October 28, 2014
HARRISBURG, Oct. 28 – State Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Allegheny, and state Sen. Judy Schwank, D-Berks, co-chairs of the Pennsylvania Women’s Health Caucus, today called for the Corbett administration to take action to extend the federal 1115 Family Planning Waiver, SelectPlan for Women. The waiver is set to expire Dec. 31.
The caucus and other legislative supporters sent a letter to state Human Services Secretary Beverly Mackereth earlier this month, seeking an extension of the waiver through at least 2015. The letter stated that potentially thousands of women will go without access to family planning services currently provided by the SelectPlan waiver as coverage under Healthy PA begins Jan. 1.
“Basically all the administration has to do to protect coverage for thousands, and perhaps tens of thousands of women, is write a letter. But even with the clock ticking, it hasn’t done that or bothered to explain why,” Schwank said. “These are important health issues that need to be resolved for women before they lose coverage, not afterward.”
Currently, the SelectPlan for Women waiver provides crucial family planning health services to nearly 90,000 predominantly low-income women across Pennsylvania annually. Services provided by the waiver include gynecological exams, emergency contraception, screening and treatment for various sexually transmitted infections, and breast and cervical cancer screenings. It does not cover abortion services, since no public dollars are allowed to be used for them in Pennsylvania.
“I have serious concerns about this situation. The thought of ending coverage for tens of thousands of women and forcing them to reapply manually for Healthy PA is mind-blowing,” Frankel said. “This administration cannot continue to erect barriers to health care for low-income women. It should automatically give lower-income women HealthyPA coverage that includes comprehensive family planning services. For higher-income women, it should extend SelectPlan so they do not lose access to their current medical providers as they transition to another plan.”
The letter also stated that the SelectPlan waiver has been effective in reducing the annual federal and state Medicaid expenditures for prenatal, newborn and infant care since its implementation in February 2008.
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A copy of the letter is HERE.
October 27, 2014
READING, Oct. 27, 2014 – With almanacs and woolly bear caterpillars predicting a tough winter and others predicting a mild season, state Sen. Judy Schwank today said the one sure thing about the approaching season is LIHEAP will be there to help those who need it.
“We’ve heard mixed predictions about winter’s menu but the best way for Berks Countians to prepare is to apply with the commonwealth for grants under its Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program,” Schwank said today. “It’s good to heed predictions and prepare for winter. People who are worried about their budgets must include LIHEAP as a way to keep out the chill.”
LIHEAP is a grant program that helps qualified residents pay their heating bills. This year’s program opens Monday, Nov. 3, and is expected to run through the beginning of next April.
LIHEAP customers who received benefits this past winter received their applications about a month ago, Schwank said. New applications may be obtained through the senator’s district office.
Annual household income limits apply. A one-person household must not earn more than $17,505 while an eight-person household can earn a maximum annual stipend of $60,135. Add $6,090 for each additional person.
“LIHEAP delivers crisis benefits of between $25 and $500 and the money will help make the threat of lost warmth go away,” Schwank said.
Schwank said a crisis can include an empty fuel tank, the threatened termination of gas or electric service, broken windows, the sudden need to replace a heating system or frozen pipes.
Residents who need a LIHEAP application should contact Sen. Schwank’s district office, 210 George St., Suite 210, Reading, or 610-929-2151.
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October 21, 2014
Grants also approved for Reading, Union Township
READING, Oct. 21, 2014 – New playground equipment, stepping stones and plaza space will be the new features of Kutztown’s only playground thanks to the award today of a $150,000 state grant, Sen. Judy Schwank said today.
The Commonwealth Financing Authority approved the investment for the project in Kutztown Park. It also approved a $150,000 grant for French Creek State Park and nearly $70,000 to further the planning of the Fritz Island Wastewater Treatment Plant in Reading.
“Kutztown Park is the place children go when they want to be outside, but the equipment has become old and dangerous,” Sen. Schwank said following today’s CFA meeting. “The new investment will transform the playground into a place that kids truly love and parents will feel better about because they will know their children are safe.
The new playground equipment will be ADA compliant and meet the safety standards of the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission.
The $150,000 grant is through the commonwealth’s Greenways, Trails and Recreation program
Complete details of the grant program are available on the Department of Community and Economic Development’s website.
The $150,000 grant for the French Creek State Park project will help the Natural Lands Trust buy an adjacent 54-acre tract and then expand the park after it transfers the property. The Horseshoe Trail will then be re-routed off land now owned by a rod and gun club onto the larger French Creek State Park.
The $68,685 Sewage Facilities Program grant to the City of Reading will help to pay for planning costs associated with the Act 537 special study for the Fritz Island Wastewater Treatment Plant. Improvements will help the plant satisfy a consent decree with the state Department of Environmental Resources and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
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More information on Sen. Schwank is available on her website, Facebook and Twitter.
October 20, 2014
READING, Oct. 20, 2014 – Two parks in Berks County and a swimming pool in Fleetwood have been awarded nearly $730,000 in state grants, state Sen. Judy Schwank said today.
The money, from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, will help to expand French Creek State Park, upgrade Pendora Park and rehabilitate the Fleetwood Community Swimming Pool.
“Berks County presents many wonderful options for outdoor enjoyment and these new state investments will ensure that these destinations exist for many new generations of residents and visitors,” Schwank said. “Getting back to nature will be better and easier for many more thanks to the commonwealth’s support.”
The 11th Senatorial District’s grants are part of $33 million in new grants awarded through DCNR’s Community Conservation Partnership Program. Statewide, 219 grants have been awarded to communities and non-profit organizations for recreation and conservation projects.
The grant awards follow Pennsylvania’s outdoor recreation plan, which keeps the commonwealth eligible for federal land and water conservation investments.
The following Berks County projects received grants:
- Natural Lands Trust Inc., $316,000 for the purchase of 53 acres along French Creek State Park and Geigerstown Road in Union Township.
- Reading City, $250,000 for the rehabilitation and continued development of Pendora Park, including an upgrade of the spray park, new playground equipment, ADA access, landscaping and related improvements.
- Fleetwood Borough, $164,000 to renovate the Fleetwood Community Swimming Pool’s large pool and its bathhouse and concession stand, install a portable pool lift and improve ADA access.
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October 16, 2014
HELLAM, Oct. 16, 2014 – Pennsylvania became the first state in the country today to preserve 500,000 acres of valuable farmland and three Berks County farms helped accomplish the milestone, Sen. Judy Schwank said today.
“Berks County is a big reason the commonwealth has protected half a million acres of farmland,” Schwank said today following the Pennsylvania Farmland Preservation Board’s meeting at Flinchbaugh’s Orchard and Farm Market. “Our county has preserved more acres of farmland than any other county in the program.
“The 300 acres of prime agricultural space that were removed from the specter of development today by the board means 678 farms and 68,000 local acres of Berks County farms will be producing nutritious food for generations to come.”
The total conservation easements for the following three farms totals $748,000:
- Larry & Patricia Bauscher, Greenwich Township, 8 acres
- Benjamin & Karah Davies, Washington Township, 1 acres
- Larry & Carol Mertz, Maxatawny Township, 5 acres
Since its inception in 1988, the commonwealth has protected 4,704 farms totaling 500,079 acres with $1.3 billion in easements. In Berks County, 678 farms consisting of 67,991 acres have been preserved.
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.
For more information on PA’s farmland preservation program, visit the Bureau of Farmland Preservation’s website.
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October 15, 2014
HARRISBURG, Oct.15, 2014 – Berks County residents and Pennsylvanians should expect improvements in the quality and cost-effectiveness of the Medicaid system with the approval today of a bill to create the Patient-Centered Medical Home Advisory Council, state Sen. Judy Schwank said.
The Senate voted 48-0 to create the new panel and send House Bill 1655 to the governor for final consideration.
“In Pennsylvania, 2.25 million residents currently receive Medicaid benefits,” Sen. Schwank said during floor debate today. “The spending on this program consumes 25 percent of the state General Fund.
“If we can do something that not only improves care for people but saves Pennsylvania taxpayers money, we’re doing a good thing.”
Should HB 1655 be signed into law by the governor, the advisory council would be charged with advising the Department of Human Services on how Pennsylvania’s Medicaid program can increase the quality of care while containing costs.
Specifically, the panel would, among other requirements:
- Coordinate and provide access to evidence-based health care services, emphasizing primary care and including preventive and well-child health services.
- Provide access to appropriate specialty care, mental health services, inpatient services and any evidence-based alternative therapies.
- Provide access to medication and medication therapy management services according to the federal Affordable Care Act.
- Promote the planning of treatment strategies, monitor health outcomes and use of resources, and share information and organize care to avoid duplication of services.
- Provide comprehensive care management to patients to assist treatment strategies and health outcomes.
- Emphasize patient and provider accountability. And,
- Prioritize access to the continuum of health care services in the most appropriate setting and in the most cost-effective manner.
Twenty-six states have already adopted patient-centered medical home initiatives.
The House voted 197-0 to approve SB 1655 in January.
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More information on Sen. Schwank is available on her website, Facebook and Twitter.
October 7, 2014
HARRISBURG, Oct. 7, 2014 – Sen. Judy Schwank will host her annual “College Financial Aid Awareness Night” from 7 p.m. until 8:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 9, at Muhlenberg High School.
The free event will include presentations by Schwank and financial aid experts from the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, or PHEAA, and Reading Area Community College.
“With the cost of postsecondary education continuing to rise, it is vitally important for students and parents to understand the financial aid resources that are available to them,” said Sen. Schwank. “Our expert presenters will provide families with information on planning for college, the types of assistance that are available, and how to apply for student aid.”
Additional information is available by contacting Schwank’s Reading District office, 610-929-2151.
Media coverage is invited.
WHO: Sen. Judy Schwank, PHEAA, Reading Area Community College
WHAT: “College Financial Aid Awareness Night”
WHEN: 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 9
WHERE: Muhlenberg High School, 400 Sharp Ave., Reading
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More information on Sen. Schwank is available on her website, Facebook and Twitter.
September 29, 2014
HARRISBURG, Sept. 29, 2014 – Standing with the dozen eggs, loaf of bread and box of cereal she attempted to buy with the $7.25 Pennsylvania’s minimum-wage workers receive for 60 minutes of labor, state Sen. Judy Schwank today joined a statewide action campaign to urge an increase in the state’s base hourly rate.
Schwank said the $7.25 was not enough money to buy the three food staples.
“You know that you and I couldn’t make ends meet on $7.25 an hour, and our friends, relatives and neighbors cannot do it either,” Schwank told press conference attendees in the Capitol Rotunda today.
“A business whose plan works only on the exploitation of the labor of people who couldn’t find higher paying jobs is not a model that’s sustainable for our country nor is it sustainable for our commonwealth,” she said.
Schwank said she supports legislation, Senate Bill 1300, that would incrementally increase Pennsylvania’s minimum wage to $10.10 by 2016 and tie future increases to inflation.
“As our neighbors go, we go as well. It’s important we make the effort to get the minimum wage bill passed in Pennsylvania, tie it to the Consumer Price Index so that we don’t have to wait for legislators to take action … and we can help solve this problem, once and for all,” Schwank said.
Schwank’s participation in today’s state Capitol press conference was part of Raise the Wage PA’s statewide action day, which included similar events in nine other Pennsylvania communities: Reading, Allentown, Altoona, Erie, Media, Morrisville, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and York.
Ten states and Washington D.C. have raised their minimum wage rates this year to something higher than Pennsylvania’s $7.25 an hour commitment. To date, 23 states and D.C. pay their front-line workers more than the federal minimum.
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More information on Sen. Schwank is available on her website, Facebook and Twitter.
September 25, 2014
READING, Sept. 24, 2014 – Representing one of Pennsylvania’s 20 communities that are financially distressed, state Sen. Judy Schwank has voted to change the law that governs the commonwealth’s municipal recovery program.
Schwank’s vote Wednesday helped to send the Act 47 proposal, House Bill 1773, to the governor for his consideration.
“I voted to make comprehensive changes to Act 47 because I don’t want Reading to be stuck in an otherwise positive program for decades, as have some other communities,” Schwank (D-Ruscombmanor Township) said today.
“Reading has a recovery plan, thanks to Act 47. If it continues to follow the prescription, it should be well on its way to a brighter economic future. While I am confident it will enjoy better times, we must make sure the city – or any local municipality – has the tools it needs to get back to self-sufficiency in a reasonable period of time,” she said.
Reading’s Act 47 recovery plan, approved Nov. 12, 2009, is designed to improve the city’s management and accountability, advance its oversight of housing codes and funding sources, and rethink how it pays for and delivers city services.
HB 1773, if signed into law, would limit municipalities’ participation in the program to five years and give the Department of Community and Economic Development more authority in enforcing a recovery plan.
Municipalities in the program when the law goes into effect are allowed one three-year extension after their first five-year program expires.
Also, HB1773 delivers fairer taxing options that local governments can consider to quickentheir exit from Act 47 financial distress.
Of the 20 municipalities under Act 47, the commonwealth has watched Farrell (1987), Mercer County; Aliquippa (1987), Beaver County; Braddock (1988), Clairton (1988) and Rankin (1989), Allegheny County; and Franklin (1988), Cambria County, the longest.
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More information on Sen. Schwank is available on her website, Facebook and Twitter.
September 23, 2014
HARRISBURG, Sept. 23, 2014 – Urged by state Sen. Judy Schwank to examine the growing problem of heroin and prescription drug abuse, the Center for Rural Pennsylvania canvassed the state and issued its report today.
Sen. Schwank said she worked with Sen. Gene Yaw, the center’s chairman of the board, to study the problem following a spate of heroin and prescription drug-related overdoses and deaths in Topton, Berks County.
As the center released its report today at the Capitol, Schwank said she is “encouraged” by their work and how Pennsylvanians will benefit.
“There is recognition now that this very serious problem is something that can be dealt with in the commonwealth. And I look forward to being a part of it,” Schwank said during the Center for Rural Pennsylvania’s press conference. “I look forward to seeing what we will accomplish as a legislature and as a commonwealth to help target this problem.
“This is our blueprint. This is where we go from here, not only to make sure we pass the legislation that’s sitting before us right now, but to think about what we have to do in the future and focus on that.
“Legislation isn’t going to be the silver bullet. We need to ensure that our community members are educated; our youth, certainly, are educated; and our medical community understands the problem. It takes all of us, including law enforcement and our judiciary, to work together to resolve this.”
Schwank said she went to work on the heroin epidemic after 5 Topton residents died this past spring.
After first organizing a town hall meeting that attracted more than 10 times the people she expected to attend, Schwank said she looked across the commonwealth and approached Sen. Yaw.
Parents, families and communities were hurting, and continue to hurt, she said.
“You have to look into the face of an anguished parent to understand what they’re dealing with. And, there are so many of them out there,” Schwank said. “I don’t use the words epidemic or crisis lightly. But in the case of heroin abuse and opioid drug abuse, I believe those words are the words we should be using. That’s how serious this problem is.
“We applaud the Center for Rural Pennsylvania for focusing specifically on the issue in rural Pennsylvania. We know that this is an issue in our urban and suburban areas as well.”
Schwank recognized Reading Hospital’s chief of emergency medicine, Dr. Charles Barbera, for his role in helping to guide the response to the epidemic.
“He has been a wonderful advocate for us on this issue and has helped to guide us in some of our efforts in Berks County,” Schwank said.
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More information on Sen. Schwank is available on her website, Facebook and Twitter.
September 16, 2014
HARRISBURG, Sept. 16, 2014 – Sen. Judy Schwank issued the following statement following the Senate Finance Committee’s 6-5 approval of Senate Bill 76, which would reform the way schools generate revenue from property owners:
“Although it was a narrow vote, it was a positive vote and the full Senate will now get the chance to consider SB 76,” Schwank, who is one of the bill’s prime sponsors, said.
“There will be more discussion, debate and consideration given to this issue, which is as it should be. There is no doubt that too many families in Berks County and throughout the commonwealth are being crushed by steep property levies. They need relief, and they need it quickly.
“Today’s vote was in property owners’ favor.”
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More information on Sen. Schwank is available on her website, Facebook and Twitter.
September 9, 2014
READING, Sept. 9, 2014 – Sen. Judy Schwank today said Leesport residents will benefit from a new $100,000 state grant that will help the Berks County community pay for a sewer replacement project.
Commonwealth Financing Authority approved the “Small Water and Sewer System Program” grant for Leesport Borough Authority. The project will happen along Leesport Avenue.
“This is an important investment in Leesport and I am pleased that CFA recognized the benefits that we articulated when we urged the authority to approve this grant,” Sen. Schwank said. “The money will deliver environmental and economic benefits to the borough’s residents.”
The “Small Water and Sewer System Program” grant helps Pennsylvania communities like Leesport pay for the construction, improvement, expansion, rehabilitation or repair of a water supply or sanitary sewer system. Eligible projects have must cost between $50,000 and $150,000.
Complete details of the grant program are available on the Department of Community and Economic Development’s website.
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More information on Sen. Schwank is available on her website, Facebook and Twitter.
September 9, 2014
READING, Sept. 9, 2014 – – The Commonwealth Financing Authority today approved a state Multimodal Transportation Fund grant in the amount of $1 million to support a road improvement and bridge replacement along Saint Bernardine Street in Angelica Park in the City of Reading’s Millmont Section, according to Sen. Judy Schwank and Rep. Thomas Caltagirone.
The $2.7 million project includes the upgrade of St. Bernardine Street through Angelica Park, including the replacement of a bridge and the installation of pedestrian walkways, bike pathways, and street lighting. Alvernia University has committed significant resources to support the project as well. While additional funds still need to be secured to move forward with this project, the approval of this state grant funding represents a significant step forward.
“I am pleased that these grant funds have been approved for this important project,” said Rep. Caltagirone, whose office worked closely with Alvernia University officials to prepare and develop the Multimodal Transportation Fund grant application. “With increased traffic to Alvernia University and the Millmont Section of Reading in recent years, this roadway and bridge is in dire need of upgrades for the safe growth of the university and community. These state funds will help provide safe access for vehicular traffic, pedestrians, and bicyclists.”
“These state funds represent an important investment in the safety of local residents and in the economic future of the city,” noted Sen. Schwank, who strongly advocated for the approval of the grant funds for the project. “With Alvernia University, the expected completion of the Berks County Conservancy Facility in the Park, several significant large employers already in Millmont, and additional parcels available for development in the neighborhood, this project will serve as a catalyst for continued growth in the area, which is good for the city.”
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July 22, 2014
READING, July 22, 2014 – Working to stem the tide of heroin overdoses and deaths in Berks County and throughout the state, Sen. Judy Schwank joined other elected and health officials today to talk about the “Heroin Crisis Facing Pennsylvania.”
The forum, held at the Reading Area Community College, was an opportunity for experts to talk about possible solutions to the heroin problem. The session was the second in a series of four public hearings scheduled by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania.
“Berks County has been wracked by heroin-related deaths and arrests in the past year, including the arrests earlier this summer of 13 Topton-area residents and the deaths of six Kutztown and Brandywine Heights high school graduates since 2013,” Schwank said in her opening statement. “Between 2009 and last year, 58 overdose deaths were reported in Berks County, spiking in 2011 at 16 and last year at 15, but none of them were heroin-related until this year, according to a report by the Pennsylvania Coroners Association.”
Across the commonwealth, Schwank noted an 89 percent increase in overall drug-overdose deaths since 1999.
Heroin’s affordability is one of the biggest problems, Schwank said.
“A typical bag that used to be $20 six years ago can be bought today in New York for $4 or even $2,” the senator said. “Rural areas in Berks and nearby face the issue of easy access to such several major metropolitan areas. In particular, Berks lies along the I-78 corridor.”
The Senate adopted legislation in May that would provide for prescription drug monitoring. Sen. Schwank, who voted for SB 1180, said the registry would increase the quality of patient care and help law enforcement agencies prevent fraud and drug abuse, and eventually help to curtail heroin use.
“Heroin is not subject to this registry, but victims have often turned to it after becoming addicted, to more costly prescriptive medications, and it is deadly because it’s purity level varies,” she said.
State Sens. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming) and the chairman of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, Scott Wagner (R-York), and John Wozniak (D-Cambria) attended the heroin crisis forum, as did state Rep. Jerry Knowles (R-Berks).
Other forum participants included: PA Deptartment of Drug and Alcohol Programs Secretary Gary Tennis; Deb Beck, executive director, Drug & Alcohol Service Providers Organization of Pennsylvania; Phil Bauer, a parent who advocates for prescription drug safety; Linda Texter, director of the Reading Hospital Drug and Alcohol Center; George J. Vogel, executive director, Council on Chemical Abuse; Christine Gilfillan, associate director, Berks Women In Crisis; Kutztown Mayor Sandy Green; Brandywine Heights Area School District Superintendent Andrew M. Potteiger; Alison Snyder, personnel director, East Penn Manufacturing Co. Inc.; Dr. Gregory K. Sorensen, chief medical officer, Reading Health System; Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams; Michael J. Gombar – chief Berks County detective; Schuylkill County District Attorney Christine A. Holman; Berks County Court of Common Pleas Judge Scott D. Keller; and Berks County Magisterial District Judge Dean Patton.
The center will hold its next hearing at 9 a.m., Tuesday, Aug. 5, at St. Francis University in Loretto. Its final hearing, 8:30 a.m., Aug. 22, will be held at Clarion University.
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More information on Sen. Schwank is available on her website, Facebook and Twitter.
July 16, 2014
READING, July 16, 2014 – Sen. Judy Schwank, members of the Pennsylvania National Guard, local emergency responders, family, and other public officials will hold a dedication ceremony at 10 a.m., Friday, July 18, to officially name a stretch of Route 662 in Ruscombmanor Township, Berks County, as the “Chief Warrant Officer-2 Jarett M. Yoder Highway.”
The community’s work and the senator’s legislative efforts brought this tribute. The governor signed House Bill 925 into law in November.
Yoder, a 26-year-old graduate of Oley Valley High School, died April 2013 in Afghanistan when his Apache helicopter crashed in Nangarhar Province.
The chief warrant officer was married to Heather Garay-Yoder and was the son of Diane and Gary Yoder.
The stretch of Route 662 to be named the “Chief Warrant Officer-2 Jarett M. Yoder Highway” is in Ruscombmanor Township, between Fleetwood Borough and Oley Township.
Media coverage is invited.
WHO: Sen. Judy Schwank, family of Officer Yoder, PA National Guard, local emergency responders
WHAT: Dedication ceremony to name stretch of Route 662 as the “Chief Warrant Officer-2 Jarett M. Yoder Highway”
WHEN: 10 a.m., Friday, July 18
WHERE: Reuben Strauss Park (Ruscombmanor Township, on Route 662 near the intersection with Route 12)
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More information on Sen. Schwank is available on her website, Facebook and Twitter.
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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