Pennsylvania House Advances Bills to Provide for Economic Recovery, Protect Families, Reform Government

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania House of Representatives was in voting session from June 14-16, and the Republican Caucus continued advancing its priorities of providing for an economic recovery, protecting families and reforming government for the benefit of Pennsylvanians, House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin) said Wednesday.

Action on economic recovery:

• Passed House Bill 1006 to allow Pennsylvania farmers to defer income received from disaster-related crop insurance payments for one year, mirroring existing federal law.
• Passed House Bill 1182 to allow barber programs to offer up to 50% of the program through online or remote instruction.
• Passed House Bill 1183 to allow cosmetology programs to offer up to 50% of the program through online or remote instruction.
• Passed House Bill 1387 to require that a claimant receiving benefits from the Uninsured Employers’ Guaranty Fund (UEGF) demonstrate proof of wages in order to receive a wage loss benefit.
• Passed Senate Bill 434 to change the “sell by” date on milk to “best by.”

“This week the General Assembly continued to respond legislatively to a regulatory framework upended in response to COVID-19. We will continue the task of reviewing the nearly 500 regulatory and statutory waivers and suspensions from the last 16 months and provide a legislative solution that keeps government’s role constrained to allow small business job creators and Pennsylvania employers to do what is needed to grow and rebuild,” Benninghoff said.

Action on protecting families:

• Advanced House Bill 293 to allow U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved (FDA) anti-obesity drugs to be considered a compensable service under our state Medicaid Program.
• Passed House Bill 975 to extend the protections of the institutional sexual assault statute to cover elders and other care-dependent persons who are assaulted by those who have the responsibility of providing care.
• Passed House Bill 1082 to provide for an education program to assist in the early detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or a related disorder.
• Passed House Bill 1428 to provide protections against elder abuse.
• Passed House Bill 1429 to provide for greater protections against elder abuse.
• Advanced House Bill 1430 to provide for greater tools to combat elder exploitation.
• Passed House Bill 1431 to protect the privacy of care-dependent individuals.
• Advanced Senate Bill 156 to allow individuals with disabilities to increase earnings under a new category of MAWD, called Workers with Job Success (WJS).
• Passed Senate Bill 445 to give individuals renewing either their vehicle registration or driver’s license an option to donate to the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition.

“June is Elder Abuse Awareness Month and this week we prioritized the safety and well-being of elderly Pennsylvanians by making it more difficult to perpetrate the horrible crime of elder abuse and exploit vulnerable Pennsylvania seniors,” Benninghoff said. “We will continue protecting Pennsylvania families and Pennsylvanians at all stages of life.

Action on government reform:

• Advanced House Bill 1300 to protect voting rights through accessibility, modernization, and security.
• Passed House Bill 993 to provide a waiver of fees charged by the Department of Labor & Industry for school districts.
• Advanced Senate Bill 618 to disallow vaccine passports and clarify the powers of the secretary of Health under the Disease Control and Prevention Law.
• Advanced House Bill 822 to amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to allow for the recall of certain elected officials in the City and the County of the First Class.

“Making Pennsylvania’s election laws a national model that protect voting rights through accessibility, modernization, and security has been a monumental undertaking. This week, with the advancement of the Pennsylvania Voting Rights Protection Act, members started the process of responding to the needs of local elections officials and constituents from across Pennsylvania though a comprehensive reform bill that is an accurate reflection of the comprehensive election hearings held by the House State Government Committee over the first half of this year,” Benninghoff said.

“While the COVID-19 emergency disaster declaration has ended, it remains imperative we continue implementing the lessons learned and clarifying ambiguities in our law that can be taken advantage of to lessen the freedom of Pennsylvanians.”

Story and photos by Beaver County Radio Program/News Director Frank Sparks

(Vanport Twp., Pa.) Fire Crews were called to the scene of a structural fire in Vanport Twp. early this morning. Beaver County 911 is reporting that crews were called to the scene at 5:15 AM this morning. Beaver County Radio’s Frank Sparks was in the area and heard loud booming noises and when he went outside in Bridgewater he heard the fire whistles going off and saw the smoke pouring into the air in the area of the Beaver Cemetery. Sparks went to the area to investigate and found what a dispatcher explains as a plastic manufacturer right behind Beaver Tire fully engulfed in flames. The Fire is in between Georgetown Lane and Tuscarawas Road in Vanport Twp.. Crews were still on the scene as of 6:30 AM and are asking everyone to avoid the area if possible. A 911 dispatcher stated that she had to call a Center Police officer to the area of Texas Roadhouse because the smoke from the fire was so thick and black that someone called 911 thinking that a business in that area was on fire. Stay tuned to Beaver County Radio as this story continues to develop. You can see photos of the fire below taken by Beaver County radio’s Frank Sparks.

Update at 7:05 AM: The name of the business is Idlewood Industries according to an employee who commented on a video on our Facebook page.  Idlewood Industries, Inc was formed in 2009 and make products in the cast urethane industry.  The plant is located at 17 Georgetown Lane in Vanport Twp.

(Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Curtis Walsh)

(Chippewa Township, PA)  The Chippewa Township Board of Supervisors held their second meeting of June tonight.  The board approved the reappointment of Dan Olayer to the Property Maintenance Code Board of Appeals.  The Board went on to make an amendment to Resolution 2021-5, which will raise the fee for door to door solicitors.  The fee was raised from $25.00 to $50.00 per day.  This amendment was followed by another, to the Chippewa Code of Ordinances Part 1 – 101.  The additional amendment will change language to the existing ordinance which has been in place since 1984, and will allow residents to deny solicitors by placing no soliciting signs on their property if they choose to do so.  The Police department reported 403 complaints handled and 199 calls received during May and the board approved their payment of bills at a total of $128,223.80.

Pennsylvania state police have reported that on June 8th, 2021, at 3:12 p.m. Butler county resident, 19 year old male, Dennis Goodwine, and his passenger who remains unidentified, were traveling east along Route 68 and failed to see traffic stopped ahead. Goodwine crashed his 2008 Chevy Malibu into 76 year old man, James Swift, who was driving his 2019 Mercedes GLC with his 72 year old wife Catherine Swift. When Goodwine rear ended Swift, The Mercedes rolled into another vehicle, which then left the scene before the authorities could arrive. Goodwine was charged with driving his vehicle at an unsafe speed.

Pennsylvania state police have reported that on June 11th, 2021, at 3:56 p.m. there was a two vehicle crash following a road rage incident on I-79 North. The operator of a 2007 Mercedes C280 stated that the operator of a 2011 Dodge Power Ram was following too closely and was not allowing him to pass over, neither operators were identified. The Operator of the Mercedes then decided to pass over, with the Ram still close behind, it eventually struck into the Mercedes. The driver of the Mercedes stated that the driver of the Ram was very aggressive before police arrived at the scene.

The operator of the Ram stated that the Mercedes driver was following too closely and made several lane changes to prevent them from proceeding through traffic; Stating that the Mercedes switched lanes without ample space, causing the Ram to crash into it. Both operators were charged with Careless driving

Story by Beaver County Radio Correspondent, Sandy Giordano.

(Center Township, PA) – Center Township Fire Department was called to the scene at 7:30 p.m. last night when power went out between I-376 and the Beaver Valley Mall due to a bad wire, according to Fire Chief Bill Brucker. He said the department was on scene until  10 p.m.

Pennsylvania State Police have reported via release that on June 4th, 2021, at 4:10 p.m., 29 year old, Mrs. Renfrew of Butler County, was contacted by an unknown actor and advised her that her social security number was compromised. The caller advised her to obtain gift cards and to relay the card numbers and access numbers from each card. In total, the victim was deprived $3000.00. Anyone with information in reference to this incident is asked to contact PSP-Butler at 724-284-8100.

(Butler, PA) – Pennsylvania State Police have reported via release that on April 28th, 2021 at approximately 11:29 a.m., Butler county resident, Brittany Wilcox, a 30 year old female, was exiting State Route 422 West when she failed to stop at the stop sign. The stop sign was at the intersection with Pleasant Valley Road, in Muddy Creek Township, Butler County, PA. Mrs. Wilcox proceeded through the intersection and crashed in to the guide rail on the Eastern edge of Pleasant Valley Road. Mrs. Wilcox sustained minor injuries and was transported to Butler Memorial Hospital by Portersville/Muddy Creek EMS. Mrs. Wilcox has been charged with a traffic violtion for failure to stop at a stop sign.

(Cranberry Twp., Pa.) Pa State Police in Gibsonia are reporting that they were dispatched to a one vehicle accident on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Cranberry Township on Monday June 14, 2021, at 1:45 AM.

Troopers report that upon arriving on the scene and investigating they were told that by a female driver, who was not identified, of a 2008 Ford Fusion that as she was traveling westbound on the turnpike at mile marker 27.1 at approximately 60 MPH a deer ran out in front of her car. She hit the deer with the front driver’s side of her vehicle. The driver stated there was nothing she could do to avoid the collision with the deer. The vehicle sustained a flat tire along with the front-end damage and had to be towed from the scene due to the vehicle not having a spare that was usable. The female driver was not injured, and no charges have been filed in the incident.