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The Weekly Roundup
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The latest news from the State Capitol
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The Poor State of Route 248
Like most of you, I travel Route 248 on a regular basis and am equally disappointed by the state of this major thoroughfare and the neglect from PennDOT to fix it. Earlier this month, I sent to the Wolf Administration and PennDOT Sec. Leslie Richards a letter asking for repairs to be completed on Route 428.
As you may know, a Novachip product was applied to the highway that is now deteriorating and has far exceeded its 10-year lifespan. Additionally, the concrete base, which is original to when the highway was constructed in 1962, is also failing, causing potholes and dangerous travel conditions.
In the letter, I strongly encouraged that immediate action be taken to find a short-term solution to this problem, with an eye on the long-term viability of the highway. Pennsylvania should be focused on finding solutions to problems that will last longer than a quick fix.
To read the letter in full, click here.
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Honoring Our Heroes
What an honor it was to take part in the Memorial Day service at Franklin Elementary School. Each year, students read a list of names from a memorial of members of the armed forces from Franklin Township killed in defense of our great nation. This is not only a grand gesture to honor our war dead, but it also teaches our youth about the sacrifices want by others.
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Protecting Children from Horrors of Abuse
In response to a ruling by the state Supreme Court that overturned Megan’s Law that allowed thousands of dangerous sex offenders on the streets with no regard for public safety, the House passed legislation to ensure that certain sexual predators continue to be required to register their whereabouts.
House Bill 1952, which I voted for, seeks to expand upon Act 10 of 2018, which re-implemented the Adam Walsh Act, commonly known as Megan’s Law. Both House Bill 1952 and Act 10 were needed to close any loopholes that may have allowed sexual offenders who were convicted before 2012 to skip the registration process.
Specifically, the legislation conforms the Adam Walsh Act (Megan’s Law) to a decision by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and requires those sex offenders who have not yet finished their period of registration to continue to register with the Pennsylvania State Police.
The overall legislation seeks to put back in place the important safety net to protect Pennsylvania’s children from dangerous sex offenders.
More information about Megan’s Law is available here.
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Better Informing Parents of Child Care Quality
To better educate parents about the choices and quality of child care options, the House Children and Youth Committee last week advanced bipartisan legislation to publicly post information about a child care center’s quality.
House Bill 1742, which now goes to the full House for consideration, would require all state-licensed child care centers to post their Keystone STARS rating in a prominent location, on their websites, and in informational enrollment and application materials given to parents.
The Keystone STARS program, operated by the state Office of Child Development and Early Learning within the Department of Human Services, sets quality requirements for early childhood educators based on a four-star rating system. All licensed child care centers that meet the state’s health and safety requirements are required to be part of the Keystone STARS system.
The Keystone STARS performance standards are grouped into four levels. The standards address staff qualifications and professional development, early learning programs, partnerships with family and the community, and leadership and management.
The overall intent is to encourage low-rated child care centers to improve their programs.
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Honoring Those Who Help Our Veterans
House Resolution 780, which recognizes the Vet 22 campaign and its presence in the Commonwealth, recently passed the House unanimously. Vet 22 uses a symbolic bright neon yellow color to raise awareness about veteran suicide. It derives its name from the startling statistic that an average of 22 United States veterans take their own lives each day.
Pictured with me are Rep. Maureen Madden, Rep. Rosemary Brown, Rep. Zach Mako, Michael Wargo, Sally Wargo, Mark Baylis and Rep. Jack Rader. The Wargo’s son, Michael, died by suicide. Baylis is the founder of VALOR Clinic Foundation.
To learn more about the VALOR Clinic Foundation, click here.
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Celebrating State Park System’s 125th Anniversary
In keeping with Pennsylvania’s long history of conservation, House Resolution 901, which I cosponsored, was unanimously adopted by the state House last week to recognize the 125th anniversary of the state park system, which is operated by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
The first State Forest Reserve was established with the purchase by the Commonwealth of 7,000 acres in Clinton County at the end of the 19th century. Today, 2.2 million acres of forestland, in 49 of our 67 counties, are sustainably managed by DCNR. The parks offer a variety of activities, including hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, boating and picnicking.
Also in 1893, the Commonwealth set aside the hallowed land of Valley Forge, the site of the third winter encampment of Gen. George Washington’s Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, thereby creating the first state park in Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth presented that park to the federal government as a gift for the nation’s bicentennial in 1976, but 121 other state parks have been created on nearly 300,000 acres of land in the intervening 125 years since its creation.
The resolution also commemorated the internationally recognized conservation efforts initiated in the Commonwealth by the General Assembly and Gov. Robert Pattison in 1893, and the contributions of Gifford Pinchot, Rachel Carson and many other individuals to promote and preserve the Commonwealth’s resources in the 125 years since.
More information about the state parks is available here.
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| Office Locations |
| 110 North Third Street, 2nd Floor, Lehighton, PA 18235 | (610) 377-6363 |
| 2681 State Route 903, Unit 3, Albrightsville, PA 18210 | (570) 722-8700 |
| Room 403 Irvis Office Building, PO Box 202122, Harrisburg, PA 17120-2122 | (717) 260-6139 |
| Email: dheffley@pahousegop.com |
| TTY: 855-282-0614 |
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