HARRISBURG, Jan. 2, 2014 – State Sen. Judy Schwank today said she was glad to hear the commonwealth has decided to again delay implementation of new reporting requirements for organizations that operate small games of chance in Berks County and throughout Pennsylvania.
The old law required eligible organizations and clubs to file a report by Feb. 1. The delay moves the first reporting deadline to 2015.
“This is good news for the volunteer organizations, volunteer fire departments and clubs in Berks County that use small games of chance to raise much-needed revenue to operate and safeguard our neighborhoods,” Schwank said. “There now will be ample time for everyone to get up to speed with the new requirements.”
Club licensees and eligible organizations with proceeds of $20,000 or more will be required to submit electronic annual reports to the Department of Revenue for 2014 by Feb. 1, 2015. Access to the online reporting system will be available from Revenue’s website later in 2014.
Revenue, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, Gaming Control Board, and State Police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement will begin holding seminars this month to help retail liquor licensees better understand tavern gaming and their requirements. Click here for that schedule.
HARRISBURG, Dec. 12, 2013 – Pennsylvania’s 25-year-old agricultural land preservation movement acted today to protect another 878 acres of Berks County farmland, Sen. Judy Schwank said.
“Nine more tracts of prime Berks County farmland are now protected from development,” Schwank said. “This means, once again, that agriculture will continue on as one of this region’s biggest economic engines producing the tastiest produce, meat and dairy not only for Pennsylvanians but people throughout the world.”
The Pennsylvania Agricultural Land Preservation Board, of which Schwank is a member, approved the preservation of the following farms:
Ronald Bordner Perry Township 26.4 acres
Robert & Dianne Ketterer Albany Township 117.1 acres
Ronnie & Lynn Folk Upper Bern Township 137.6 acres
Richard Greib Upper Bern Township 51.6 acres
Ernest E. Heckman Windsor Township 189 acres
Charles & Christi Loverich Upper Tulpehocken Township 75 acres
Phares & Ellen Newswanger#1 Maxatawny Township 125.4 acres
Phares & Ellen Newswanger#2 Maxatawny Township 50 acres
The farms are being preserved through the purchase of $1.8 million worth of conservation easements.
Since its inception in 1988, the commonwealth has protected 4,532 farms totaling 484,270 acres. Berks County counts 668 farms in the statewide total and 66,994 acres. And, it remains the leading county in the number of acres of farmland that have been preserved.
The long-term goal of the state’s program is to permanently preserve farmland. The holders of the easements have the right to prevent development or improvements of the land for purposes other than agricultural production.
Local, county or state government – or any combination of the three – may buy easements.
Counties that decide to have an easement purchase program must create an agricultural land preservation board.
HARRISBURG, Dec. 12, 2013 – State Sen. Judy Schwank said today she is pleased with a special commission’s recommendation to change Pennsylvania’s formula for financing special education.
The Special Education Funding Reform Commission released a long-awaited report Wednesday saying if Pennsylvania changes the way it calculates its special education payments, it will make the system more accurate, easier to use, and better distribute limited public dollars to students who need it most.
“We began our work in June to find a better formula, and we have found one that pays better attention to the needs of our special students in Berks County and beyond,” said Schwank, a member of the commission.
“Unlike a class of 5th graders or sophomores or 1st graders, special education students can have very varied needs and learning abilities and the commonwealth’s outdated funding formula has failed to understand this, leaving some schools without the resources they need to be effective,” she said.
Some 270,000 children with disabilities are educated in Pennsylvania’s special education system. That’s one of every 6.5 students.
Pennsylvania provides about $1 billion annually to districts for special education services. Most of the special education budget, however, is derived from property taxes and other local sources.
The new formula recommended by the commission factors the low, moderate, or high needs of students who will receive state investments. It also considers community differences: poverty, property tax levels, and rural and small district conditions.
Since 1991, the commonwealth has distributed its special education line item amongst districts based on a census formula. This means money is going to schools based on a formula that includes population calculations and the assumption that 15 percent of all students have mild disabilities and 1 percent of them are severely disabled.
“I learned a long time ago that it is never good to assume, so the time is now for us to replace the census formula with our new recommendation for funding special education in Pennsylvania. This is the right thing to do for taxpayers. More importantly, it’s the right thing to do for our very special special education students,” Schwank said.
Children who are considered for special education services live with impairments like hearing or vision loss, traumatic brain injuries, learning disabilities, autism, or emotional disturbance.
“History has proven that our special education children who learn in schools with adequate resources enjoy academic achievement that at least mirrors the average academic achievement for all students,” the senator said.
HARRISBURG, Dec. 11, 2013 – Legislation introduced today by state Sen. Judy Schwank would make online posting of naked or sexually explicit images of former intimate partners a crime in Pennsylvania.
The bill would make the offense a third-degree felony if the victim is a minor, carrying a penalty of up to seven years in prison. Otherwise, the crime would be a second-degree misdemeanor and carry a penalty of up to two years in prison. Fines could also be imposed.
“This is a growing problem around the country that has caused serious problems for its victims, ” Schwank said. “We need to stop it, and to do that, we need to make sure Pennsylvania officials have the tools to prosecute it.”
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So far, California and New Jersey are the only other states to have adopted laws making it a crime, although they take significantly different approaches. A number of other states, including New York and Delaware, also are in the process of considering laws.
With Schwank’s proposal, a person commits the crime of intimate partner harassment by exposing a photograph, film, videotape or similar recording of an intimate partner to a third party for no legitimate purpose and with the intent to harass, annoy or alarm the person depicted. The picture or video must be of a person who is nude or explicitly engaged in a sexual act.
It would not be a criminal offense if the person depicted in a photo or video consents to the release of the material.
“This is a new form of abuse,” Schwank said. “It can hurt the victims and their families, and it can even affect their employers.”
Schwank’s proposal has the support of the Pennsylvania District Attorney Association, the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, which participated in its development. The Pennsylvania chapter of the ACLU also worked with Schwank and is neutral on the bill, agreeing that it does not present First Amendment issues that have troubled other states’ proposals.
HARRISBURG, Dec. 10, 2013 – The Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association today bestowed its prestigious “President’s Award” to state Sen. Judy Schwank.
PVMA said it picked the Berks County Democrat because of her “tireless work to raise awareness about agricultural and animal issues” in Pennsylvania.
“I have been a life-long advocate for farmers, agriculture professionals and animals because all of them – separately and together – impact our quality of life in Pennsylvania, the United States and throughout the world,” Schwank said. “Agriculture continues to be one of the commonwealth’s biggest economic generators and it would not survive without the help of dedicated veterinarians.
“I am extremely pleased and honored to receive the Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association’s President’s Award,” the senator said.
PVMA presented its 2012 President’s Award to the Pennsylvania State Animal Response Team for its work to safeguard animals through disaster preparedness and response, and to create public awareness throughout the commonwealth.
The response team, also known as PaSART, helps counties build local teams of volunteers who jump into action when needed.
Agriculture is the number one industry in Berks County, which is why Schwank has brought fellow senators to the region to better understand how local farming and food prices work together.
Sen. Schwank is the Democratic chair of the Senate Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee.
READING, Dec. 9, 2013 – Sen. Judy Schwank will hold her “Elected Municipal Officials’ Meeting” for new and current officials at 7:30 a.m., Thursday, Dec. 12, in Wyomissing.
This event will give officials the opportunity to obtain information about current legislation that impacts their municipality and to interact with state agency representatives. It also provides Sen. Schwank with the opportunity to hear local government leaders’ concerns and ideas.
Peter Zug, PA Department of Community and Economic Development; and Lorne Possinger, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, have been invited to attend and explain how their agencies’ available the resources and services might benefit their municipalities.
“This event gives our newly elected officials the opportunity to not only meet and network with other local officials but it gives us all the opportunity to coordinate our efforts to better serve our community,” Schwank said.
HARRISBURG, Dec. 9, 2013 – In memory of the soldiers who have died defending American freedom and in honor of Pennsylvania soldiers who will not be home during this holiday season, state Sen. Judy Schwank today laid a wreath at the Capitol as part of a “Wreaths Across America” event.
“National Wreaths Across America Day” is Dec. 14.
“Just a few days removed from ‘the day that will live in infamy’ and only a newspaper page turn from the seemingly daily reminder that some of our brothers, sisters, relatives and neighbors will never be coming home, the decision to lay a wreath in our solders’ honor was an easy one,” Schwank said.
“Our women and men in uniform have our trust and our prayers for a safe return home once their tours of duty are over. For those who have paid the ultimate price, laying a wreath is a solemn way to say we will never forget and will always be grateful,” she said.
Today’s “Wreaths Across America” event was sponsored by the Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association.
More than 3,800 Americans have died in action in Afghanistan, and more PA National Guard soldiers have been killed in action than National Guard soldiers from any other state since the “war on terror” started in 2004.
In October, Sen. Schwank won the unanimous approval from the Senate of her measure to rename Route 662 in Ruscombmanor Township, Berks County, as the “Chief Warrant Officer-2 Jarett M. Yoder Highway.”
Yoder, 26, died in April in Afghanistan when his Apache helicopter crashed in Nangarhar Province.
HARRISBURG, Dec. 3, 2013 – Pennsylvania’s extended deadline for people to apply for property tax/rent rebates is fast approaching, state Senator Judy Schwank (D-Berks) reminded residents today.
The deadline to submit free applications for the program – which is designed for eligible Pennsylvanians who are at least 65 years old, are widows and widowers who are at least 50 years old, and people with disabilities age 18 and older – is Dec. 31.
“The commonwealth gave participants and interested applicants another six months this summer to turn in their applications, but time is running out,” Schwank said. “Please don’t let the hustle and bustle of this month keep you from receiving rebates that could make a difference in each applicant’s life.”
In addition to the age requirements for participation, a homeowner or renter could receive a rebate if they became permanently disabled during the claim year, which would be 2012.
There are income guidelines, too, Schwank said.
Homeowners and renters who earn less than $8,000 a year are eligible to receive a rebate of up to the maximum $650. Homeowners who make between $18,001 and $35,000 can receive up to $250, while the minimum eligibility for renters is a $500 rebate for those making between $8,001 and $15,000. Proof of age and income are required.
“If applicants need assistance filling out the free form, we can help,” the senator said.
Call Schwank’s district office at 610-929-2151 to request an application or ask questions, or visit the Department of Revenue’s website, www.revenue.state.pa.us, to download an application. Requests for rebate applications by mail will be accepted until Dec. 20.
HARRISBURG, Nov. 19, 2013 – Sen. Judy Schwank and the Senate Democratic Caucus today unveiled a 21-bill package designed to help soldiers who return to civilian life in Pennsylvania.
Schwank is the prime sponsor of two of those proposals: Senate Bill 1143, which would give people the option of an income tax check-off to raise money to inform veterans about services for post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, military sexual trauma and/or traumatic brain injury awareness; and Senate Bill 1144, which would use the revenue raised under SB 1143 to produce public service announcements that would inform veterans afflicted with service-related illnesses of the services and benefits available to them.
“The circumstances and risks our soldiers, sailors, air force and marines face in the 21st Century are quite different from those of previous generations, but their dedication and their commitment is as great as it has been for 240 years since the first Minute Men turned out at Lexington and Concord,” Schwank said during a Capitol press conference.
“Our obligation to support and aid these men and women is the same as well, just as it was when President Lincoln called us, 150 years ago today, to our duty to honor and remember those who suffer on our behalf,” the senator said.
The money raised through Schwank’s income tax check-off would pay for radio and television public service announcements alerting veterans of the state and federal governments’ available benefits and services, including for PTSD, traumatic brain injury (TBI) and military sexual trauma.
“The more people that would step forward to help by checking off the box, the more we can reach out to make veterans know that help is available to them,” Schwank said. “Hopefully, we will pass this so we can meet our responsibilities with the same commitment our soldiers have shown on our behalf.”
The Pentagon reported this year there were 26,000 military sexual assaults in 2012, with more than half of the victims (14,000) being male.
READING, Nov. 1, 2013 — State Sen. Judy Schwank will hold a volunteer firefighter’s forum at 7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 7, in the Berks County Fire Training Center, for the county’s volunteer emergency responders.
“I am looking forward to meeting with Berks County’s volunteer firefighters to hear their thoughts and concerns,” said Sen. Schwank (D-Berks). “State Fire Commissioner Ed Mann and Christopher Kufro, PennDOT’s District 5 chief bridge engineer, will be on hand to discuss the important issues that affect the people who serve to protect and help us.”
For more information, call 610-929-2151.
Media coverage is welcomed.
WHAT: Sen. Judy Schwank’s volunteer firefighter’s forum
WHERE: Berks County Fire Training Center, 895 Morgantown Rd., Reading
HARRISBURG, Oct. 28, 2013 – In the wake of the one-year anniversary of the unforgettable and deadly shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, the Pennsylvania Department of Education is accepting applications for grants of up to $25,000 for schools in Berks County and throughout Pennsylvania to help make their classrooms and hallways safer, Sen. Judy Schwank said today.
“We live every day hoping nothing as tragic as Sandy Hook will ever be repeated,” said Sen. Schwank. “But the thing that’s better to do than just hope is to plan and take steps to prevent a nightmare from happening in our schools.
“I encourage schools in Berks County to strongly consider this opportunity and apply for a grant to better underscore the ‘safe’ in safe schools.”
The application deadline for the targeted grants is Dec. 6.
The Department of Education’s Office for Safe Schools says the money can be used for a variety of initiatives, including conflict resolution and dispute management; violence prevention curricula; classroom management; and the development of comprehensive, district-wide school safety and violence prevention plans.
Grants will be paid through the state’s E-grant system.
“An ounce of prevention, a moment of preparedness; we must move forward in our schools to be as sure as we can be that arrangements have been made to keep our kids safe,” Schwank said. “Hoping it doesn’t happen isn’t good enough.”
HARRISBURG, Oct. 23, 2013 – The high cost of heating a home can be problematic for low-income residents, but the commonwealth will again be available to help, Sen. Judy Schwank announced today, through its Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP.
Applications for the federally funded program will be accepted starting Monday, Nov. 4.
“LIHEAP can be the lifeline for people who are already financially stretched,” Schwank said. “I encourage everyone who has participated in the program in the past and people whose income has changed to apply on Nov. 4 to get the help they need.”
The income guidelines for LIHEAP are unchanged from last year: 150 percent of the federal poverty level.
For one person, the maximum income level to qualify for heating assistance is $17,235. For two people, $23,265; three people, $29,295; four people, $35,325; and five people, $41,355.
Schwank said people can submit their applications online at www.compass.state.pa.us, or pick up applications in her district office or the Berks County Assistance Office.
“My office is also ready and able to help people fill out the forms,” the senator said.
HARRISBURG, Oct. 22, 2013 – Sen. Judy Schwank’s proposal to name Route 662 in Ruscombmanor Township, Berks County, as the “Chief Warrant Officer-2 Jarett M. Yoder Highway” won the Senate’s unanimous approval today.
House Bill 925, because it was amended in the Senate, returns to the House for its consideration and expected approval.
“We moved one important step closer to naming this stretch of highway for a young but patriotic soldier who paid the ultimate sacrifice as a member of the 1-104th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard,” Schwank said following the Senate’s approval of the legislation.
Yoder, a 26-year-old graduate of Oley Valley High School, died this past April in Afghanistan when his Apache helicopter crashed in Nangarhar Province.
The stretch of Route 662 to be named the “Jarett M. Yoder Highway” is in Ruscombmanor Township, between Fleetwood Borough and Oley Township.
After he died, the 11th Senatorial District resident was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star, Air Medal, and NATO Medal for his service in Afghanistan. He also received the Combat Infantryman Badge, Combat Action Badge, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with one bronze star, and the Iraq Campaign Medal with one bronze star.
When Yoder died, he was serving his second deployment since enlisting in the National Guard in 2005, which is the year he graduated from high school.
The chief warrant officer was married to Heather Garay-Yoder and was the son of Diane and Gary Yoder.
READING, Oct. 22, 2013 — State Sen. Judy Schwank will hold a town hall meeting at 7 p.m., Oct. 24, in the Borough of Fleetwood for residents of the 11th Senate District.
“I am looking forward to meeting with the residents of the Borough of Fleetwood and the neighboring communities to hear their thoughts and concerns,” said Sen. Schwank (D-Berks). “I am also pleased that State Trooper Ethan Brownbeck; David Shallcross, community liaison for the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office; and Fleetwood Borough Police Chief Steven Stinsky will be joining us to discuss crime prevention.”
The meeting is part of an ongoing series of town halls the senator hosts in various communities throughout the 11th Senate District.
For more information, call 610-929-2151.
Media coverage is welcomed.
WHAT: Sen. Judy Schwank to hold Town Hall Meeting
WHEN: 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
WHERE: Fleetwood Area High School Cafeteria, 803 North Richmond St.
Harrisburg, Oct. 10, 2013 – Berks County added three farms and more than 170 acres today to the state’s 25-year-old farmland preservation program, Sen. Judy Schwank announced.
“In its silver anniversary, I’m pleased to announce today that an additional 173 acres of Berks County farmland has been added to Pennsylvania’s growing list of protected prime agricultural fields,” Schwank said.
The Pennsylvania Agricultural Land Preservation Board, of which Schwank is a member, approved the preservation of the 74.8-acre Leroy & Lisa Hoover farm in Marion Township, the 12.8-acre Mark & Maryann Martin farm in Maxatawny Township, and the 85.6-acre John & Alma Weaver farm in Richmond Township, Berks County.
The farms are being preserved through the purchase of $433,000 worth of conservation easements.
“Gov. Robert P. Casey had the vision to make sure our invaluable farmland is handed down from generation to generation,” Schwank said. “Twenty-five years later, I think he would be proud of the work Berks County’s farmers have completed to ensure that his – and their – agricultural heritage continue.”
Since its inception in 1988, the commonwealth has protected 4,491 farms totaling more than 480,089 acres. Berks County counts 655 farms in the statewide total and 65,809 acres, and it remains the leading county in the number of acres of farmland that have been preserved.
The long-term goal of the state’s program is to permanently preserve farmland. The holders of the easements have the right to prevent development or improvements of the land for purposes other than agricultural production.
Local, county or state government – or any combination of the three – may buy easements.
Counties that decide to have an easement purchase program must create an agricultural land preservation board.
HARRISBURG, Oct. 9, 2013 – Parents and students looking for answers and tips on paying for higher education will find the help they are seeking at 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 10, during Sen. Judy Schwank’s annual “College Financial Aid Awareness Night” in Reading.
“College Financial Aid Awareness Night” will teach attendees how to save, apply and pay for college.
“Higher education continues to be the key to opening doors to greater awareness, bigger paychecks, and developing a deeper commitment to community,” Schwank said. “There are many ways to unlock these doors, and we hope many people are able to participate in this special evening.”
Reading Area Community College Director of Financial Aid Benjamin Rosenberger, Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency’s Sonya Mann-McFarlane, and David Dominick of the Pennsylvania Treasury TAP 529 program will present information during the seminar, as will Sen. Schwank.
Media coverage is welcomed.
WHAT: Sen. Judy Schwank’s annual “College Financial Aid Awareness Night”
WHEN: 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 10
WHERE: Muhlenberg Senior High School, 400 Sharp Ave., Reading
HARRISBURG, Sept. 26, 2013 – Eighteen arts organizations in Berks County will share more than $140,000 in grants from the PA Council on the Arts, Sen. Judy Schwank announced today.
“Berks County is a great place for people with artistic talent; an eye for the beautiful, an ear for the magical, and a touch for the sensual,” Schwank said. “The state investments we make every year in the arts are a vital part of making sure Berks County and all of Pennsylvania enjoys a better quality of life.”
The 18 grant awards:
Arts and Activities Alliance: Studio B, Boyertown — $2,003
Berks Arts Council, Reading—$21,812
Berks Bards Inc., Reading — $748
Berks Community Television, Reading — $5,185
Berks Youth Chorus, Reading — $3,397
Clay on Main, Oley – $2,003
Community School of Music and the Arts Inc., Reading— $2,953
Foundation for the Reading Public Museum, Reading — $24,660
GoogleWorks Center for the Arts, Reading — $26,165
KU Presents!, Kutztown — $4,708
Mifflin Community Library, Shillington — $1,496
Miller Center for the Arts, Reading — $3,036
New Arts Program Inc., Kutztown— $2,003
Our Town Foundation, Hamburg — $2,003
Reading Choral Society, Reading — $2,003
Reading Musical Foundation, Reading — $9,144
Reading Symphony Orchestra, Reading — $18,544
Yocum Institute for Arts Education, Reading — $8,955
READING, Sept. 25, 2013 — State Sen. Judy Schwank will hold a town hall meeting at 7 p.m., Sept. 26, in Morgantown for new residents of the 11th Senate District.
“Legislative district boundaries changed for many state lawmakers following the 2010 Census, and I am looking forward to meeting with the residents of Caernarvon Township and neighboring communities in the southern end of my district,” Schwank (D-Berks) said.
The meeting is part of an ongoing series of town halls the senator hosts in various communities throughout the 11th Senate District.
For more information, call 610-929-2151.
WHAT: Sen. Judy Schwank to hold Town Hall Meeting
WHEN: 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
WHERE: Caernarvon Township Social Hall, 3307 Main St., Morgantown
HARRISBURG, Sept. 17, 2013 — Development Projects in the City of Reading will get a big boost with the approval today of more than $5 million in new investments for the Greater Berks Development Fund, and an additional $1 million for the Doubletree Hotel Project, Sen. Judy Schwank and Rep. Tom Caltagirone announced.
The investments, through the Commonwealth Financing Authority, are loans through the Building PA program.
“There are several exciting development projects, including the hotel project, moving forward in Downtown Reading,” said Schwank. “These important new investments will help keep the momentum going.”
“This investment of state funds is essential to our ongoing efforts to revitalize Reading,” said Caltagirone. “With the state’s support, we will be able to leverage additional private investment in our city.”
The Commonwealth Financing Authority had approved a $12 million loan to the Greater Berks Development Fund. Today’s approval by the authority increases that line to $17 million. The additional dollars will support development projects in Downtown Reading.
For the Doubletree Hotel project, the CFA’s approval similarly increases Building PA loan funds from $5 million to $6 million. The new support is from previously approved Building PA funds that were made available to Greater Berks for local development projects.
The Building PA Program provides capital to developers in small-to-mid-size communities for real estate assets. The funds can be used for industrial, commercial, and multi-use projects. The Greater Berks Development Fund is the Commonwealth-approved Building PA fund manager for Reading and Berks County.
READING, Sept. 13, 2013 – The emergency services organizations representing the men and women who answer the call to help Berks County residents in distress can now apply for state grants to pay for facilities, equipment and training.
Eligible fire departments, volunteer ambulance services and rescue squads can apply for the assistance online through the Office of State Fire Commissioner.
“Berks County’s fire fighters, paramedics and rescue personnel embody what it means to be ‘first responders’,” Schwank said. “I am hoping each organization takes the opportunity to apply for a grant so they continue their vital services every day.”
Grants can help to pay for the construction or renovation of a fire department or ambulance service facility, the purchase or repair of equipment, debt reduction and the training and certification of members.
Money from the 2013-14 Fire Company, Volunteer Ambulance Service Grant Program is open to career and volunteer fire departments.
Generally, grants will range from $2,500 to $15,000.
“Whether applying as one unit or as a regional or joint project, these grants will go a long way to ensuring our emergency responders will be there when we call them,” Schwank said.
The deadline to apply for the grant is 4 p.m., Oct. 24. Click HERE for the fire commissioner’s instructions and online application.
LEESPORT, Sept. 12, 2013 – With elder abuse a growing problem, Sen. Judy Schwank and top prosecutors from Berks County and the state today provided tips for staying safe to a packed house of senior citizens at Bern Evangelical Lutheran Church.
“With the third highest percentage of senior citizens in the country, we need to take steps every day to make sure our grandparents, friends and neighbors are not falling victim to scam artists and crooks,” Schwank said during her Senior Crime Prevention Seminar.
“In some parts of Pennsylvania, elder abuse is more of a problem than child abuse,” she said.
Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams, Berks County First Assistant District Attorney Theresa Johnson, and state Attorney General Senior Public Protection Community Liaison Dave Shallcross helped 125 seniors who attended the seminar identify con artists who are trying to steal their money or property or physically hurt them.
Statistically, senior citizens often fall prey to identity theft, and charities, telemarketing and sweepstakes fraud. But they are also victims of sexual and psychological abuse and neglect.
Pennsylvania’s fastest growing population is residents who are 85 years old and older.
The attorney general’s office and the Berks County District Attorney’s office have elder abuse units that investigate crimes against senior citizens.
Berks County’s elder abuse unit offers tips on its web page, as does the attorney general’s office. Sen. Schwank’s office can also help by calling 610-929-2151.
READING, Sept. 10, 2013 – To help senior citizens in the 11th Senate District protect themselves from becoming victims of crime, Sen. Judy Schwank will hold a Senior Crime Prevention Seminar at 10 a.m., Thursday, at Bern Evangelical Lutheran Church in Leesport.
Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams, First Assistant District Attorney Theresa Johnson, and a representative from the Office of the Attorney General will share the latest tricks criminals are using to scam and hurt senior citizens.
Media coverage is encouraged.
WHAT: Sen. Judy Schwank’s Senior Crime Prevention Seminar
WHEN: 10 a.m.
WHERE: Bern Evangelical Lutheran Church, 820 West Leesport Road, Leesport
KUTZTOWN, Sept. 3, 2013 – Sen. Judy Schwank and the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board announced today that three local colleges, Kutztown Borough, and the Wyomissing Police Department will share a combined $150,000 to help minors avoid the temptation of underage drinking and alcohol abuse.
Kutztown University is receiving $40,000 for the program while Kutztown Borough is getting a $36,615 grant. The PLCB’s grant to Albright College is for $27,254. Wyomissing Borough Police Department will receive $24,478. Penn State-Berks is getting $20,065.
“Television commercials and internet ads make it look like drinking is a cool thing to do, but when alcohol is consumed irresponsibly and illegally, the results are costly, tragic and sometimes deadly,” Schwank said.
The PLCB’s Bureau of Alcohol Education will pay the grants over a two-year period.
One-hundred-and-fifteen organizations applied for a share of the board’s $2.1 million program. Kutztown’s borough and university, the Wyomissing Borough Police Department, as well as Albright and PSU-Berks are five of the 61 entities that won funding.
“There is a responsibility that comes with drinking alcohol,” Schwank said. “With the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board’s investments, we are taking positive steps to make sure everyone understands this expectation. And, we are working to make sure that our young adults who are not yet legally allowed to consume beer, wine and liquor wait until they are 21 to do so.”
With this newest round of funding, the PLCB has invested more than $10 million to more than 250 schools, colleges, law enforcement departments and community organizations throughout Pennsylvania since 1999.
Officials from Kutztown Borough and its police department, Kutztown University, the PLCB, Albright College, Penn State Berks Campus, the Reading Police Department, and the Wyomissing Borough Police Department joined Schwank at today’s press conference.
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READING, Aug. 29, 2013 – Sen. Judy Schwank will announce the local recipients of Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board grants for the prevention of underage drinking and alcohol abuse at 10 a.m., Tuesday, Sept. 3, in Kutztown.
The PLCB is awarding more than $2.1 million to applicants statewide so they can teach students and residents about the dangers of irresponsible alcohol consumption.
Schwank will be joined by elected state and local officials, as well as representatives from area colleges and the PLCB.
Media coverage is encouraged.
WHAT: Sen. Judy Schwank to reveal recipients of PLCB grants supporting initiatives designed to prevent underage drinking and alcohol abuse
WHEN: 10 a.m., Tuesday, Sept. 3
WHERE: Kutztown Borough Hall Train Station, 45 Railroad St., Kutztown
HARRISBURG, Aug. 19, 2013 – Sen. Judy Schwank’s legislative efforts to help struggling Pennsylvania cities and cash-strapped emergency responders bore fruit today as a bill she worked to make significant, positive change was signed into law by the governor.
House Bill 465, the state’s tax code, creates City Revitalization and Improvement Zones in Pennsylvania. Sen. Schwank successfully led the effort to make the zones available to more Pennsylvania communities, including Reading, Lancaster, York and Bethlehem.
“There are many cities the size of Reading that were not covered under the initial proposal,” Schwank (D-Berks) said. “I worked to make sure they had the option to participate in a new program that could provide significant economic development and a way out for cities struggling with declining property values, job loss and escalating crime.”
City Revitalization and Improvement Zones, or CRIZs, will be funded with public bonds issued by a local municipal authority. The bond payments will be covered by local and state tax revenue raised within the zone.
Schwank’s change opened the program to all cities with populations exceeding 30,000 and it includes one pilot zone in a borough or township.
Up to two cities a year could join the program beginning in 2016. However, two cities and the borough/township pilot could establish zones sooner now that the law has been signed and implemented.
“We have significant work to do to help Pennsylvania’s great cities and towns return to prominence. City Revitalization and Improvement Zones happened because of bipartisan support and the collective belief that this new economic development tool will make a difference,” Schwank said.
CRIZ guidelines will be published by Oct. 31.
Another significant part of HB 465 creates a property transfer tax exemption for fire departments and other emergency response companies when they merge or consolidate.
The senator worked with Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-Berks) on the proposal after the Barto, Bally and Bechtelsville fire companies merged to form the Eastern Berks Fire Department (Company 97) and were slapped with a $17,000 transfer tax bill after deeding their stations to the new company.
Schwank said emergency responders working to become better stewards of precious financial resources should not be penalized after they take action to improve accountability and performance.
