(File Photo of the Seal of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) Republican Floor Leader Jesse Topper commented about new rules for the Pennsylvania House on Wednesday. According to Topper, committee splits of 14-12 on all standing committees with 13 votes needed to report a bill out of committee. Topper also wants to stop grouping all amendments for legislation and make the process of discharge for bottled-up legislation from a committee fair. Topper also emphasized reducing the cutoff of debates for House matters. Topper was part of a controversial tie for election of the speaker of the House on Tuesday and then bowed out, giving the position to Democrat Joanna McClinton. 

(File Photo of Senator John Fetterman)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Washington, D.C.) Senator John Fetterman announced on Tuesday that he will be participating in some new assignments in the Senate. Fetterman is a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and is working to give farmers more support and cease insecurity on food. As a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Fetterman will make payments needed for the heritage of the industrial field. Fetterman is also on the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, to guide both the Department of Homeland Security and security around the country.

(Photo Courtesy of the City of Aliquippa Police Department Facebook Page)

Beaver County Radio News

(Aliquippa, PA) The City of Aliquippa Police Department put out an arrest warrant for  thirty-nine-year-old Brett Ours of Aliquippa who assaulted a man at the VFW at 211 Penn Avenue at around 11:30 a.m. Beaver County District Attorney Nate Bible spoke to Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordano and confirmed that Preston Coleman was the victim of an unprovoked attack by Ours. Due to the seriousness of the attack, Coleman was transported by life flight to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital. Footage on video shows Ours strangling and assaulting Coleman for about a half an hour as well as hitting him with a bar stool. Ours faces multiple charges, which includes two assault charges and attempted homicide. Do not approach Ours because he is considered dangerous and call 724-775-0880 if you find him. 

(File Photo of Police Lights)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Rado News

(Hopewell Township, PA) Pennsylvania State Police in Beaver report that a two-vehicle crash occurred on I-376 West in Hopewell Township when one of the vehicles hit another while one tried to pass a grain trailer semi-truck. At 5:26 p.m. on November 26^th, 2024, an unidentified driver merged his vehicle into the lane of the grain trailer after the Aliquippa exit. That driver hit into a 2021 Jeep Wrangler driven by twenty-eight-year-old Kristopher Morrell of Beaver Falls, who was trying to pass the semi-truck. Morrell was then between a cement barrier and the grain trailer. The driver that caused the accident continued driving on I-376 West after one vehicle pulled to the side of the road. The driver was not charged by police after “driving on roadways that were laned for traffic.”

(File Photo of the PA Department of Agriculture Logo)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) The administration of Governor Josh Shapiro announced on Monday in Harrisburg that grants totaling $501,123 will help youth find success in the field of agriculture in Pennsylvania. PA Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding was thrilled to announce what the future held for his field. According to Redding, three million grants have been given to three-hundred and fifteen receipients since 2019 across the state of Pennsylvania.

(File photo of Senator Elder Vogel, Jr.)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) According to a release from Senator Elder Vogel Jr.’s office, Vogel was sworn in for his fifth term on Tuesday. As he continues his role in the State Senate of Pennsylvania, Vogel focused on three priorities. Vogel wanted to make sure Pennsylvania’s Over Order Premium is more efficient to make progress in the field of agriculture. Vogel also identified that he will help find more jobs that sustain families in Pennsylvania. Vogel also helped provide tax exemptions for those who were given payments from either state or federal government or Norfolk Southern after the East Palestine train derailment. Therefore, using taxpayer dollars from policies was another important concern of Vogel as he goes into his fifth State Senate term.

 

Rep. Roman Kozak (R-Beaver) poses with his family after taking the oath of office to begin his first term representing the people of the 14th District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. (Photo provided with release)

HARRISBURG – State Rep. Roman Kozak (R-Beaver) was officially sworn in at the state Capitol to begin serving the 14th Legislative District as state representative.

“I’m ready to get to work fighting for those things we’ve been talking about at our kitchen tables,” Kozak said. “Things like strengthening our economy, ensuring we have safe communities and making sure our education system is working for our students.”

Prior to his election to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Kozak worked in the transportation and trucking industry, handling logistics for steel, concrete, brick and dairy manufacturing clients. He then served as a legislative aide to former PA State Rep. Jim Christiana, before becoming a world history teacher at the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School. He and his wife also own a small business.

Kozak is also very active in the community. He served as a member of the Beaver Falls Planning Commission, chairman of the Republican Committee of Beaver County and a founding board member of the Beaver Falls Community Development Corporation. Kozak has also coached youth baseball, basketball and soccer in the county.

The 14th District consists of the city of Beaver Falls; the townships of Chippewa, Darlington, Daugherty, Franklin, Marion, New Sewickley, North Sewickley, Patterson, Pulaski and White; and the boroughs of Big Beaver, Bridgewater, Darlington, Eastvale, Economy, Ellwood City (Beaver County Portion), Fallston, Homewood, Koppel, New Brighton, New Galilee, Patterson Heights and West Mayfield.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pennsylvania state Rep. Joanna McClinton, D-Philadelphia, smiles after the chamber’s members elected her as House speaker for the new two-year legislative session, Jan. 7, 2025, in Harrisburg, Pa. (AP Photo/Marc Levy)

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania lawmakers on Tuesday returned Democratic Speaker Joanna McClinton to lead the chamber for the new session after the Republican floor leader bowed out to resolve a deadlock.

Democrats won 102 seats in November, a single-vote majority, but one of their members was absent from swearing-in day after suffering a health crisis.

“My question to each of you distinguished colleagues is, what will you be remembered for?” McClinton said after taking the oath of office.

In the initial vote for speaker, Republican Leader Jesse Topper and McClinton each garnered 101 votes. Topper removed himself from consideration and McClinton, of Philadelphia, prevailed on the second ballot on a voice vote.

Rep. Matthew Gergely had a “medical emergency over the holidays requiring hospitalization,” according to Beth Rementer, the House Democratic caucus spokesperson. She said he is not expected to return “for some time.”

Gergely’s absence, the close House margin and Republican control of the Senate could complicate first-term Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s hopes of getting things done this year. Democrats had the same 102-101 majority in the last session, and other than the two annual budgets, little substantial legislation was enacted.

Democrats won chamber control two years ago and successfully defended it while several vacancies arose and were filled by special elections. In November, not one of the 203 House seats changed parties, meaning Democrats retained majority control by the slimmest of margins.

House Democratic Leader Matt Bradford of Montgomery County thanked Topper, who drew a standing ovation, as Bradford acknowledged the close margin, telling colleagues “we need to be humble and we need to be wise.”

In floor remarks, Topper wished Gergely a full and speedy recovery.

“There are very few days in this job that are not difficult,” Topper said, urging members to feel gratitude for the opportunity to serve and to avoid becoming frustrated or cynical. “We see many of those who we represent not on their best day, but on their worst.”

House Republicans changed leadership since November, turning to Topper of Bedford County to be their floor leader. A former ranking member on the Education Committee, Topper succeeded Rep. Bryan Cutler, a former House speaker and caucus leader who remains in the House after being reelected in a Lancaster County district.

Topper told reporters after the session that he negotiated several changes to House rules, putting more minority party members on committees, requiring an additional “yes” vote for bills to get out of committee and parliamentary changes.

House Democrats meanwhile have five new members after Reps. Mike Sturla of Lancaster County and former House Speaker Mark Rozzi of Berks County retired; Reps. Patti Kim of Dauphin County and Nick Pisciottano of Allegheny County relinquished their seats to make successful runs for state Senate; and Rep. Kevin Boyle of Philadelphia lost in the spring primary.

House Republicans saw Rep. Dawn Keefer win a state Senate seat in York County and Rep. Ryan Mackenzie unseat Democratic U.S. Rep. Susan Wild.

In other GOP caucus changes, Rep. Rob Mercuri didn’t seek reelection while running unsuccessfully for Congress in Allegheny County. Reps. Jim Gregory of Blair County and Mike Cabell of Luzerne County lost in the spring primary and six others didn’t run again: Donna Oberlander of Clarion County, Jim Marshall of Beaver County, Aaron Kaufer of Luzerne County, George Dunbar of Westmoreland County, Paul Schemel of Franklin County and Barry Jozwiak of Berks County.

In the state Senate, Republican Joe Picozzi unseated freshman Democratic Sen. Jimmy Dillon in a Philadelphia district. Because Kim flipped a redistricted Harrisburg area seat, Republicans still control the chamber by the same margin, 28-22. But there is currently one Senate vacancy: Sen. Ryan Aument, a Lancaster Republican, resigned at the end of December to take a top staff job with incoming U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick.

On Tuesday, a special election to fill Aument’s seat was scheduled to be held on March 25.

(File Photo of Health Insurance paper)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) According to a release from the Pennsylvania Department of Aging, the annual period for Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment was announced for this year, which started on January 1^st and goes through March 31^st. Older Pennsylvanians can either switch to an original Medicare plan or find a different one between those three months. The release states that older adults can contact their local Area Agency on Aging to schedule a personalized counseling session. You can call the phone number of the PA MEDI Helpline that is toll-free at 1-800-783-7067 weekdays from 8 A.M. to 5 P.M. The link to the PA Department of Aging’s website for more information is below:

Click on these words to find the link for the Department of Aging’s website.