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News You Can Use
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| Fall in Love with PA’s Autumn Colors |
Fall leaves are just about to turn across several areas in Pennsylvania, helping to boost tourism activities in many regions. According to the Pennsylvania Tourism Office, Pennsylvania has a longer and more varied fall foliage season than any other state in the nation.
Both in-state and out-of-state visitors can find the best places to view fall foliage and track the locations of the peak colors throughout the state, beginning in late September. The weekly fall foliage report is available here.
Click here to read more about Pennsylvania’s fall tourism activities.
Additionally, October is also Canal Appreciation Month, which is a great time to explore the Lehigh Trail and the nearby D&L Trail. The National Canal Museum is also part of the D&L Trail. Boat rides on the canal are open seasonally and closed over the winter. More information is available here. |
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| PennDOT Closures for Columbus Day Weekend |
| All PennDOT driver license and photo centers, including its full-service center in Harrisburg, will be closed Saturday, Oct. 6, through Monday, Oct. 8, in observance of Columbus Day. Customers may still obtain a variety of driver and vehicle products and services, including all forms, publications and driver-training manuals, online through PennDOT’s Driver and Vehicle Services website, www.dmv.pa.gov. |
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| Grants, Rebates for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations |
New grant and rebate programs are available for zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) charging and fueling stations to increase options for ZEV owners and encourage more people to consider these clean vehicles for their next car. The funding comes from Pennsylvania’s $118 million settlement with Volkswagen Group of America for cheating on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency emissions tests.
The grants and rebates are available through the state’s Driving PA Forward initiative. Up to $3 million in grants is available for acquisition, installation, operation and maintenance of ZEV fast-charging equipment and hydrogen fuel cell equipment through 2019. Grants are awarded as reimbursements after completed projects, with a maximum amount of $500,000. The amount awarded depends on the charging or fueling capacity of the proposed equipment.
I am pleased the state is investing in this rapidly growing industry, and it further illustrates the need for my House Bill 1446, which would create a framework for building electric vehicle infrastructure by combining the expertise of our transportation and public utility sectors. |
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Landmark Domestic Violence Prevention Bill Heads to Governor
Legislation that I have no doubt will better protect domestic violence victims will soon be on the governor’s desk after overwhelmingly passing the state Senate this week.
There is no better time to advance this legislation to the governor’s desk than during October’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month. During a press conference held by the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, I again stated that this legislation seeks a responsible but necessary balance in maintaining Second Amendment rights while ensuring that those who have demonstrated violence against their loved ones shouldn’t have them. Under current state law, abusers can hold onto their firearms longer and can have easy access to them.
Since this bill passed both the House and Senate in the past two weeks, I am grateful to everyone who recognized this legislation for simply being what it is – a responsible way for convicted and proven abusers to relinquish their firearms sooner and to a non-related third party so that more people don’t tragically die from senseless domestic violence.
To read more about the bill, click here.
Airgas to Create 30 New Bucks County Jobs
Earlier this week, we learned that Airgas USA, LLC (Airgas), a supplier of industrial, medical and specialty gases, welding equipment and supplies, and safety products, will expand its presence in Plumsteadville, creating 30 new Pennsylvania jobs.
Airgas requires additional space to grow and elected to expand its Plumsteadville location rather than selecting a location outside of the state. The company will construct a new specialty gases plant to produce custom blends and high-end pure gases on its existing property. Airgas has committed to investing more than $20 million in the project, which will create 30 new full-time Pennsylvania jobs in the next three years. Airgas will also retain an additional 690 jobs across the Commonwealth. Construction of the new plant is slated to begin in the fourth quarter of 2018.
Airgas received a funding proposal from the Department of Community and Economic Development for a $150,000 Pennsylvania First grant, $31,500 in WEDnetPA funding for worker training and $60,000 in job creation tax credits to be distributed upon creation of the new jobs.
Feds Extend REAL ID Grace Period
Pennsylvania has been granted an extended grace period to comply with REAL ID requirements set by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The grace period was set to expire Oct. 10, 2018, but has now been extended until Aug. 1, 2019. A final federal deadline for all states to comply is Oct. 1, 2020.
This grace period extension means that Pennsylvania residents will not face access issues when entering federal facilities or boarding commercial aircraft through at least Aug. 1, 2019.
REAL ID is voluntary for Pennsylvania residents, but encouraged for those who may need to access certain federal facilities, such as military bases, or fly commercial flights within the United States. Residents also have the option to use other, non-REAL ID forms of enhanced identification. Click here for that list.
Residents wishing to obtain REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses and photo ID cards can obtain them, beginning in March 2019. In the meantime, customers are encouraged to pre-verify for REAL ID by gathering the required documentation as soon as possible, giving them ample time to prepare.
One of the required documents is a certified copy of a birth certificate, which can take up to several months to process, depending on one’s circumstances. My office can help residents with birth certificate applications. Call or stop by for more information.
More information about REAL ID, including frequently asked questions, can be found at www.dmv.pa.gov.
Economic Report Shows Increase in Revenue Collections
Information from the House Appropriations Committee indicates that General Fund revenue collections for the month of September were $3.04 billion, which was $184 million more than the Department of Revenue’s official estimate.
Collections of $647 million for corporation taxes came in above the official revenue estimate projections by $135 million, while sales tax collections of $901 million were higher than expected, coming in $32 million above the official estimate. Personal Income Taxes collected were $1.18 billion, which was below estimate by $15 million.
To read the brief in its entirety, click here.
Helping Parents with Day Care Decisions
Bipartisan legislation designed to help parents with day care decisions was passed by the House this week and sent to the Senate. House Bill 1742 would require all state licensed child care centers to post their Keystone STARS rating in a prominent location and on their websites.
The Keystone STARS program, operated by the state Office of Child Development and Early Learning, 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 goal of the proposal is to help educate parents about day care choices and to encourage low-rated child care centers to improve their programs.
Thank You for Another Great Expo!
Last Friday, hundreds of local seniors turned out for our annual Senior Expo at the Central Bucks Senior Center. In addition to offering a legislative update on a number of important proposals making their way through the Pennsylvania General Assembly, I am hopeful that seniors were able to learn more about a vast array of programs and services available here in Bucks County and Pennsylvania.
Local Jobs Available
Bucks County CareerLink will host two upcoming events to help people who are looking for work. They include:
- ESS/Source4Teachers Hiring Event –Tuesday, Oct. 23, 1-3 p.m., Bucks County Community College, 1 Hillendale Road, Perkasie. Positions available are paraprofessional educator, substitute teachers, teachers assistant, school aide, all available in Bucks County. For more information, click here.
- Manufacturing Job Fair – Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2:15-4:15 p.m., Upper Bucks County Technical School, 3115 Ridge Road, Perkasie. For more information, click here.
Local Educator Receives Superstar Shoutout
Congratulations to Ann Kuntzmann (pictured with me above), a guidance counselor at Lenape Middle School, for her dedicated service over the years. Ann, who is embarking upon her retirement, recently received a shout-out from music superstar Pink, who thanked for her assistance when she was a student. Alecia Moore, as she is known, was one of the thousands of students Ann made a connection with. Our educators make such a positive difference in the lives of our students, so I was happy to personally thank Ann for all of her contributions over the years.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
To honor those who have fought breast cancer or are fighting it now, the fountain at the Pennsylvania State Capitol’s East Wing was dyed pink on Tuesday for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The pink fountain is also a reminder to all women of the importance of mammograms and early detection. This week, the House also passed House Resolution 1048 recognizing October 2018 as “National Breast Cancer Awareness Month” and Oct. 19, 2018, as “National Mammography Day” in Pennsylvania. The American Cancer Society estimates that 268,670 women and men in the United States will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer this year, and that’s why it is important to continue to educate the public about breast cancer and stress the importance of routine self-breast exams, regularly scheduled doctor visits and yearly mammograms as recommended
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| Office Locations |
| 1032 N. Easton Rd, Doylestown, PA 18902-1055 | Phone: (215) 489-2126 |
| 141 East Wing, PO Box 202143, Harrisburg PA 17120-2143 | Phone: (717) 772-1413 |
| Email: mquinn@pahousegop.com |
| TTY: 855-282-0614 |
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