Those interested in donating non-perishable food items may drop off their items at either of Burns’ offices: 535 Fairfield Ave. in Johnstown and 123 W. High St. in Ebensburg during regular business hours. Read more
EBENSBURG, Aug. 28 – Continuing his work to bolster commerce and economic growth in Cambria County, state Rep. Frank Burns today announced a total of $150,000 in state grants to upgrade and enhance the John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County airport. Burns, D-Cambria, said the funds will be used toward improvements at the airport’s passenger terminal facility, including energy-efficient components. “Investments to support and create jobs and attract additional economic opportunities in Cambria County are among my top priorities as a legislator,” Burns said. “Making these needed improvements ensures the airport stays competitive and supports current and future jobs in the region.” The airport is among 29 across Pennsylvania that will receive more than $13 million in state investments from the state Department of Transportation’s Aviation Transportation Assistance Program, the Aviation Development Program and the Multimodal Fund. As of April 2019, Pennsylvania ranks 13 th nationwide in the total number of public-use aviation facilities, with 127 airports, heliports and seaplane bases. Read more
EBENSBURG, Aug. 27 – Bucking a ruling by the state Office of Open Records, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board is taking state Rep. Frank Burns to court to dodge Burns’ attempt to find out how many liquor licenses the state agency has available for auction. Burns, D-Cambria, said that in legal papers served on his office, the LCB clings to its belief that the number of liquor licenses it plans to auction is “confidential proprietary information or a trade secret subject to protection from public disclosure.” The LCB wants Commonwealth Court to rule in its favor. “Since fewer than 10 percent of Office of Open Records rulings are appealed to court, I’m even more baffled at why the LCB is being so secretive,” Burns said. “The OOR sided with me , shooting down every one of the LCB’s arguments on why the public shouldn’t know this information. It’s amazing that they’re now spending taxpayer money to fight this in court.” After Burns was initially rebuffed by the LCB, which refused to comply with his Right-to-Know Law request seeking a countywide breakdown of the total number of licenses the public agency has available to auction, he followed protocol and asked for a ruling by the OOR, which issued a final determination and order in his favor on July 24. Burns said that, to his amazement, the LCB is still trying to maintain secrecy, to the point of arguing that, Read more
EBENSBURG, Aug. 22 – Alarmed that several recent state parolees have been arrested for homicide, state Rep. Frank Burns has called for an independent, outside review of the parole process and a halt to new parole hearings until that occurs. Burns, D-Cambria, urgently requested the external review in a letter to Corrections Secretary John Wetzel that was also sent to Theodore W. Johnson, chairman of the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole. “Five recent Pennsylvania prison parolees have been charged with killing six people in just two months. Our process of determining who to release on parole is critically flawed and must immediately change,” Burns wrote. “We cannot sit idly by, watching murder after murder, in the name of soft-on-crime ‘reforms’ that loosen our parole policies. “We should be more focused on protecting innocent Pennsylvanians from senseless death at the hands of convicted criminals that about reducing our prison population at all costs. Please put any new parole hearings on hold until an independent, outside review can figure out why so many unrehabilitated murderers are slipping through your bars and back into society.” Burns noted that he stands with the Pennsylvania State Corrections Officers Association in demanding the review of parole policies and procedures. He called the spate of murders and arrests of recent state parolees “unfathomable” and Read more
An area lawmaker plans to redouble his efforts to hold parents accountable with fines or community service for their child’s repeated bullying.Rep. Frank Burns, D-Johnstown, is bringing back his proposal, which failed to win approval last year. If a child bullies three or more times within the same school year, the school would file a citation against the parents in district court. Potential penalties could include a fine of up to $750 and or community service. Read more
CRESSON, Aug. 19 – Building on his ground-breaking anti-bullying efforts from last year, state Rep. Frank Burns announced a two-pronged approach to curb bullying in schools during a news conference today at Penn Cambria High School. Burns, D-Cambria, laid out an aggressive package of legislation coupled with a pilot program that puts part of his anti-bullying plan into action in the real world. “With thousands of students in Cambria County heading back to school, I knew this was the time to redouble my efforts to address bullying,” Burns said. “Being taunted, tortured and terrorized by other students is far more prevalent than most people think. We cannot let another school year go by without addressing this epidemic.” Burns said he is reintroducing a bold proposal first put forth last year that would penalize the parents of habitual bullies with a fine of up to $750 and/or community service if the parents fail to do their part to stop their child’s destructive behavior. The measure garnered worldwide attention for its unusual approach: holding parents accountable for repeated acts of bullying. Additionally, Burns plans to introduce the Pennsylvania Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights, modeled after a similar law in New Jersey. Burns’ bill lays out the rights of students, parents and schools as they relate to bullying and builds on the Safe2Say anonymous violence and bullying reporting program that was implemented in schools Read more
With five recent parolees charged with six homicides, I've urged Corrections Secretary John Wetzel to support an outside review of PA's parole procedures and a halt to any new parole hearings. Read more
EBENSBURG, Aug. 15 – Making inroads at the National Conference of State Legislatures’ annual summit, state Rep. Frank Burns got a firsthand look at Amazon’s distribution center process and an invite to tour one of the online retail giant’s Pennsylvania facilities. Once again, Republican Speaker of the House Mike Turzai appointed Burns to serve on the national Communication, Financial Services and Interstate Commerce Committee in Nashville. “I didn’t go to Tennessee to just whistle Dixie; I was a man on a mission to make contacts and learn all I could about helping Cambria County with job creation,” said Burns, D-Cambria. Burns met with Amazon’s regional public policy manager Anya Malkov and discussed his letters to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, informing him of the availability of a Keystone Opportunity Zone in Cambria County and touting the area’s workforce and willingness to welcome investors. “We also talked about how some Amazon distribution centers are located in small-sized cities like those in my district, as long as they are close to highways,” Burns said. “I view that as an extremely positive piece of information – and to all the people who say, ‘it’s never going to happen,’ – this is something for them to chew on.” Burns said Malkov, who attended Dickinson College in Carlisle, offered to help arrange a tour of one of the Read more
As part of his effort to stamp out bullying, state Rep. Frank Burns and Penn Cambria School District will discuss a one-year pilot program using free software supplied by a Johnstown-based firm, at a 10 a.m. Monday, Aug. 19 news conference at the Penn Cambria High School library, 401 Linden Ave., Cresson. Read more
EBENSBURG, Aug. 14 – As the lead public figure in the 2017 fight to keep Ebensburg State Center from closure amid a huge public outcry, state Rep. Frank Burns is urging continued vigilance upon learning that the Wolf administration plans to shutter similar centers in Luzerne and Venango counties. Burns, D-Cambria, said after the effort two years ago to close the Ebensburg center – which was providing specialized care for nearly 225 severely mentally and physically disabled adults, along with 700 jobs – Gov. Tom Wolf gave assurances that he wouldn’t close the facility through the 2018-19 fiscal year, which has now expired. “My radar screen has lit up like a pinball machine now that the plan to close Polk State Center in Venango County and White Haven State Center in Luzerne County has been revealed,” Burns said. “It’s an early warning system for those of us who were – and would again be – deeply disturbed at the prospect of losing the Ebensburg State Center forever.” Burns said closing such a vital facility would make no sense, given the upheaval it would cause in the lives of patients, families and employees. He also questioned why it would be necessary, given that the state just closed the books on a 2018-19 fiscal year with hundreds of millions of dollars in surplus. “If the state just got done stashing away $800 million in June, it doesn’t make sense to Read more
HARRISBURG, Aug. 9 – Continuing his commitment to helping struggling local fire departments, state Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria, announced that three fire companies in the 72 nd Legislative District have been selected to receive state grants to help fund training and equipment related to fighting brush and forest fires. Burns noted that he and state Fire Commissioner Bruce Trego heard first-hand from Cambria County firefighters about the challenges their departments face during a town hall meeting in May. “Firefighters answer the call in our communities when no one else will. Instead of running from danger, they run toward it without hesitation. We need to do as much as possible to ensure they have the resources to remain safe and adequately respond to emergencies, and these grants will do just that,” Burns said. Burns said Middle Taylor Township Vol. Fire Co. received $1,772; Portage Vol. Fire Co. No. 1 received $2,878; and Reade Township Vol. Fire Co. was awarded $4,000. The grant program, offered through the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, is for training and equipment purchases directly related to fighting brush and forest fires. Grants may be used for purchasing mobile or portable radios; installing water supply equipment; wildfire prevention and mitigation work; training wildfire fighters; or converting and maintaining federal excess vehicles. Burns said he also wanted to remind local fire Read more
State Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria, was proud to help Rock Run Recreation secure a $53,800 state grant to help maintain its 140-mile outdoor recreation trail system. Read more
EBENSBURG, Aug. 1 – Two floors that include digitally equipped classrooms will be added to Saint Francis University’s Sullivan Hall with help from a $500,000 state grant announced today by state Rep. Frank Burns. The renovation and expansion of the 55-year-old building will boost the university’s health service program, which will also benefit from seminar rooms for small-scale, interactive work, Burns said. “These are the types of investments our state can – and should – make,” said Burns, D-Cambria. “As a result of this funding, students in Saint Francis University’s health sciences program will have the most up-to-date technology and resources available, which helps prepare them for successful careers in health care.” The grant was awarded from the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, which is administered by the Office of the Budget for the acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic, recreational, and historical improvement projects. Funded projects under the program have a regional or multi-jurisdictional impact; they also generate substantial increases or maintain current levels of employment, tax revenues, or other measures of economic activity. Read more
EBENSBURG, Aug. 1 – In keeping with his ongoing commitment to bringing state dollars back to the district, state Rep. Frank Burns praised the use of $70,687 in grant funds to maintain and improve two roadways in Croyle Township, Cambria County. Burns, D-Cambria, said the funds were used for improvement and maintenance projects this spring on Plummer Road and Betz Road come from the state Department of Agriculture’s Dirt and Gravel Road Maintenance Program. A total of $34,761 was awarded for the Plummer Road project, and $35,926 was awarded for the Betz Road project. “Investments in our infrastructure are a tangible way to see our tax dollars at work,” Burns said. Burns added that any entity within the 72 nd Legislative District that needs information on grants or assistance in applying for a grant can contact his Portage office at 814-736-7339 and ask for Brittany Blackham, who serves as an in-house grant writer/assistant. For more information on the DGRMP, please visit: https://www.agriculture.pa.gov/Plants_Land_Water/StateConservationCommission/DGRMP/Pages/default.aspx Read more
EBENSBURG, July 31 – State Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria, is urging small businesses and farmers to apply for grant funding for pollution prevention, energy efficiency and natural resource protection projects. Eligible projects can include HVAC and boiler upgrades, installation of solar-powered or high-efficiency lighting, solvent recovery and waste recycling systems, and auxiliary power units deployed as anti-idling technology for trucks. Natural resource protection projects can include streambank fencing to keep livestock out of streams and agricultural stormwater systems to reduce sediment in waterways. “These grants are a great way to help farmers and small business owners make the improvements they need to boost efficiency and reduce costs,” Burns said. “I encourage anyone interested in applying to contact Brittany Blackham in my office to provide assistance in completing the grant application.” Burns encouraged applicants to file sooner rather than later, as applications are considered on a first-come basis and will be accepted until fiscal year 2019-20 funds are exhausted or April 12, whichever occurs first. The complete grant application package, which includes step-by-step instructions for completing the online application, as well as all related forms, is available by visiting the DEP Small Business Ombudsman’s Office website at https://bit.ly/2JQp9be . Burns’ office can be Read more
EBENSBURG, July 29 – Acting on recently released federal data confirming Cambria County as opioid pill manufacturers’ favorite dumping ground , state Rep. Frank Burns wants state Attorney General Josh Shapiro to make sure the county is also number one with restitution from Big Pharma. Burns, D-Cambria, today sent Shapiro a letter noting that in the six-year period between 2006 and 2012, nearly 3.1 billion opioid painkiller pills were shipped to Pennsylvania – with Cambria being the most saturated county in Pennsylvania. “Sadly, and of particular outrage to me, Cambria County received the highest per-capita rate of pills at 61.5 pills per resident annually,” Burns wrote. “Given the depth and magnitude of the prescription abuse here, I hope that you will ensure any restitution obtained from Big Pharma lawsuits flows proportionately to Cambria County.” Burns, who has long supported holding pharmaceutical companies accountable for overzealous marketing of opioids, urged the state to file such lawsuits two years ago, a move since undertaken by Shapiro. Burns now wants to make sure that if Pennsylvania succeeds in wresting financial damages from the big pharmaceutical companies, a fair share of the money flows to hard-hit rural areas instead of it all being funneled to big cities. “As the county with the highest number of pills shipped per capita, we are in the greatest need of financial resources to reverse this trend and Read more
Cambria County suffered from having the greatest number of opioid pills shipped per person, so Rep. Burns wrote this letter to Attorney General Josh Shapiro asking that any Big Pharma restitution follow the same pattern. Read more
EBENSBURG, July 26 – The state Office of Open Records has sided with state Rep. Frank Burns in his quest to obtain the number of liquor licenses available for auction in each county, issuing a ruling that debunks every argument put forth by the state Liquor Control Board on why it should be allowed to keep those numbers secret. Burns, D-Cambria, hailed the Office of Open Records decision as a victory for government transparency – but lamented that the LCB denied his initial request for information that should be readily shared with any member of the public. “If I’m a state representative and they wouldn’t give information to me, it makes me wonder how the person who isn’t a state representative is being treated,” Burns said. “I appealed the LCB’s denial to the Office of Open Records because I knew in my heart that it was the right thing to do, for me and for the public.” The Office of Open Records’ final determination said the LCB “is required to provide” Burns with the information within 30 days, unless it chooses to appeal to Commonwealth Court – a move Burns said would constitute another stalling tactic and one he hopes the LCB doesn’t take. “The Office of Open Records basically shot down all of the reasons the LCB trotted out to deny my information request, and I see no reason the courts would rule any differently,” Burns said. “The LCB is a state agency, Read more
EBENSBURG, July 19 – Nearly $4.5 million in state funding will help to restore reliable sewer service to residents in Adams Township, Cambria County, state Rep. Frank Burns announced today. The Forest Hills Municipal Authority received the $4.467 million loan from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority to address ongoing issues with a malfunctioning sewer system, eliminating significant impacts on local streams and drinking water wells, said Burns, D-Cambria. Specifically, the loan will allow the authority to: Extend 23,000 feet of gravity sewers; Extend 1,900 feet of force main; and Improve manholes and a pump station to provide service to residents in the Luther/Salix Airport area of the township. “This loan provides critical funding for the reliable wastewater treatment our residents deserve, while helping to keep utility bills from skyrocketing,” Burns said. “These are the types of state investments in our communities I’m proud to fight for in Harrisburg.” The Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority, commonly known as Pennvest, offers low-cost loans and grants throughout the state to fund sewer, storm water and drinking water maintenance and improvement projects. Read more
EBENSBURG, July 18 – Weeks after working collaboratively to bring a first-of-its-kind Keystone Opportunity Zone to Cambria County, state Rep. Frank Burns has followed up on a prior effort by reminding Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos of the tax incentives the KOZ provides in exchange for job creation. Burns, D-Cambria, initially contacted Bezos in February, urging Amazon to consider Cambria County as an expansion location after New York City officials rejected the firm’s 25,000 jobs that sport a $150,000 average annual salary. With the KOZ added to the county’s economic development arsenal, Burns believes Cambria County offers an even stronger investment opportunity and reached out to notify Bezos of the new program’s existence. “As a follow-up to my February letter inviting you to consider Cambria County, Pa., as an Amazon expansion location, I wanted you to be among the first to know of a powerful economic development tool that makes our county even more attractive to new businesses,” Burns recently wrote . “Pennsylvania recently designated up to 375 acres in Cambria County as a Keystone Opportunity Zone – meaning we now can offer substantial state and local tax incentives for companies interested in creating jobs in our area.” Burns said with all the efforts he marshalled into obtaining the KOZ, which included bipartisan support and a boost from House Democratic Leader Frank Dermody, who Read more
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