:
Senate Bill 6 – Infrastructure Reinvestment Act, Sen. Babb
Senate Bill 25 – Office of Non-Profit Community Organizations, Sen. Roop
Senate Bill 15 – State Standardized Test Act, Sen. Chan
Senate Bill 34 – ITSA Bill, Sen. Moran
Senate Bill 24 – Office of People with Disabilities Act, Sen. Roop
Senate Bill 8 – Healthy Living Act, Sen. Sorto
Senate Bill 17 – Misdemeanor Expungement Act, Sen. Commons
Senate Bill 27 – Recreational Marijuana Act, Sen. Commons
Senate Bill 35 – Natural Gas Funding the Future Act, Sen. Pattillo
Senate Bill 19 – Agricultural Revitalization Act, Sen. Ahrens
Media coverage is encouraged.
WHO: Sen. Judy Schwank
WHAT: 4th Session of Sen. Schwank’s “Berks County Model Senate”
WHEN: 12 p.m. – 2 p.m., Tuesday, March 18
WHERE: Albright College’s Student Center – South Lounge, 1621 N. 13th St., Reading
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March 10, 2014
Sen. Schwank urges residents to help salute their return
HARRISBURG, March 10, 2014—The U.S. Army 333rdEngineering Company will return home from Afghanistan late Tuesday and conclude a nearly year-long deployment as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, state Sen. Judy Schwank announced today.
The 333rd is expected to touch down in Harrisburg at 3:30 p.m. and arrive back home in Reading between 5 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. The unit will be escorted by local police, fire, and motorcycle enthusiasts.
“Family, friends, and local citizens gave the 333rd a fitting send off last year as they lined the sidewalks of Route 724 and Lancaster Avenue (Route 222) in Shillington,” Sen. Schwank said. “It certainly would be fitting and appropriate if area residents again stood along the same route to salute and welcome the company back home.
“I encourage everyone to take a few minutes tomorrow to greet our hometown heroes and let them know how much we appreciate their sacrifice and service,” she said.
Schwank said most of the more than 140 members of the 333rd Engineering Company are from the Reading area.
The 333rd conducts horizontal construction operations that include road work, leveling operations, finish grade for roads and airfields, and surface and drainage maintenance.
WHAT: “Return Home Salute” for U.S. Army’s 333rd Engineer Company
WHEN: 5 p.m. – 6 p.m., Tuesday, March 11
WHERE: Route 724 (Philadelphia Avenue) and Lancaster Avenue, Shillington. (The Army Reserve Center is at 547 Philadelphia Ave.)
*There will be no public ceremony at the Army Reserve Center.
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February 28, 2014
HARRISBURG, Feb. 28, 2014 – Help for school districts, local governments and businesses looking to stretch their energy budgets and conserve fuel are being urged today by state Sen. Judy Schwank to apply for a grant program opening March 1.
Pennsylvania’s Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant program, or AFIG, has a pool of $8 million available that can be used by eligible applicants to buy natural gas and electric vehicles or convert gas vehicles to natural gas or electric.
Applications will be accepted online until May 30.
“With the Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant program, school districts will have the opportunity to convert their gas-chugging buses to hybrid electric school buses that will conserve fuel and help the environment,” Schwank said. “Businesses and local governments, too, have the opportunity to make positive changes that all will enjoy.
“Taxi services can switch to propane or natural gas-fired automobiles. Businesses can opt into the greening of Pennsylvania, as well, by competing for a slice of this $8 million pie,” the senator said.
The Alternative Fuel Incentive Grant program is designed to promote and build markets for advanced, renewable and alternative energy transportation technologies.
Grants approved through AFIG stimulate new opportunities that ultimately translate into better management of Pennsylvania’s fuel resources and improvement in the environment. The cash awards also support economic development and enhance the quality of life in local communities, Schwank said.
To read more, and to get the application to apply for an AFIG grant, click here.
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February 28, 2014
HARRISBURG, February 28, 2014 – Sen. Judy Schwank will continue her Berks County Model Senate on Tuesday, March 4, at Albright College.
This third session, which is being made up due to a prior weather-related postponement, will include “Senate committee hearings” where the student Senators from 15 Berks County schools will have the opportunity to hear and cross examine experts on the bills they created.
The “subpoenaed” witnesses will include:
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Representatives from the Department of Environmental Protection – Testifying on SB 21 and SB 35 (Natural Gas Funding the Future Act and Alternative Industrial Energy Act)
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Representatives from the Berks County District Attorney’s office– Testifying on SB 27 and SB 26 (Medical Marijuana Act and Recreational Marijuana Act)
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Representatives from the Penn State Berks Agricultural Extension – Testifying on SB 19 (Agricultural Revitalization Act)
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Representatives from Berks Abilities in Motion – Testifying on SB 24 (Office of Disabled Persons Act)
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Major Colin Devault, Salvation Army – Testifying on SB 25 ( Office of Non-profit Community Organizations Act), and
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Gregg Shemanski, president, Custom Processing Services – Testifying on SB 34 (Integration of Technology and Science in Education Act)
Media coverage is encouraged.
WHO: Sen. Judy Schwank
WHAT: Third Session of Sen. Schwank’s “Model Senate” (Committee Hearings)
WHEN: 12 p.m. – 2 p.m., Tuesday, March 4
WHERE: Albright College’s Student Center – South Lounge, 1621 N. 13th St, Reading
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Follow Sen. Judy Schwank on her website, Facebook, and Twitter.
February 20, 2014
HARRISBURG, Feb. 20, 2014 — State Sen. Judy Schwank today hailed the recent approval by the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency of nearly $1.4 million in low-income housing tax credits to support two housing development projects in the City of Reading.
Schwank said PHFA approved $1 million in tax credits for the Delaware Valley Development Group to support the Homes at Riverside development, a planned 46-unit, low-income residential development near Northwest Middle School.
PHFA also approved $360,000 in tax credits for the Housing Development Corporation to support a planned $5 million rehabilitation and renovation project at the Market Square Apartment Complex in downtown Reading.
“These tax credits represent critical investments in quality, affordable housing opportunities for the citizens of Reading. They also support projects that improve and stabilize neighborhoods in our city,” said Sen. Schwank. “I was pleased to advocate for the approval of tax credits for these projects.”
Schwank said Reading’s tax credits were part of $18.7 million in funding that was approved this week by PHFA for affordable multi-family developments across the commonwealth.
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February 12, 2014
HARRISBURG, Feb. 12, 2014 – Sen. Judy Schwank will give students from 15 Berks County schools another first-hand glimpse of life as a state lawmaker on Feb. 18 during the third of five sessions in her Berks County Model Senate.
The third session will be held at Albright College and it will include “Senate Committee Hearings” where student senators will listen to and cross examine testimony on the bills created by the model legislators. The witnesses “subpoenaed” will be from:
- The Department of Environmental Protection – Testifying on SB 21 and SB 35 (Natural Gas Funding the Future Act and Alternative Industrial Energy Act)
- The Berks County District Attorney’s office – Testifying on SB 27 and SB 26 (Medical Marijuana Act and Recreational Marijuana Act)
- The Penn State Berks Agricultural Extension – Testifying on SB 19 (Agricultural Revitalization Act)
- Berks Abilities in Motion – Testifying on SB 24 (Office of Disabled Persons Act)
- Major Colin Devault, Salvation Army – Testifying on SB 25 ( Office of Non-profit Community Organizations Act)
- Gregg Shemanski, president, Custom Processing Services – Testifying on SB 34 (Integration of Technology and Science in Education Act)
Media coverage is encouraged.
WHO: Sen. Judy Schwank
WHAT: Third Session of Sen. Schwank’s “Model Senate” (Committee Hearings)
WHEN: 12 p.m. – 2 p.m., Tuesday, Feb 18
WHERE: Albright College’s Student Center – South Lounge, 1621 N. 13th St, Reading
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Follow Sen. Judy Schwank on her website, Facebook, and Twitter.
February 11, 2014
HARRISBURG, Feb. 11, 2014 – State Senator Judy Schwank said today she will introduce legislation to preserve the authority of communities to use local fees to support their recycling programs.
“For more than two decades, nobody questioned whether municipalities have that ability,” the Berks County Democrat said. “My bill would make very clear that is in fact the case.”
In October, Commonwealth Court ruled that the state’s Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling Waste Reduction law, Act 101 of 1988, required Reading to discontinue its monthly recycling fee, raising concerns statewide that such fees are illegal.
The decision later became moot when it was learned it had been entered after the man who challenged the Reading ordinance had filed for bankruptcy protection, stripping the court of authority in the case. It has nonetheless stirred concerns that a similar suit against Reading or another municipality could lead to a similar ruling.
Until the court’s decision, Reading had been assessing the fee for two decades, and it covered about 90 percent of the city’s annual $2.7 million recycling budget.
“Recycling has proved its value to the community,” Schwank (D-Berks) said today. “The court’s decision was a shock, since places like Reading have depended on the fees for years. The court said they have to rely on state grants and proceeds from marketing the recycled materials, and that just is not realistic to cover the costs of recycling programs.
“While the court noted municipalities are excused from the state’s requirements to recycle where funding is insufficient, officials across Pennsylvania believe the loss of fee authority likely would end or severely cripple municipal recycling,” Schwank said. “My bill would make clear that the law does permit local fees for recycling.”
Act 101 requires municipalities of at least 10,000 to operate curbside recycling programs. Grants are available to help offset costs, but they are typically insufficient to cover all of a community’s expenses as they relate to waste reduction efforts.
Berks County recycled a total of 228,000 tons of material in 2009, the most recent statistics available from the Department of Environmental Protection’s Act 101 website.
Berks County’s total was the sixth largest amount of recycled material in the state (behind Philadelphia County, 1.2 million tons; Allegheny County, 470,000 tons; Lehigh County, 262,000 tons; Montgomery County, 252,000 tons; and Beaver County, 250,000 tons).
State grants are available to help municipalities prepare recycling and waste management plans, start recycling programs, pay for recycling program coordinators and inspectors, and to collect household hazardous waste.
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January 28, 2014
HARRISBURG, Jan. 28, 2014 – The Pennsylvania Senate today unanimously approved state Sen. Judy Schwank’s bill to criminalize so-called “revenge porn,” and it did so as the young woman who sparked initiatives across the country to change state laws stood almost literally by the Berks County Democratic lawmaker’s side.
Allyson Pereira was 16 years old when her ex-boyfriend published a photo of her naked body online. The unauthorized photograph went viral and Pereira quickly became the victim of harassment by her classmates. Her family’s northern New Jersey home was also vandalized, and her story led New Jersey to become the first state to make the act a crime.
Pereira was in Harrisburg coincidentally on Tuesday to express her support for Schwank’s proposal, which the Pennsylvania chapter of the ACLU has agreed does not present First Amendment issues. Prosecutors, victims and other constitutional advocates have also endorsed the effort.
“Ally is a victim of intimate partner harassment,” Schwank said in introducing Pereira to the Senate. “At 16 years old, school can be tough enough, but instead of backing down, Ally spoke out, fought back and helped to encourage states like Pennsylvania to write new laws punishing those who would intentionally hurt others.
“I am grateful for the Senate’s quick work on my bill and I am looking forward to the House of Representative’s diligent consideration so we can get this bill to the governor and into law to protect people,” Schwank said.
Under Schwank’s proposal, people who commit the offense of Intimate Partner Harassment would be subject to a penalty of up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine if the case involves a victim who is a minor. It would carry a penalty of up to two years and a $5,000 fine if the victim is an adult.
A person who with no legitimate purpose and without consent exposes to a third person a photograph or similar image of the offender’s intimate partner nude or explicitly engaged in a sexual act, with the intent to harass, annoy or alarm him or her, would commit the crime of intimate partner harassment.
If the House and the governor approve Schwank’s SB 1167, Pennsylvania will join California and New Jersey in making it a crime to post unwanted pictures of former partners without their consent. Similar bills have been proposed and are being considered in a number of other states, including New York and Delaware.
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January 15, 2014
HARRISBURG, Jan. 15, 2014 – To improve performance and brighten the economic future for more of Pennsylvania’s struggling cities, state Sens. Judy Schwank (D-Berks) and John Blake (D-Lackawanna) today introduced legislation to expand a new program designed to drive significant economic development and bring people back to cities.
The City Revitalization and Improvement Zone program became law last summer when a more limited version of the proposal was incorporated into the commonwealth’s tax code.
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Forty-five of the state’s 53 third-class cities, including Scranton and Harrisburg, were immediately precluded from consideration under that version. Reading was one of eight cities that remained eligible for the program but was shut out of participation after the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development selected Lancaster and Bethlehem for inaugural CRIZ involvement.
“We are happy that Lancaster and Bethlehem were selected and are on their way to reaping the benefits of the CRIZ program. However, there are too many cities like Scranton, Reading and Erie that need and can use this, and they should have that ability now,” Schwank said during a Capitol Rotunda press conference.
Blake called the City Revitalization and Improvement Zone program a “critical tool” that cities need to stir strong community revitalization and spark significant economic development.
“The state must be a better partner with our cities in fostering investment, stabilizing our local tax bases, and sparking economic growth and infrastructure investment. The CRIZ program can serve to revitalize Scranton, Reading and our other small cities without adverse impact on the state General Fund,” Blake said.
Under their proposal, DCED would award 15 City Revitalization and Improvement Zones between now and 2016. Bethlehem and Lancaster would be included in that total but spots would open for other communities based on population and other criteria.
After 2016, the state would add two cities every year to CRIZ, regardless of population. This is the current requirement under state law.
There would also be five pilot programs for boroughs and townships of at least 7,000 people, compared to just one under the current language. Additionally, Act 47 communities would receive priority status if they applied for CRIZ participation.
The CRIZ program was modeled after a Neighborhood Improvement Zone initiative that has proven to be an economic development marvel in downtown Allentown.
“Giving more cities the power of a CRIZ designation will bring new investment in local economies because it will target the problems that caused their financial suffering and eliminated the features that once made them vibrant,” Blake said. “CRIZ will redevelop eligible vacant, blighted and abandoned properties into commercial, exhibition, hospitality, conference, retail community or other mixed-use purpose facilities that residents will be proud of for years to come.”
“Reading, Scranton and other cities will still have to step up to the plate to qualify for CRIZ designations if this bill is adopted,” Schwank said. “Hopefully, we will give them that opportunity in time to help them.”
Properly managed, the senators said City Revitalization and Improvement Zones will not burden the commonwealth’s budget.
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