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In this Update:
Sleep Well PA, There Is No Climate Crisis
In the latest edition of the Mission Report Podcast, I sat down with Gregory Wrightstone, geologist, best-selling author and executive director of the CO2 Coalition for a candid and uncensored conversation on why there is no reason to fear so-called, man-made climate change. Contrary to media-fueled propaganda and alarmist paranoia, humanity, and especially PA agriculture, benefit from modest warming and more carbon dioxide. Despite efforts to silence him and the more than 170 scientists and researchers in his coalition, Gregory continues to spread the message: “Sleep Well…There Is No Climate Crisis…period.” $421 Billion Hanging on Climate Alarmist’s Hockey Stick In the preview clip above, Gregory delivers some “Inconvenient Facts” concerning University of Pennsylvania professor Michael Mann and his infamous “hockey-stick reconstruction” of extreme changes in the Earth’s temperature. Dating as far back as 1998, both Mann and his climate alarmist hockey-stick graph have been thoroughly debunked and discredited as an artifact of “poor data handling, obsolete data, and the incorrect calculation of principal components.” What’s not difficult to calculate is how much money Mann’s apocalyptic burning planet—penalty box predictions are still “high-sticking” “checking” and stealing away from taxpayers’ pockets. According to Robert Bryce’s recent Here’s The Real Hockey Stick editorial, “in the name of climate change…soaring federal handouts given to Big Wind and Big Solar will cost taxpayers $421 billion by 2034.” Additional thought-provoking, podcast discussion topics include:
Check out Gregory Wrightstone’s entire Mission Report Podcast interview on SenatorDush.com. You can also subscribe and watch on my YouTube channel or listen any time on Spotify. Massive SEPTA Bailout Demands Threaten State Budget Progress
Standing up for families and protecting taxpayers remains our focus as work on the 2025-26 budget continues in Harrisburg. Over the last two weeks, Senate Republicans have taken the lead by advancing several key components of the state budget to fund essential government functions until a full budget agreement is finalized. One of the major sticking points that has pushed us beyond the June 30th deadline is the insistence from Democrat lawmakers that state government again bail out the South East Pennsylvania Transit Authority (SEPTA) to the tune of about $350 Million. These unrelenting bailout demands are coming despite Gov. Shapiro’s already questionable “flexing” or handing SEPTA more than $150 million this year from federal funding specifically dedicated to Pennsylvania roads and bridges across the Commonwealth, not just the southeast. Mind you, the governor did this without sharing any of his executive branch money grab with other mass transit agencies that support over 80 percent of the Commonwealth, such as ATA and CATA in Senate District 25, that are also faced with cutting service routes and many other difficult operating decisions. After receiving about 3,500 click-bait emails from non-constituents—mostly from the Philadelphia area—questioning my position on funding mass transit throughout the Commonwealth, I drafted a letter responding to them all. My letter clearly outlines the entire debacle of what the governor and the now-former SEPTA Director (and Gov. Wolf’s prior state Transportation Secretary) have done that has chauffeured away revenue from the rest of Pennsylvania, while running SEPTA into the ground. As I once again explained in my recent interview with Deanna Durante, NBC 10 News, Philadelphia, we simply do not have enough income to cover even level funding for the entire state budget—let alone an unsustainable funding increase for mass transit or any other line item. This year’s budget must invest in our communities and core government functions that people across Pennsylvania rely on as part of their daily lives. However, we must also address the fact that Pennsylvania is presently faced with a $3 billion structural deficit that could grow to $6 billion if spending is left to grow unchecked. We also cannot rely on one-time use dollars from our state’s Rainy Day Fund to fill the gap, given this would trigger an unavoidable fiscal cliff and massive tax increases in the coming years. Unlike the federal government, the state cannot print money and we need to have some serious discussions to address how Pennsylvania’s entire government is going to be run moving forward. The Senate Republican Caucus is standing firm that we will not be raising taxes, nor will we be incurring more debt to be paid back by future generations. Better aligning revenues with expenditures remains our top priority. Please keep all of us who are working on these issues, Democrat and Republican, in your prayers. We need to get this right. Dush Amendment to Fix What’s Wrong with Sunday Hunting Voted Down
House Bill 1431, which would give the Pennsylvania Game Commission the authority to universally allow Sunday Hunting, was passed by the General Assembly and is currently awaiting the governor’s signature. Last week, before this controversial legislation was advanced by the Senate, I offered a commonsense amendment that would have provided those who enjoy the state parks and state forests the ability to enjoy them on at least one day per week, for 49 of the 52 weeks of the year. One of the reasons I’ve been given by those who oppose the full implementation of Sunday Hunting is that they feel like second class citizens when they are hiking and stumble on a hunter who stridently claims they scared off their game. Others just want one day/week they can freely enjoy the parks and forests they help pay for. Pennsylvania’s Game Commission possesses more land than comprises the entire state of Delaware. My amendment would have permitted hunting on those lands as well as lands where the hunter had secured permission to hunt that land prior to the Sunday he or she was planning to hunt. It would have rightfully prohibited solicitation of property owners on Sunday, another major complaint I’ve heard since the introduction of the three days of Sunday hunting that is presently permitted. I also empathize with what a number of hunters want, and what they are likely to get when House Bill 1431 is signed into law. As a member of the Senate Game and Fisheries Committee, I have yet to see any convincing proof that universally expanding Sunday hunting will somehow increase or maximize the Keystone State’s abundant balance of outdoor economic and recreational assets. However, if my amendment was adopted, I could have finally voted in favor of Sunday Hunting expansion. Again, the amendment specifically addresses the concerns that the majority of people (not just hunters and farmers) have personally expressed to me during many conversations over the years. Since my amendment to fix what’s wrong with Pennsylvania’s Sunday Hunting law was voted down, I had no choice but to vote against House Bill 1431. The primary reason driving this and all my previous votes against Sunday Hunting expansion is because allowing MORE Sunday Hunting will inevitably result in MORE posted land (permanently off-limits) to MORE Pennsylvania Hunters. Senate Acts to Prevent Student-Athlete Tragedies
To prevent student-athlete deaths from sudden cardiac arrest, the Senate passed legislation requiring schools to have automated external defibrillators (AEDs) present at sporting events. Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death for student-athletes nationally and can strike without warning, even in young people with no known heart conditions. Timely access to an AED can increase survival rates by up to 70%. In addition to ensuring an AED is present at all PIAA-sanctioned athletic events and practices, Senate Bill 375 would require schools to develop and rehearse emergency plans for cardiac incidents. The bill was sent to the House of Representatives for consideration. New Law Targeting Organized Retail Theft Results in Arrests
Senate Republicans led the way on cracking down against organized retail theft, and the law we pushed for is resulting in arrests, prosecutions and recoveries of stolen goods across the commonwealth, according to Attorney General Dave Sunday. The office’s Organized Retail Crime Unit launched in July 2024 following enactment of Act 42 of 2023 and a new criminal statute that made retail theft of goods over $50,000 a first-degree felony. In its first year, the unit opened more than 65 investigations, charged more than 40 alleged thieves and recovered nearly $2 million in stolen goods. The crimes feature multiple thieves who manipulate gift cards and store return policies or enter retail stores in packs and steal as many items as they can. It’s good to see this legislation is working. Fireworks Safety Tips
Fireworks started 31,302 fires in 2022 and were involved in 9,700 emergency room injuries nationwide in 2023, with children younger than 15 accounting for nearly one third of fireworks injuries. Here are some safety tips from the Office of the State Fire Commissioner:
Find more fireworks safety tips here to avoid being a statistic. Happy Independence Day
I hope you have a wonderful Fourth of July weekend with friends and family celebrating the birth of this great nation. America is one year away from its 250th birthday. I hope the next year sees us come together as citizens to appreciate the great blessings of our nation.
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