Protect Yourself Against Lyme Disease

Jun. 07, 2017 /

Pennsylvania has the dubious distinction of being the state with the highest number of Lyme disease cases in the country. In 2016, Pennsylvania reported 12,200 cases of Lyme disease, which is a significant increase from the prior year at 10,817 cases.

Get Ready for Our Annual ‘Salute to Veterans’ Event

May. 01, 2017 /

In conjunction with the Lancaster Barnstormers, veterans groups and local sponsors, I am inviting residents to begin registering for the 2017 “Salute to Veterans.” This year’s event will be held on Friday, May 19, at 5:15 p.m. at Clipper Magazine Stadium, located at 650 N. Prince St. Gates open at 4 p.m.

Caution Urged in Wake of Tennessee Avian Flu Case

Mar. 28, 2017 /

The United States Department of Agriculture last week confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic H7 avian influenza (HPAI) of North American wild bird lineage in a commercial chicken breeder flock in Tennessee. This is the first confirmed case of HPAI in commercial poultry in the United States this year.

What Does a Preliminary Reassessment Notice Mean?

Mar. 15, 2017 /

By now, everyone has received their assessment statement from the county. Don’t panic, this does not necessarily mean your taxes are going up. In fact, they could stay the same or even go down.

Circumvent UC Service Centers’ Long Waits with These Tips

Mar. 08, 2017 /

Due to the closure of three Unemployment Compensation (UC) service centers – here in Lancaster, Allentown and Altoona – there is now a shortage of staff to answer statewide calls and to help residents with their claims. These closings have caused extremely long wait times for countless Commonwealth residents calling for assistance.

Summer Turnpike Job Opportunities for College Students

Feb. 28, 2017 /

Applications for the 2017 Summer Turnpike Program for toll, maintenance, clerical and engineering positions are now being accepted. As has been the case in the past, the number of positions available is limited.

Property Tax Reform Update

Feb. 27, 2017 /

Recently I have heard from numerous constituents about the status of reforming or eliminating school property taxes.

Free Tax Preparation Assistance Available

Feb. 13, 2017 /

Tax season is upon us. For many people, this means having to choose between paying high fees to have their taxes prepared by a third party and attempting the filing process on their own.

Cold Weather is Upon Us

Feb. 10, 2017 /

While it has been a rather mild winter so far, the snow, wind and diving temperatures of the past seven days serves notice that your home could become dangerously cold in a snap. That means it’s time to start thinking about ways to conserve heat and energy in your home. It also means folks on fixed incomes will face higher heating bills.

“Prevailing Wage” Increases Roadwork Costs

Jan. 30, 2017 /

Last week, I wrote about how prevailing wage drives up school construction and repair costs far beyond normal market prices. But prevailing wage also negatively impacts many other areas where taxpayer money is used, such as transportation.

Pension Reform

Jan. 23, 2017 /

Since I first took office, I have been pushing to reform the state employee’s pension system. I thought it would be interesting to readers if I provide a brief history. During my first term, I co-sponsored and was an advocate for House Bill 922 which was a companion bill to Sen. Brubaker's Senate Bill. This would have simple done what the overwhelming majority of businesses had done to reform their pension over the past several decades. We would honor all public service employees benefits accumulated to a date certain. At that point all employees would be placed in a 401k style pension. It was extremely disappointing to me that this reform could not gather the necessary support in the House.

Reducing the Size of the State House

Jan. 03, 2017 /

Last session, both houses of the Legislature approved legislation calling for a state constitutional amendment that would reduce the size of the House from 203 to 151 seats. If both houses approve it again during the 2017-18 session, voters will get to decide the matter in a statewide referendum.