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In this Update:
Voter Roll Accountability Project Launches to Protect Legal Votes and Legal Voters
Honest, transparent and secure elections remain the cornerstone of our constitutional republic. In conjunction with launching the Voter Roll Accountability Project, I participated in a state Capitol news conference, hosted by The Center for Election Integrity (CEI) at the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), to expose major, ongoing problems with Pennsylvania’s voter rolls. Many counties throughout the state have voter registration rates at 90% and above when compared to U.S. Census Bureau voting age population data, which means the rolls show almost as many registered voters as voting-age people who live there. This is extremely high when compared to the national average of 69%. Prior to the press conference, CEI representatives hand-delivered corrupted voter roll data and correspondence from concerned citizens to state officials, including the governor, attorney general and secretary of the commonwealth, urging them to uphold election integrity standards. You can watch the entire news conference here. Celebrating 2024 National Champion Penn State Wrestling Team
On Wednesday, I had the privilege of recognizing and spending some quality time on the Pennsylvania Senate floor with several stellar student-athletes from the 2024 National Champion Penn State Nittany Lion Wrestling Team and their head coach Cael Sanderson. To their great credit, the Nittany Lions won this year’s NCAA wrestling team title with 172.5 points, which was a record-setting 100 points margin of victory ahead of second-place Cornell. All totaled individually, Penn State left the national tournament, held this past March at the Kansas City T-Mobile Center, with eight All-Americans, and four NCAA Champions, including crowning the university’s first-ever, four-time NCAA “wrestling kings,” Carter Starocci and Aaron Brooks. This is the 11th national title successfully brought home to Happy Valley since Coach Sanderson’s arrival in 2009. Under his expert guidance, Penn State’s Big 10 wrestling team is 56-8 in the national semifinals (since 2011), with an incredible .875 winning percentage. We are always Penn State proud! Welcome to Your State Capitol
In addition, to the 2024 National Champion Penn State Nittany Lion Wrestling Team, there was no shortage of honored guests (pictured above) that I had the opportunity to welcome this week. Tuesday, June 4 was National Guard Day at the state Capitol. Our Pennsylvania National Guard has selflessly served the commonwealth for more than 275 years, answering the call in the most devastating circumstances both at home and abroad. As a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, it is always an honor to personally thank so many men and women of the Guard for their dedicated service and the outstanding performance of their duties. Next in photographic order (third from my left), is 100-year-old World War II veteran Benjamin Berry. U.S. Army Corporal Berry fought the Nazis at the Battle of the Bulge and on the beaches of Normandy, France at just 18 years old. He credits God for his longevity and the power of prayer with bringing him home safely from World War II. Finally, I was grateful for the chance to meet with Taiwan Ambassador James K.J. Lee. Since 2005, Pennsylvania has had a trade and investment office in Taiwan resulting in the exportation of hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Pennsylvania products including chemicals, electronics, and machinery—making them one of the largest foreign markets for our state. Our shared commitment to human rights, the rule of law and a free-market economy have served as the cornerstone for U.S.-Taiwan relations. Respecting Taxpayers Remains a Top Priority in State Budget Negotiations
In Pennsylvania, the state budget is to be completed by June 30 of each year. As we work to reach consensus, Senate Republicans are continuing to fight for a budget that respects taxpayers and makes the best use of the state’s resources. In February, Gov. Josh Shapiro proposed a massive $3.2 billion increase in state spending. Last month, Senate Republicans unveiled an alternative approach that would reduce taxes by approximately $3 billion annually. Instead of growing government bureaucracy and picking winners and losers, our plan would allow Pennsylvanians to decide how their money should be spent. These historic tax cuts would provide relief to every Pennsylvanian who earns a paycheck by reducing the personal income tax rate from 3.07% to 2.8%, and every person paying an electric bill by eliminating the Gross Receipts Tax on energy. Learn more about the process of enacting the 2024-25 state budget and watch the Senate in session here. Senate Approves Bills to Reverse Nursing Home Worker Shortage
With the number of older Pennsylvanians rising and nursing homes struggling to find qualified workers, the Senate passed two bills this week to reverse the worker shortage. Both bills now head to the House of Representatives for consideration. Senate Bill 1102 would increase the number of nursing home workers by streamlining the training and certification process and removing barriers that prevent people from entering the health care workforce in Pennsylvania. Senate Bill 1104 would further increase the nursing home workforce by enabling high school juniors and seniors to earn up to two elective credits for working or volunteering at a nursing home, personal care home or assisted living facility. Schools would establish program guidelines and procedures to allow students to earn one elective credit for each 250 hours of paid or volunteer work at a qualifying facility. Legislation Giving Disabled Veterans Financial Relief Receives Senate Support
To provide financial relief to more disabled veterans, the Senate passed Senate Bill 194 to exclude U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Attendance benefits as income when calculating eligibility for Pennsylvania’s 100% Disabled Veterans’ Property Tax Exemption. Federal Aid and Attendance benefits provide monthly payments to disabled veterans who are housebound or need help with daily activities. Without the exclusion of this federal benefit, some disabled veterans are prevented from qualifying for property tax reductions. The bill now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration. Senate Acts to Modernize Rules for Electronic Commerce
The Senate passed legislation to modernize the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), updating rules that govern digital asset transactions to ensure security, consistency and confidence. It now advances to the House of Representatives for consideration. The UCC has provided consistency for commercial law and interstate commerce since 1954, when Pennsylvania led the initiative to adopt it. Since then, it has been adopted by all states and gives Americans legal confidence when transacting business across state lines. The last major revisions to the UCC took effect in 2001. In the two decades since, electronic property, or digital assets, have become much more prevalent in commercial transactions. Senate Bill 1084 would bring the law into the 21st century by establishing guidelines to cover digital asset transactions involving virtual currencies, non-fungible tokens, electronic accounts and other forms of electronic commerce. It would also make other needed technical updates to the UCC. Celebrating the Contributions of PA Dairy Farmers
Agriculture is Pennsylvania’s top industry, and dairy products play a significant role by generating $11.8 billion in economic revenue and supporting 47,000 jobs statewide. Of the nearly 5,000 dairy farms in the state, 99% are family-owned with many being handed down generation after generation. Our dairy farmers work tirelessly each day to provide families everywhere with nutrient-rich foods. Dairy products contain nine essential nutrients that help to manage weight and reduce the risk of high blood pressure, osteoporosis and certain cancers. The nutrient powerhouse also helps build and repair muscle tissue and maintain healthy skin. Celebrate National Dairy Month by raising a glass of milk or enjoying some delicious ice cream. Pennsylvania has an Ice Cream Trail that boasts great creameries all across the state.
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