August 24, 2011
August 22, 2011 — Sen. Judy Schwank (D-Berks) attends special marker dedication ceremony to honor Chief Master Sergeant Richard Loy Etchberger, of Berks County, Pennsylvania. Etchberger is also the posthumous recipient of the prestigious Medal of Honor Award.
Chief Master Sergeant Etchberger was stationed in Vietnam in 1968 and was killed in a firefight during which he saved the lives of three wounded comrades. On September 21, 2010 the Medal of Honor, the highest United States military decoration, was bestowed on Chief Master Sergeant Etchberger for conspicuous valor and courage at the risk of life and beyond the call of duty.
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August 24, 2011
| WHO: |
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State Sens. Lisa Boscola (D-Lehigh/Monroe/Northampton), Judy Schwank (D-Berks), Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) and John Wozniak (D- Cambria/Somerset/Centre/Clinton/Clearfield) |
| WHAT: |
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Public Hearing on Food Safety |
| WHEN: |
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Wednesday, Aug. 24 at 1p.m. |
| WHERE: |
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Penn State University, Berks Campus
Jansen Conference Center, Room 3
1800 Broadcasting Road
Reading, PA 19610 |
| DETAILS: |
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The Senate Democratic Policy Committee is hosting a roundtable discussion on Keeping Food Safe and Pennsylvania’s Agriculture Profitable |
Participants include:
- Dr. Lydia Johnson, Director of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Bureau of Food Safety & Laboratory Services
- Brent Ennis, Pennsylvania Department of Health Southeast District Executive Director
- James Weaver, GAP-Certified Farmer, Meadow View Farm, Kutztown, PA
- Brian Snyder, Executive Director of the PA Association for Sustainable Agriculture
- Dr. Hassan Gourama, Associate Professor of Food Science, Penn State University Berks
- Gregory Zanecosky, Director of Quality, Giorgio Foods, Inc.
Media coverage is welcomed.
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August 20, 2011
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August 16, 2011
Harrisburg, August 16, 2011 – State Senator Judy Schwank (D-Berks), Democratic chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Rural Affairs, has asked federal regulators for an explanation of the delay in the recent recall of contaminated turkey products until consumers were sickened and died.
“It is dumbfounding to learn that no action was taken until this month, when federal officials knew at least as early as March that turkey processed at the plant in question repeatedly tested positive for Salmonella,” said Schwank (D-Berks). “This is a common, antibiotic-resistant strain that we know poses unacceptable risks of sickness and death. It is just mind-boggling that federal regulators cannot or will not step in before what we know can happen actually does.”
Schwank, who has a lengthy background as a county agricultural agent and educator, said she has asked for an explanation of the events, which reports say claimed at least one life, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the federal Food and Drug Administration.
“It’s not clear yet why this happened, or what role states can play to prevent a repetition, but with Agriculture being the largest industry in Pennsylvania, we need to have answers to those questions for consumers and farmers alike,” Schwank said. “There are lives and livelihoods at stake here. This isn’t some academic game. It’s real life. If there is a role for states, we want to make sure we meet it.”
Schwank said she also is reaching out to Pennsylvania members in Congress to assist her in order to make sure the matter will not be ignored by the agencies.
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August 15, 2011
HARRISBURG, Aug. 15, 2011 – Senator Judy Schwank (D-Berks) is calling for Senate Committee action on her legislation that would reduce the size of the Pennsylvania legislature by more than one third, from 253 to 163 members.
Schwank, the author of Senate Bill 1079, said change is necessary not just to reduce costs, but so that the legislature can respond more quickly and effectively to allow Pennsylvania to compete for business and growth.
“Our legislative framework is past its expiration date,” Schwank said. “A smaller legislature will cut costs and be able to respond more effectively in a world that moves at the speed of light instead of the speed of horses.”
Schwank noted that besides technological changes that have replaced physical presence as the essential means of communication, the speed at which developing events must be responded to has been slashed from weeks and months to hours and minutes.
Schwank is reaching out to other senators who have introduced similar legislation to work together to get a bill before the full Senate, and has asked the chair of the Senate Committee on State Government, where the bills have been referred for review, to schedule a committee vote on them.
“These proposals have been mostly ignored for 20 years, but the Senate held a hearing on them within the last half-dozen years, and the House recently did likewise, “ she noted. “The winds of change are picking up, and Pennsylvanians deserve the opportunity to exercise their right to decide what the General Assembly should look like.”
August 12, 2011
BERN TWP., Pa. — Six months into the job, PA Senator Judy Schwank, D, Berks County, held a summit of sorts Wednesday. Her goal was to help local municipalities navigate a slimmer state budget.
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August 11, 2011
State money for community and economic development and transportation projects is going to be tight, so municipalities that want funding need to work with their state officials to get it.
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August 10, 2011
Reading, August 10, 2011 – State Senator Judy Schwank (D-Berks) joined with Senate Democratic Appropriations Chair Vincent Hughes (D- Phila. Montgomery) and local officials to discuss the recently passed 2011-2012 state budget and other economic issues affecting Pennsylvania and the region.
“Throughout the country and right here in Pennsylvania, we are facing serious economic challenges that will require us all to think innovatively on how to address these challenges,” Senator Schwank said. “I am glad that we had this opportunity to sit down with local officials to discuss their budgetary needs and how they can be addressed in a cost-effective, practical manner.
“There is no doubt that the economic downturn has had a great impact on this region, but if we work together to face the realities of the recently passed state budget, I am sure that we can find a way to weather this fiscal storm.”
Senator Hughes provided a detailed overview of the state budget and its impact on local governments, school districts and citizens. The senators also provided information on economic development resources and other programs available to local municipalities to assist them during the difficult economic times.
“The challenges facing the people of Pennsylvania and the communities they reside in will be significant as a result of Governor Corbett’s budget,” said Hughes. “It is imperative that my colleagues and I in the legislature work closely with local officials to let them know what resources are currently available to them, as well as find new ways in moving these communities forward during fiscally challenging times.”
Schwank added that it will take compromise to get through the tough economic times facing the state.
“We must work together to find creative ways to support vital programs that our citizens depend upon,” Schwank said. “Working together will be imperative in these upcoming months. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the legislature, as well as local leaders and officials to address these fiscal issues.”
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August 2, 2011
Pennsylvania could get the funding it needs to get out of maintenance mode and start new transportation projects, a state panel said in a report released Monday.
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July 28, 2011
The key to becoming a good leader is trying as many activities as you can, state Sen. Judy Schwank told children who’d come to Muhlenberg High School to improve their tennis skills.s
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July 28, 2011
READING –– Testifying today at a Public Utility Commission public input hearing, state Senator Judy Schwank (D-Berks) expressed her concerns over the Pennsylvania American Water Company rate increase request.
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July 27, 2011
Reading, July 27, 2011 – Testifying today at a Public Utility Commission (PUC) public input hearing, state Senator Judy Schwank (D-Berks) expressed her concerns over the Pennsylvania American Water Company (PAWC) rate increase request.
The PAWC is requesting a 13.3 percent increase in Senator Schwank’s district. She said many of her constituents would struggle to pay such a huge rate hike.
“An average customer in my district, using 49,800 gallons of water annually would see their annual bill increase from $581.40 per year to $658.44 per year,” Schwank said. “That is an increase of $77 per year. While $77 may not seem like a lot, when considered cumulatively with the increases most of us are facing for other necessities of life – gas, electric, insurance premiums, property taxes – this increase is significant.”
Senator Schwank said that this is especially true for seniors, the unemployed and others on fixed incomes.
“Every increase in the bills of this vulnerable population stretches their already strained budgets to the limit,” Schwank said. “This proposed increase in water rates will exacerbate problems for seniors and many others struggling to make ends meet.”
Schwank added that local businesses will also feel the pain of the proposed increase, especially small businesses struggling to stay afloat in today’s difficult economic times.
“Businesses using 23,000 gallons of water per month could see their water bill jump to $242 per month from $207 if this rate increase is granted,” Schwank said. “While this may not force businesses to close, it would put them at competitive disadvantages, cause business owners to reevaluate their existing operations and give pause to new businesses that are considering moving to our area. This, in turn, could have detrimental consequences to Reading’s economic recovery.”
Schwank called on the PUC to carefully review and consider the testimony presented by consumers and experts during the hearing, taking into account the significant impact the requested rate increases would have on all PAWC customers.
“It is important that all arguments – for and against – this proposed rate increase be considered,” Schwank said. “Only then can the commission render a decision that is just, reasonable and fair for all parties involved.”
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July 26, 2011
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July 26, 2011
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July 16, 2011
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July 15, 2011
Baldwin Hardware closing, laying off 159
June 30, 2011
(Harrisburg) — The state Senate has observed a moment of silence today in honor of a Berks County sheriff’s deputy killed in the line of duty last night. Deputy Kyle Pagerly was trying to serve warrant when he was fatally shot pursuing the suspect who was armed with an assault rifle. Democratic Senator Judy Schwank of Berks County remembers Pagerly as an Army veteran who also served the community as a firefighter and K-9 officer trainer. “A wonderful young man. This is a significant loss to us in Berks County and to the people of Pennsylvania, as well,” she says.
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June 29, 2011
HARRISBURG –– State Senator Judy Schwank (D-Berks) said she voted against the 2011-2012 state budget passed Tuesday by the Senate because of its failure to support vital programs for education, job growth and the environment.
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June 29, 2011
State Sen. Judy Schwank, a Democrat who represents part of Berks County, said she voted against the 2011-2012 state budget, which the Senate passed Tuesday, June 28, because it fails to support vital programs for education, job growth and the environment.
“We could have done better with this budget to build for the future and to offer hope to our citizens, and especially to our youth, that a better day will come,” Schwank said. “We left that part of the job, the real purpose of a budget, undone.”
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June 29, 2011
State Sen. Judy Schwank voted against the 2011-12 state budget approved Tuesday by the Senate, saying the spending plan lacks support for vital education, job growth and environmental programs.
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June 29, 2011
Reading, Berks County – It was an emotional day in Berks County Wednesday as family and friends paid their final respects to a sheriff’s deputy who died in the line of duty.
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June 28, 2011
Harrisburg, June 28, 2011 – State Senator Judy Schwank (D-Berks) said she voted against the 2011-2012 state budget passed today by the Senate because of its failure to support vital programs for education, job growth and the environment.
“We could have done better with this budget to build for the future and to offer hope to our citizens, and especially to our youth, that a better day will come,” Schwank said. “We left that part of the job, the real purpose of a budget, undone.”
Schwank said that even in the face of difficult financial challenges that required cost cutting, a better job of strategically allocating resources was required.
“Where are the allocations to educating the workforce for the future, the economic development programs that small businesses and major industries rely on to help grow and create jobs, and for land-use planning so local governments can accommodate business growth,” she asked. “In an effort to spread the pain, we might have made it worse than it needed to be.”
Schwank, a former Berks County commissioner and director of the advocacy group 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania, voted against the budget worked out in recent days by the governor and Republican majorities in the state Senate and House of Representatives.
She said numerous opportunities to improve the budget were missed by keeping Democrats out of the discussions until the budget literally was ready to be voted on.
“As far as I know, Democrats and Republicans both come to Harrisburg with the same goal to serve the people of Pennsylvania,” she said. “The process used to deliver this budget seems to have forgotten the real reason we are here.”
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June 26, 2011
Appropriation Would Have Resembled State Funding Level for 2010-11
Harrisburg, June 26, 2011 – In an effort to cushion the 19 percent budget cut to Penn State University funding, Senator Judy Schwank today offered an amendment that would restore Penn State funding to state funding levels for 2010-11. The amendment was rejected by Senate Republicans.
“With the threat of higher tuition costs, elimination of research programs, and faculty layoffs, it was imperative that we try to alleviate some of the burdens facing Penn State University and our other state-related universities,” Senator Schwank said. “While the House Republicans have made very modest funding restorations to these institutions, the funding is not nearly enough.”
Senator Schwank’s amendment would have federalized inmate healthcare to free up dollars to adequately fund Penn State University and the Agriculture Research and Extension program, which receives funding as a part of Penn State’s College of Agriculture Sciences.
The Schwank amendment, along with other General Fund restorations would have restored Penn State funding to $318,072,000.
“Senate Democrats realize the importance of our state-related universities, this is why I have introduced this amendment,” Schwank said. “These institutions attract billions of federal and private research dollars that translate into new technologies and new jobs.
“We must not allow our distinguished institutions to suffer needlessly from severe budget cuts. While I realize that Pennsylvania is facing a sizable budget crisis that will require tightening the belt across the board, the needs of our learning institutions should not be ignored at this time.”
Senator Schwank added that as a former director of the Berks County Cooperative Extension Program, she recognizes the importance of adequately funding the Agriculture Research and Extension Program.
“The loss of these critical funds could potentially and irrevocably harm the agricultural industry in Pennsylvania, as well as diminish the College of Agricultural Science’s impact on agricultural research, Senator Schwank said. “By increasing funding to Penn State University, we will, in turn, do all that we can to protect our agricultural industry, ensure that agricultural research is allowed to flourish and maintain the safety of our food sources.”
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June 22, 2011
Harrisburg, June 22, 2011 – State Senator Judy Schwank (D-Berks) today introduced legislation to establish a general right to vote prior to scheduled Election Days.
“Voting is a right, and exercising it should not be a test of someone’s ability, commitment or simple good luck to get to the polling booth between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Election Day,” Schwank said.
“Voters’ lives are every bit as demanding and complicated here as they are in the more than 30 states like California and Florida that already do what I am proposing, “ she said. “What works there ought to be given a chance here.”
Schwank’s legislation would provide for “No-Excuse” absentee voting, in which absentee ballots can be obtained without justification. She said using absentee voting processes already in place would be less costly than opening polls ahead of Election Day, as many states do.
Schwank, who served as Berks County Commissioner and executive director for the public advocacy organization 10,0000 Friends of Pennsylvania before being elected to the Senate, noted that absentee ballots have been allowed in Pennsylvania since the 1870s, but only when military, job or religious obligations, illness or infirmity prevent going to the polls.
“That was an innovative idea 140 years ago. But the complexities and demands of life today are quite different, so is the appreciation for the importance of universal voting,” Schwank said. “Many workers, particularly in service careers, routinely find themselves working unscheduled overtime or shifts, and last-minute interruptions that change plans happen to everyone. Meetings and doctor appointments you can reschedule, but not voting.
“We want to encourage Pennsylvanians to be interested and invested in our government, so let’s give them the same chance tens of millions of other Americans have. As important as transparency and accountability in government are, participation is really the spinach of democracy.”
Schwank’s legislation includes two bills: SB 1171 would amend the election code to extend absentee ballot processes to all voters; SB 1172 would amend the state Constitution to make clear that the processes could be extended to all voters.
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June 22, 2011
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – A Pennsylvania senator has introduced legislation that would allow voters to obtain an absentee ballot without justification.
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