September 12, 2013
LEESPORT, Sept. 12, 2013 – With elder abuse a growing problem, Sen. Judy Schwank and top prosecutors from Berks County and the state today provided tips for staying safe to a packed house of senior citizens at Bern Evangelical Lutheran Church.
“With the third highest percentage of senior citizens in the country, we need to take steps every day to make sure our grandparents, friends and neighbors are not falling victim to scam artists and crooks,” Schwank said during her Senior Crime Prevention Seminar.
“In some parts of Pennsylvania, elder abuse is more of a problem than child abuse,” she said.
Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams, Berks County First Assistant District Attorney Theresa Johnson, and state Attorney General Senior Public Protection Community Liaison Dave Shallcross helped 125 seniors who attended the seminar identify con artists who are trying to steal their money or property or physically hurt them.
Statistically, senior citizens often fall prey to identity theft, and charities, telemarketing and sweepstakes fraud. But they are also victims of sexual and psychological abuse and neglect.
Pennsylvania’s fastest growing population is residents who are 85 years old and older.
The attorney general’s office and the Berks County District Attorney’s office have elder abuse units that investigate crimes against senior citizens.
Berks County’s elder abuse unit offers tips on its web page, as does the attorney general’s office. Sen. Schwank’s office can also help by calling 610-929-2151.
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September 11, 2013
READING, Sept. 10, 2013 – To help senior citizens in the 11th Senate District protect themselves from becoming victims of crime, Sen. Judy Schwank will hold a Senior Crime Prevention Seminar at 10 a.m., Thursday, at Bern Evangelical Lutheran Church in Leesport.
Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams, First Assistant District Attorney Theresa Johnson, and a representative from the Office of the Attorney General will share the latest tricks criminals are using to scam and hurt senior citizens.
Media coverage is encouraged.
WHAT: Sen. Judy Schwank’s Senior Crime Prevention Seminar
WHEN: 10 a.m.
WHERE: Bern Evangelical Lutheran Church, 820 West Leesport Road, Leesport
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September 3, 2013
KUTZTOWN, Sept. 3, 2013 – Sen. Judy Schwank and the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board announced today that three local colleges, Kutztown Borough, and the Wyomissing Police Department will share a combined $150,000 to help minors avoid the temptation of underage drinking and alcohol abuse.
Kutztown University is receiving $40,000 for the program while Kutztown Borough is getting a $36,615 grant. The PLCB’s grant to Albright College is for $27,254. Wyomissing Borough Police Department will receive $24,478. Penn State-Berks is getting $20,065.
“Television commercials and internet ads make it look like drinking is a cool thing to do, but when alcohol is consumed irresponsibly and illegally, the results are costly, tragic and sometimes deadly,” Schwank said.
The PLCB’s Bureau of Alcohol Education will pay the grants over a two-year period.
One-hundred-and-fifteen organizations applied for a share of the board’s $2.1 million program. Kutztown’s borough and university, the Wyomissing Borough Police Department, as well as Albright and PSU-Berks are five of the 61 entities that won funding.
“There is a responsibility that comes with drinking alcohol,” Schwank said. “With the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board’s investments, we are taking positive steps to make sure everyone understands this expectation. And, we are working to make sure that our young adults who are not yet legally allowed to consume beer, wine and liquor wait until they are 21 to do so.”
With this newest round of funding, the PLCB has invested more than $10 million to more than 250 schools, colleges, law enforcement departments and community organizations throughout Pennsylvania since 1999.
Officials from Kutztown Borough and its police department, Kutztown University, the PLCB, Albright College, Penn State Berks Campus, the Reading Police Department, and the Wyomissing Borough Police Department joined Schwank at today’s press conference.
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Follow Sen. Judy Schwank on her <a href=”https://www.senatorschwank.com/” target=”_blank”>website</a>, <a href=”https://www.facebook.com/#!/senatorjudyschwank” target=”_blank”>Facebook</a>, and <a href=”https://twitter.com/senjudyschwank” target=”_blank”>Twitter</a>.
August 29, 2013
READING, Aug. 29, 2013 – Sen. Judy Schwank will announce the local recipients of Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board grants for the prevention of underage drinking and alcohol abuse at 10 a.m., Tuesday, Sept. 3, in Kutztown.
The PLCB is awarding more than $2.1 million to applicants statewide so they can teach students and residents about the dangers of irresponsible alcohol consumption.
Schwank will be joined by elected state and local officials, as well as representatives from area colleges and the PLCB.
Media coverage is encouraged.
WHAT: Sen. Judy Schwank to reveal recipients of PLCB grants supporting initiatives designed to prevent underage drinking and alcohol abuse
WHEN: 10 a.m., Tuesday, Sept. 3
WHERE: Kutztown Borough Hall Train Station, 45 Railroad St., Kutztown
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August 19, 2013
HARRISBURG, Aug. 19, 2013 – Sen. Judy Schwank’s legislative efforts to help struggling Pennsylvania cities and cash-strapped emergency responders bore fruit today as a bill she worked to make significant, positive change was signed into law by the governor.
House Bill 465, the state’s tax code, creates City Revitalization and Improvement Zones in Pennsylvania. Sen. Schwank successfully led the effort to make the zones available to more Pennsylvania communities, including Reading, Lancaster, York and Bethlehem.
“There are many cities the size of Reading that were not covered under the initial proposal,” Schwank (D-Berks) said. “I worked to make sure they had the option to participate in a new program that could provide significant economic development and a way out for cities struggling with declining property values, job loss and escalating crime.”
City Revitalization and Improvement Zones, or CRIZs, will be funded with public bonds issued by a local municipal authority. The bond payments will be covered by local and state tax revenue raised within the zone.
Schwank’s change opened the program to all cities with populations exceeding 30,000 and it includes one pilot zone in a borough or township.
Up to two cities a year could join the program beginning in 2016. However, two cities and the borough/township pilot could establish zones sooner now that the law has been signed and implemented.
“We have significant work to do to help Pennsylvania’s great cities and towns return to prominence. City Revitalization and Improvement Zones happened because of bipartisan support and the collective belief that this new economic development tool will make a difference,” Schwank said.
CRIZ guidelines will be published by Oct. 31.
Another significant part of HB 465 creates a property transfer tax exemption for fire departments and other emergency response companies when they merge or consolidate.
The senator worked with Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-Berks) on the proposal after the Barto, Bally and Bechtelsville fire companies merged to form the Eastern Berks Fire Department (Company 97) and were slapped with a $17,000 transfer tax bill after deeding their stations to the new company.
Schwank said emergency responders working to become better stewards of precious financial resources should not be penalized after they take action to improve accountability and performance.
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August 12, 2013
READING, Aug. 12, 2013 – Sen. Judy Schwank today urged state lawmakers and the governor to finally consider her legislation to reduce the size of the Pennsylvania General Assembly by more than a third.
“For too long, taxpayers have had to pay for an institution that, by nearly every standard, is too big,” Schwank said. “My bill would make the legislature a modern governing body by shrinking the size of its membership by more than a third.”
If approved, Schwank’s Senate Bill 336 would drop the size of the Senate from 50 to 40 while the House of Representatives would go from 203 members to 121.
“Our legislature worked well in the mid-19th century when a larger number of representatives and senators were needed to make sure their constituents’ voices were heard in Harrisburg,” Schwank said. “But we no longer communicate today the way we did then, and we’re wasting millions of tax dollars every year by continuing this antiquated way of daily legislating.
“Also, being the size we are ties the legislature’s hands in responding to evolving economic and social conditions. This isn’t good for anyone,” she said.
Schwank’s measure calls for a constitutional amendment to reduce the size of the legislature. A similar bill she proposed last year died as the 2011-’12 session expired, but it had garnered strong bipartisan support in the meantime.
Similar proposals from other lawmakers are also making the rounds in Harrisburg.
“What’s clear is Pennsylvania taxpayers want a leaner, faster and more effective governing body that’s much less expensive. I’m listening and willing to work in a bipartisan manner to make sure this finally happens,” Schwank said.
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August 12, 2013
READING, Aug. 12, 2013 – Sen. Judy Schwank will hold her third annual “Municipal Officials Meeting” at 7 p.m., tonight, Aug. 12, at Penn State-Berks.
The annual get-together reflects Sen. Schwank’s commitment to work collaboratively with local officials to better address local needs and concerns.
Officials from the Department of Community and Economic Development, PennDOT, and the attorney general’s office will be in attendance.
Media coverage is encouraged.
WHAT: Sen. Judy Schwank’s 3rd annual “Municipal Officials Meeting”
WHEN: 7 p.m.
WHERE: Janssen Building, Penn State-Berks, Tulpehocken Road, Reading
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July 10, 2013
Harrisburg, July 10, 2013 – Sen. Judy Schwank today said businesses in Berks County that want to become more energy efficient and environmentally friendly now have the opportunity to apply for a state grant to help pay for those improvements.
The Department of Environmental Protection has opened the application window for its Small Business Advantage Grant Program, which reimburses up to half of the project cost (up to $9,500) for pollution prevention and energy efficiency equipment or processes. The deadline to apply is Sept. 6.
“For a business needing to replace high-energy-consuming equipment with more energy-efficient appliances or take steps to reduce runoff or cut back on environmental discharges, DEP’s Advantage Grant Program is a great program to consider,” said Schwank.
All small businesses with fewer than 100 employees are eligible for the program. Small offices owned by large companies are ineligible. Companies that apply for the grant must have a Commonwealth of Pennsylvania vendor registration number.
All projects must lead to at least a $500-plus-25 percent annual economic gain or savings through the energy conservation or pollution prevention project.
“There are some things to navigate in applying for Small Business Advantage Grants,” Schwank said. “My office is ready to help any Berks County small business win a grant and leave a greener footprint.”
Judy’s On Cherry, a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant in Reading, won a Small business Advantage Grant in 2011.
For details, an application package and contact info, click HERE.
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More information on Sen. Schwank is available on her website, Facebook and Twitter.
June 30, 2013
Harrisburg, June 30, 2013 – Legislative efforts by Sen. Judy Schwank (D-Berks) to save thousands of dollars for emergency responders and expand a proposed economic development program to include Reading and other cities were approved today by the state Senate.
The Senate approved HB 465, creating the City Improvement Revitalization Zone (CRIZ) program, after expanding the number of cities that could participate. CRIZes would be funded with public bonds issued by a local municipal authority, with the bond payments covered by local and state tax revenue raised within the zone.
Schwank sought the change and her proposal was among a number of provisions the Senate added to the bill. It will now be returned to the House of Representatives for concurrence with the Senate’s action.
“The initial CRIZ proposal was technically very good, but it was too limited. It was available only to four Third Class cities with populations between 40,000 and 70,000 people,” Schwank said. “That left Reading and many more deserving cities on the sidelines.”
Schwank had introduced her own proposal, SB 1033, to establish a 15-city pilot program in which all cities but Philadelphia and Pittsburgh were eligible to apply. The proposal approved Sunday was a compromise, opening the program to all cities over 30,000 in population and also providing for one pilot zone in a borough or township.
Up to two cities a year could join the program beginning in 2016, and two cities and the borough/township pilot could establish zones sooner, when the law takes effect.
“The particulars and timing of the economic problems change from city to city, but the results from Altoona to Reading have been similar: declining property values, crippling taxes, lost jobs, increasing crime rates, and declining graduation rates from city to city across the state,” Schwank said. “We need to stop the bleeding and revitalize cities.”
The bill also contains a provision Schwank previously succeeded in introducing with support from Rep. Ryan Mackenzie that would create a property transfer tax exemption for fire companies and other emergency response companies when they merge or consolidate.
The idea for the bill came when the Barto, Bally and Bechtelsville fire companies merged to form the Eastern Berks Fire Department, Company 97, and were hit with a $17,000 transfer tax bill on deeding their stations to the new company.
“When any local fire department, EMS, river rescue or police department takes a proactive step to save money and help more people, it’s incumbent on the commonwealth to not penalize them for doing the right thing,” Schwank said.
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More information on Sen. Schwank is available on her website, Facebook and Twitter.
June 30, 2013
Harrisburg, June 30, 2013 – Sen. Judy Schwank (D-Berks) today voted “no” on Pennsylvania’s 2013-’14 budget.
“Instead of focusing on job creation, the past several weeks have been devoted to the expansion of alcohol sales and eliminating jobs, along with various other misguided priorities,” Schwank said. “They, and the lack of a transportation funding plan, proved to be strong reasons for me to not support this spending plan for the new fiscal year.”
Schwank said the $28.37 billion general fund budget misses the mark on issues that matter most to Pennsylvanians.
“Once again to my disappointment, this budget fails to seriously address the needs of job creation and economic development,” she said. “There is no real funding for significant job creation programs, including tax credits and economic development; even job training programs that have proven to be successful, such as Keystone Works, have been cut by over $1 million dollars.”
Schwank also said she was disappointed in the plans for education funding.
“The budget adds more than $120 million in education funding to be spread around the state,” she said, “but it fails economically hard-hit school districts that face deep cuts, local tax increases and more hardship.
“We have again failed to address the way we fund our cyber charter schools. The current funding formula is costing taxpayers millions of dollars and has created a budget crisis for many school districts within the commonwealth,” she said.
Schwank said community colleges are not supported by the budget, either.
“I have been a strong supporter of our community colleges, like Reading Area Community College. They are vital to our workforce education efforts in the commonwealth but once again we failed to address their funding needs”
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More information on Sen. Schwank is available on her website, Facebook and Twitter.
June 18, 2013
Harrisburg, June 18, 2013 – Sen. Judy Schwank today said her bill naming Route 662 in Ruscombmanor Township, Berks County, as the “Chief Warrant Officer-2 Jarett M. Yoder Highway” has been reported out of committee.
The Senate Transportation Committee unanimously approved Senate Bill 984, a little more than two months after the 26-year-old graduate of Oley Valley High School died when his Apache helicopter crashed in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan.
“We lost one of the best when Officer Yoder’s helicopter went down,” Schwank said. “In naming Route 662 after him, I hope he will always be remembered and thanked when motorists drive on this road, which passes near his boyhood home.”
Yoder served with the 1-104th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. When he died, he was serving his second deployment since enlisting in the National Guard in 2005, which is the year he graduated from high school. Prior to Afghanistan, Yoder served in Iraq in 2008 with the 1-111th Infantry Regiment of the PA National Guard.
“Chief Warrant Officer Yoder was married before his final trip to that war-torn part of the world and he has since been posthumously awarded the Bronze Star,” Schwank said. “He served the United States of America with distinction and bravery. While his family and friends will always remember the goodness of their husband, son and brother, let the rest of us never forget him by making sure we pass this tribute.”
SB 984 now moves to the Senate for consideration.
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More information on Sen. Schwank is available on her website, Facebook and Twitter.
June 13, 2013
HARRISBURG, June 13, 2013 – Sen. Judy Schwank (D-Berks) and Pennsylvania’s new Special Education Funding Formula Commission opened public hearings today in Harrisburg by listening to experts from throughout the state talk about the intricacies of special education funding.
The 15-member commission is looking to write a new funding formula to deliver more targeted instruction and programs, and to more effectively pay for special education throughout the commonwealth. The commission has until Sept. 30 to submit its recommendations.
“The special education officials who testified today made it very clear that this is a problem that needs to be solved, even though it will be difficult to do so,” Schwank said. “Special education is highly personal – and it needs to be because each student who is educated this way is different. There will not be one solution for everyone.”
To underline the senator’s point, Betsy Somerville, the director of special education in the Canon-McMillan School District in western PA, said it’s hard to budget for her 701 special education students.
“It’s so individualized. It truly is,” Somerville said.
“Needs are idiosyncratic,” said Louise Fick, Parkland School District’s supervisor of special education.
To address the challenge, Schwank said the commission will continue holding public hearings this year. While locations will be announced later, the newly created panel is scheduled to meet July 10, July 25, Aug. 7, Aug. 22, Sept. 4 and Sept. 19.
The Special Education Funding Formula Commission came into being after House Bill 2 was signed into law on April 25. HB2 is guiding the group to consider funding for students with least-intensive to most-intensive disabilities. Other factors will also be considered.
Autism, blindness, physical disability, deafness, mental retardation and mentally gifted students are considered under current state law to be eligible for special education instruction.
Special education, itself, is “specially designed instruction” that, once determined, is mapped by an individualized education program, or IEP. The IEP is designed to meet the student’s learning needs and to keep him or her in the general education curriculum. However, special education students are not required to do all of the same work at the same level and pace as other students.
“We learned much today from the special education experts who appeared before us,” Schwank said. “This will be a challenging issue to solve, but I believe it’s one this commission will rise to meet for the betterment of our children.”
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More information on Sen. Schwank is available on her website, Facebook and Twitter.
June 12, 2013
HARRISBURG, June 12, 2013 – People who would like to participate in Pennsylvania’s property tax/rent rebate program have another six months to do so, state Senator Judy Schwank (D-Berks) said today.
The deadline is now Dec. 31, 2013.
“This is good news for people who need help with housing expenses,” Schwank said. “Pennsylvania’s rebate program makes owning or renting more affordable for low-income residents.”
To qualify, a homeowner or renter must be:
- At least 65 years old OR
- 50 years old and a widow or widower OR
- At least 18 years old and disabled OR
- Permanently disabled during the claim year, which would be 2012.
On the high end, homeowners and renters who earn less than $8,000 a year are eligible to receive a rebate of up to $650. Homeowners who make between $18,001 and $35,000 can receive up to $250, while the minimum eligibility for renters is a $500 rebate for those making between $8,001 and $15,000. Proof of age and income are required.
“Thanks to proceeds from the Pennsylvania Lottery, hundreds of thousands of residents across the state will benefit by participating in the property tax/rent rebate program,” Schwank said. “I encourage eligible residents of the 11th Senatorial District to apply.”
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.
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May 30, 2013
FREDERICKSBURG, May 30, 2013 – State Senator Judy Schwank (D-Berks) and the Senate Education Committee today listened to school district and charter school officials about legislation affecting cyber charter school funding.
Schwank’s Senate Bill 335 would exempt school districts from paying cyber charter schools if that district offers a cyber program similar to the one offered by the non-district cyber charter school.
“My goal is to alleviate the pressure school districts are experiencing in using limited fiscal resources to pay outside providers of cyber education. If a school district can offer a comparable or better cyber schooling option, then it shouldn’t have to pay for both options,” Schwank said while emphasizing she is not an opponent of charter schools.
Schwank – who earlier this year was appointed to a new Special Education Funding Commission to recommend a new funding formula to more effectively pay for special education throughout the commonwealth – said districts would only be exempt from paying the cyber charter funds if that district had a comparable program within its borders.
“Where a district offers a cyber program equal in scope and content to the non-district cyber charter school, my legislation will remove that responsibility for funding,” Schwank said. “If the district doesn’t have a similar cyber program, it would pay the tuition for that attending pupil.”
Parents who choose to send their child to another district’s brick-and-mortar school are responsible for paying that cost themselves, and Schwank said SB 335 would force the same requirement for cyber charters.
“It is acknowledged that some students can and do opt for a different educational model than that which is provided by public schools and they pay for that option. The same should be true of students who choose a cyber charter education. It is a matter of equity and using limited fiscal resources to serve the most students,” she said.
Officials from the Northern Lebanon and Conrad Weiser school districts, Pennsylvania School Boards Association, Commonwealth Connections Academy, Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools, and the 21st Century Cyber Charter School testified before the Senate Education Committee.
Schwank said she appreciated the time and commitment of the school officials; noting their input is an invaluable part of the legislative process for SB 335.
“We as a commonwealth cannot fulfill every desire. Public education was never intended to do that. Our mandate is provide students with a good education that serves the needs of the commonwealth,” Schwank said.
The PA Department of Education defines charter schools as “self-managed public schools” that only come into being once they are approved by local school districts. Cyber schools, on the other hand, are approved by the Department of Education.
Cyber and charter schools are controlled by parents, teachers, community leaders, and colleges or universities, and are exempt from many educational mandates, except for nondiscrimination, health and safety, and accountability.
Pennsylvania has 173 brick-and-mortar charter schools and 16 cyber charter schools. Together, they educate 105,000 students.
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May 29, 2013
READING, May 29, 2013 — State Sen. Judy Schwank will hold a town hall meeting at 7 p.m., May 30, for residents of Bern Township and surrounding communities in the Bern Township Municipal Building.
“Many of the most important issues facing this commonwealth are before us, and it’s critical that we talk to each other about what is happening in Harrisburg,” said Schwank (D-Berks).
The meeting is part of an ongoing series of town halls the senator hosts in various communities throughout the 11th Senatorial District.
For more information, call 610-929-2151.
WHAT: Sen. Judy Schwank to hold Town Hall Meeting
WHEN: 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
WHERE: Bern Township Municipal Building, 1069 Old Bernville Road, Reading
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May 29, 2013
READING, May 29, 2013 – Sen. Judy Schwank and the Senate Education Committee will listen to public testimony beginning at 1 p.m., Thursday, May 30, at Northern Lebanon High School, about legislation affecting cyber charter schools.
Senate Bill 335, which Schwank proposed in January, would exempt school districts from paying cyber charter schools if that district offers a cyber program similar to a non-district cyber charter school.
Officials from the Northern Lebanon and Conrad Weiser school districts, Pennsylvania School Boards Association, Commonwealth Connections Academy, Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools, and the 21st Century Cyber Charter School are scheduled to testify.
Media coverage is encouraged.
WHAT: Senate Education Committee public hearing on Sen. Schwank’s SB 335
WHEN: 1 p.m.
WHERE: Harlan A. Daubert Performing Arts Center, Northern Lebanon High School, 345 School Drive, Fredericksburg.
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May 8, 2013
HARRISBURG, May 8, 2013 – Mapping the future of special education funding in Pennsylvania will not happen without the input of state Senator Judy Schwank (D-Berks).
Schwank has been appointed to the newly created 15-member Special Education Funding Commission by Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati. The commission has until Sept. 30 to recommend a new funding formula that would be designed to more effectively pay for special education throughout the commonwealth.
“Pennsylvania’s current special education spending directives are out-of-date and often fail to adequately address the needs of children,” Schwank said. “Some special education facilities need more financial assistance than they are currently receiving and some need less. I am looking forward to helping to change this reality and I thank Sen. Scarnati for naming me to the commission.”
The Special Education Funding Commission was created when Gov. Tom Corbett signed into law House Bill 2 on April 25.
In addition to the chairs and vice-chairs of the House and Senate education committees, the panel will include eight legislators, the secretaries of education and budget, and the state deputy secretary for elementary and special education.
Schwank said the commission will hold public hearings this summer to help it develop a new funding formula. HB2 is guiding the group to consider funding for students with least-intensive to most-intensive disabilities. Other factors will also be considered.
“From Reading to Erie to Philadelphia, the commonwealth needs a better way to make sure our critical special education dollars are getting to the right teachers in the right districts,” Schwank said.
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More information on Sen. Schwank is available on her website, Facebook and Twitter.
May 3, 2013
HARRISBURG, May 3, 2013 – Three of Berks County’s leading Democratic state lawmakers today welcomed Auditor General Eugene DePasquale’s findings of the operation of the Reading School District.
Sen. Judy Schwank and Reps. Tom Caltagirone and Mark Rozzi said the findings, troubling as they continue to be, show that substantial and meaningful change needs to happen now in Reading.
“Unfortunately, mismanagement continues to be as much a part of the Reading School District as reading, writing and arithmetic,” said Caltagirone (D-Reading). “Our kids – the students who walk the halls of every Reading School District elementary, middle, intermediate unit, and high school – must return to be the central focus of how this district performs beginning today.”
“The fact that the auditor general, who is Pennsylvania’s independent watchdog, is pointing to the further evidence of insufficient governance policies is more evidence that the Reading School District needs to get its act together and the board needs to get down to working for the best interests of the children,” Schwank (D-Ruscombmanor Twp.) said.
“Without immediate and lasting change, the Reading School District will cement a reputation that will last generations,” Rozzi (D-Muhlenberg Twp.) said. “That’s very bad news for our children. I strongly implore the school board and the administration to work together like they’ve never worked together before.”
DePasquale’s findings that Reading remains mired in an unending cycle of lapsed teacher certificates, insufficient internal controls and other problems are similar to an audit conducted a year ago by the auditor general’s office.
In January 2012, then-Auditor General Jack Wagner found 14 teachers had been working with improper certification; the district did not properly account or retain records for grant receipts and expenditures; and weaknesses in vendor computer databases could allow for unauthorized changes that could not be tracked.
The district is on the state’s “financial watch” list due to overwhelming deficits in 2012-’13 ($40 million) and in the upcoming fiscal year ($8 million).
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May 2, 2013
HARRISBURG, May 2, 2013 – State Senator Judith L. Schwank applauded the adoption of an amendment to a bill that will save the old Barto and Eastern Berks fire departments $17,000.
The Senate Finance Committee approved the amendment Wednesday as it reported out House Bill 465, which is designed to create a transfer tax exemption for fire departments that merge or are involved in other means of succession.
Schwanks’s amendment, which was introduced by Sen. Mike Brubaker (R-Chester) on her behalf, makes the exemption retroactive to Nov. 1, 2011.
“Taxing fire departments that are showing the way to be more prudent users of tax revenue and public contributions should not be the answer,” Schwank (D-Berks) said. “Pennsylvania needs to help foster regionalization of police and fire departments. Sending potentially crippling tax bills for working together is not good public policy.”
Barto and Eastern Berks were assessed in 2011 following Barto’s merger with the Bally and Bechtelsville fire departments, which resulted in the Eastern Berks Fire Department, Company 97.
The new company covers Barto, Bally, Bechtelsville, Washington, District and Pike townships; and nearby portions of Douglass Township, Berks County, and Upper Hanover and Douglass townships, Montgomery County.
“Eastern Berks Fire Department is being proactive and responsive to changing economies and new patterns of volunteering,” Schwank said. “It’s important that the legislature adopt this bill and get it to Gov. Corbett’s desk for his approval.”
More information on Sen. Schwank is available on her website, Facebook and Twitter.
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April 24, 2013
READING, April 24, 2013 – Sen. Judy Schwank will be working with parents, children and residents of her 11th Senatorial District to “Spring Clean Berks” on Saturday, April 27.
The senator’s 2nd annual spring cleaning of the community take place in two sessions on Saturday. Details are below.
Media coverage is encouraged.
WHAT: 2nd Annual Spring Clean Berks with Sen. Judy Schwank (D-11)
WHEN/
WHERE: Session 1: 9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m., “Student Environmental Spruce Up,” DCNR Nolde Forest EE Center, Cumru Township
Session 2: 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., “City Clean Up,” City Park, Reading
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April 12, 2013
READING, April 12, 2013 — The U.S. Army will hold a “farewell ceremony” at 11 a.m. on Sunday, April 14, at Governor Mifflin Intermediate School for the U.S. Army’s 333rd Engineer Company (Horizontal). State Sen. Judy Schwank will attend the tribute.
The 333rd will be heading to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Most of the company’s 140 members live in the Reading area.
The media is encouraged to cover Sunday’s ceremony as well as a farewell ceremony salute at 9:30 a.m., Tuesday, April 16, along routes 724 and 222. However, the Army is asking that the public only attend the April 16 salute.
The 333rd conducts horizontal construction operations and general engineering operations that include road work, leveling operations, finish grade for roads and airfields, and surface and drainage maintenance.
WHAT: Farewell ceremony for Army’s 333rd Engineer Company
WHEN: 11 a.m., Sunday, April 14; 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, April 16
WHERE: April 14: Governor Mifflin Intermediate School, 600 Governor Drive, Shillington
April 16: (Public Event) Route 724 to U.S. 222. Reserve center is at 547 Philadelphia Ave., Reading
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April 10, 2013
HARRISBURG, April 10, 2013 – State Senator Judith L. Schwank said today that a bill she has proposed would help ensure that state police have sufficient resources to provide public safety services.
Schwank (D-Berks) said Senate Bill 841 would offset funds the state provides to municipalities from motor license revenue in the same amount as the value of the state police coverage to any municipality with a population of 5,000 or more.
“The funds would then be available to help fix Pennsylvania’s deteriorating roads and bridges,” Schwank said, “And, just as important, making this change creates an incentive for larger municipalities that now rely on state police protection at the expense of state tax payers to end that practice.”
In an informal survey she conducted earlier this year, Schwank said 74 percent of the respondents said they support requiring municipalities that rely on state police coverage to pay for it.
However, Schwank said, her proposal would not apply to state police patrols on interstate highways.
“Interstate patrols primarily serve the general traveling public, and not the business and residents of the municipality where the highway is located, so those patrols would be excluded from the offset calculations,” Schwank said. “I believe this legislation can encourage regionalization of police forces and free up state police for use in other areas of enforcement.”
Gov. Corbett has proposed transferring $619 million from the motor license fund to help pay state police costs in his 2013-‘14 budget.
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March 28, 2013
READING, March 28, 2013 — State Sen. Judy Schwank will hold a town hall meeting at 7 p.m., April 4, for residents of Exeter Township and surrounding communities in the Community Room of the Exeter Community Library, 4569 Prestwick Drive, Exeter.
“This is an opportunity for us to have a conversation about the issues impacting our communities,” said Schwank (D-Berks).
The meeting is part of an ongoing series of town halls the senator hosts in various communities throughout the 11th Senatorial District.
For more information, call 610-929-2151.
WHO: State Sen. Judy Schwank
WHAT: Town Hall Meeting
WHEN: 7 p.m. – 9 p.m., Thursday, April 4
WHERE: Community Room, Exeter Community Library, 4569 Prestwick Drive, Exeter.
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February 14, 2013
HARRISBURG, February 14, 2013 — State Sen. Judy Schwank today praised the Attorney General’s decision to stop the Corbett administration’s rush to sell off the state lottery without legislative oversight.
“Like many of us, the Attorney General saw the lottery plan as a broad overreach of the administration’s authority and her decision to reject the contract will allow more public scrutiny of plans to improve the lottery to raise more revenue for senior programs,” she said.
Kane’s decision was announced at a news conference in Harrisburg today after weeks of thorough review.
“There could be room for improvement and, in fact, lottery employees have offered a solid alternative to foreign-based lottery management,” Schwank said. “But it’s critical that any changes, especially those that might expand gambling or threaten the tax relief generated by casinos, should get a thorough and public vetting.”
Schwank said the administration’s rush to complete the deal with Camelot Global Services caused concern in the legislature where there is little support for allowing revenue intended for senior programs to be tapped for corporate profit.
“Any time you try to do a deal quickly and privately, it’s going to raise concern,” Schwank said. “I’m glad the Attorney General has put the brakes on this.”
February 5, 2013
HARRISBURG, February 5, 2013 — State Sen. Judy Schwank today issued the following statement on the governor’s 2013-14 state budget address:
“Today’s budget plan did not provide a solid long-term plan for lifting up our economy. As our smaller cities and urban areas across the state continue to struggle, we should be focused on putting Pennsylvanians back to work.”
On education, Schwank said, “I’m very concerned about the governor’s plan to pass on the windfall from liquor privatization to our education system. We can’t guarantee a dollar amount at this time to our schools, many of which are desperately in need of more funding, and we shouldn’t dangle a one-time payout in front of them. Our schools need secure, sustained funds in order to maintain and improve conditions for our students. Block grants provide that extra resource, but it’s unfair to provide temporary relief by selling off our liquor stores and licenses.
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“We should focus on a better long-term vision for our education system. We need to provide students with the right tools and support to achieve and succeed while ensuring that school districts aren’t forced to make up for losses by placing the burden on property taxpayers.
“This is just the start of many conversations and debates over the state budget, and our work begins today. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I look forward to participating in budget hearings over the next few weeks to determine the best course for our state’s numerous agencies.”
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