Pa. state Rep. Frank Burns speaks on the House floor about legislation that would dramatically alter Pennsylvania's outdated statute of limitations in cases of child sex abuse. Burns called on his colleagues to give victims the chance at justice and to hold individuals and institutions accountable for these terrible crimes and cover-ups. The bill passed overwhelmingly shortly thereafter. Read more
Pa. state Rep. Frank Burns thanks the House of Representatives for their unanimous support of his House Resolution designating April 2016 as Occupational Therapy Month in Pennsylvania and honors the healthcare professionals who provide those services across the Commonwealth. Read more
It's good to see the governor's office apparently reversing course, because this change never should have been imposed in the first place. I hope that now, Chuck Onder of Lilly, who's been waiting for state guidance since March 28, will at least get a phone call. You can bet I'll be following up with him. Read more
EBENSBURG, April 8 – On the same day the governor’s spokesman was reiterating that "nothing has changed" regarding how he and other Democrats obtain constituent service, state Rep. Frank Burns was surveying the property of Chuck Onder, whose request for help had gone unheeded 10 days after being forwarded to the governor’s office. Unsurprising to Burns, he discovered that Ondery had a separate state-related problem resolved in just two days a year ago, when Burns and 10 other Democrats who voted with Republicans to end the 2015-16 budget impasse were permitted to deal directly with state agencies. Burns visited Ondery’s property Thursday, largely because his March 28 request for direction from the Department of Environmental Protection regarding his options to remedy a creek that floods his property was among the first impacted by the selective change imposed by Gov. Tom Wolf. "The governor and his press secretary keep saying ‘nothing has changed,’ but I’d like them to explain that to Mr. Ondery," Burns said. "He’s the guy being hurt by this childish political gamesmanship. It’s been 10 days and he hasn’t even received a courtesy call acknowledging receipt of his request." Burns said that since the Wolf administration changed the system after the budget vote – mandating that Burns’ constituent inquiries of this nature go through the governor’s office, Read more
EBENSBURG, April 7 – State Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria, today called on Gov. Tom Wolf to fund all school districts at levels called for in 2015-16 state budget legislation, instead of shepherding the lion’s share of $200 million in new funds to Philadelphia. Burns said Wolf, in doling out state basic education subsidy and Ready to Learn Block grant money, shortchanged 11 Cambria County school districts by nearly $600,000, ignoring levels called for by the legislation. The average cut among the county’s 12 school districts is over 30 percent. It’s a pattern that played out and has angered lawmakers in other parts of Pennsylvania as well, Burns said, as Wolf directed $76.8 million – a full 38 percent of the new funds – to Philadelphia. The governor is sending another $16.3 million to the Chester-Upland School District and $7.5 million to Pittsburgh. “The governor has unilaterally decided to send a little more than half of that $200 million in new education funding to those three urban school districts,” Burns said. “They’re getting that money at the expense of school districts like those in Cambria County and elsewhere, which the governor has decided will get less than spelled out in House Bills 1801 and 1327.” Only the Penn Cambria School District, which is getting 2 percent more money under the governor’s distribution plan, escaped the new-money decreases dictated by Wolf that range from a Read more
I was one of 13 House Democrats who voted to end the 2015-16 budget impasse so our schools wouldn't close and human service providers would get paid. Apparently, the governor didn't like what we did. Read more
Rep. Burns was interviewed at length by a reporter from the New York Times, which produced this story about clergy sex abuse and the quest to change Pennsylvania's statute of limitations law regarding those crimes. Read more
EBENSBURG, April 4 – Seizing the opportunity to remind folks that he favors stiffer animal abuse penalties, state Rep. Frank Burns will host his annual Pet Food Drive from April 15 to May 15 at his four offices and in participating 72 nd Legislative District schools. Burns, D-Cambria, noted that April is an opportune time to start the drive, as it is “Prevention of Cruelty to Animals” month. He is asking residents to donate non-perishable pet food items, either in the classrooms of participating schools or at one of these constituent service offices: 535 Fairfield Ave., Lower Yoder Township, 15906; 119 S. Center St., Ebensburg, 15931; 112-A Munster Road, Portage, 15946; or Patton Senior Center, 405 Park Ave., 16668 (9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays). In addition to schools, Burns is coordinating this drive with a local animal protection organization. “Unfortunately, many animals in Pennsylvania wind up in shelters because of abuse or neglect, or because they simply don’t have a home,” Burns said. “In turn, these shelters can become cash-strapped when tasked with feeding and caring for such animals. In the past, citizens of the 72 nd Legislative District have shown their generosity for this cause – and we’re counting on them to show it again.” Burns also noted he remains strongly in favor of toughening the commonwealth’s animal abuse penalties, which currently stand at up to two Read more
EBENSBURG, April 1 – As the final portion of a state grant, state Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria, said the Cambria County Solid Waste Authority will receive $250,000 toward purchase of two CNG recycling trucks in the next four to six weeks. Burns said the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has notified the authority that the final invoice is being processed for the $750,000 project, two-thirds of which is DEP-financed. "These new trucks will replace seven old trucks that had gone beyond their useful lives," Burns said. "The reason that two trucks can replace seven is that they are larger and have compacting capabilities. They are also less expensive to operate, and they run on a fuel that’s produced and in abundant supply in Pennsylvania." Earlier this week, Burns attended the unveiling of the locations of two CNG fueling stations announced by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. One will be in Ebensburg and the other at the CamTran main building in Johnstown. Read more
EBENSBURG, March 30 – As special needs children were presented adaptive bikes, strollers and communications devices during a Monday event at St. Francis University in Loretto, state Rep. Frank Burns spoke of his role in securing $245,762 for the Ebensburg Regional Inclusive Playground. Opened in 2015 at Cambria Elementary School, the regional playground features special equipment designed to give children with physical and cognitive disabilities the chance to play alongside other children. It was built with a Burns-secured grant from the Commonwealth Financing Agency to the Central Cambria Education Foundation. “Just as I said then that all children should be included on the playground and be able to play together, today I say that all children should be able to enjoy riding a bike, participating in daily activities and using their voice,” Burns said, assessing the purpose of “ An Event to Change Kids’ Lives.” Burns said the purpose of both initiatives is to enable special needs children to fully participate in all the daily activities available to their peers without special needs. He commended the effort, noting, “Many of these adaptive devices are quite expensive, but their value goes beyond a dollar sign. They are helping kids lead more normal lives, and it’s hard to put a price tag on that.” In addition to St. Francis University, the Mainline Area Special Needs Advocacy Group, AFSCME District Council 83 Read more
EBENSBURG, March 29 – State Rep. Frank Burns lauded the positive impact of public-private partnerships like the one responsible for bringing two compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling stations to Cambria County, including one in Ebensburg for the CamTran fleet. Burns joined PennDOT Secretary Leslie S. Richards and CamTran President Ed Cernic Jr. in making the announcement Monday in Johnstown, where the other CNG fueling station at the main CamTran building will be accessible to the public. "This $84.5 million project will construct and improve 29 public transit agency sites across Pennsylvania over the next five years," Burns said. "The state, our transit agencies and the public are the big winners." Burns said the Trillium CNG team – which will design, build, finance, operate and maintain the fueling stations – will also pay a 15 percent royalty to PennDOT, excluding taxes, for each gallon of fuel sold to the public. The team has guaranteed at least $2.1 million in royalties, which will be used to support the project. Burns said PennDOT expects the project to greatly reduce transit agencies’ dependence on state subsidy, and will help them achieve at least $10 million per year in savings. Read more
EBENSBURG, March 23 – Gov. Tom Wolf’s announcement today that he will let the final piece of 2015-16 state budget legislation become law prompted the following response from state Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria: “It’s a relief to us all that instead of closing their doors, our public schools will get a total $200 million more in state subsidy – and that they, our human service providers and county governments won’t have to continue borrowing money to perform core functions. “While this spending plan might not be perfect, it delivers 5 percent more for state-subsidized universities and increases spending 3 percent overall, while not raising taxes. Now we can put this protracted impasse behind us, focusing our full energies on developing the consensus needed to pass the 2016-17 state budget by the June 30 deadline.” Burns was one of 13 House Democrats who voted March 16 in favor of this latest attempt to wrap up the 2015-16 budget, which was nine months overdue. Read more
My work on behalf of our very valuable fire and EMS workers is highlighted in this newsletter dedicated to first responders. Please take a look for updates on issues that affect them. Read more
My latest newsletter is now available online. Please take a look to learn more about my positions, including my vote against raising state taxes. Read more
The Altoona-Johnstown Roman Catholic Diocese, which a grand jury determined shielded priests who sexually abused children for decades, should make amends by supporting legislation to lengthen the statute of limitations for such crimes, state Rep. Frank Burns said at a news conference today. Burns, D-Cambria, organized the noon event at the Cambria County Courthouse to showcase his and others’ support for changing Pennsylvania laws so adult victims of child sexual abuse, currently time-barred by the statute of limitations, will have a limited, two-year opportunity to bring a civil suit. They also support complete elimination of civil and criminal statutes of limitations for future victims of child sex abuse. Read more
Saying it confirms the suspicions that cemented his support for abolishing the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse, state Rep. Frank Burns said criminal charges announced today against three Franciscan friars stemmed from a teacher’s assaults on students reported at his former Johnstown high school. The charges filed by the state attorney general center on the molestation of over 80 children by the late Brother Stephen Baker at Bishop McCort High School and elsewhere between 1992 and 2010. Burns, who graduated from McCort in 1994, was never victimized by Baker, but knew him and is certain his friends and classmates were. Read more
Stressing the need for everyone to come to grips with political and economic reality, state Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria, today was one of 13 Democrats who cast a yes vote on a 2015-16 state budget bill put forth by Republicans who dominate both Houses of the legislature. The measure was approved, 128-63. Burns said with last year’s unfinished budget bleeding into preparations for the upcoming 2016-17 budget, and with his constituents adamant about not wanting any new taxes, his vote was about ending the political gamesmanship between House Republican leaders and Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf. Read more
Reiterating a pledge made in the wake of a grand jury report documenting rampant child sexual abuse in the Altoona-Johnstown diocese, state Rep. Frank Burns today joined a cadre of lawmakers who implored their peers to change the state’s outmoded statute of limitations laws for such crimes. On the heels of a similar event he organized at the Cambria County Courthouse, Burns, D-Cambria, participated in a Capitol news conference centered on building support for passage of legislation that would provide a retroactive two-year window for victims to file a civil suit, and would eliminate the criminal and civil statutes of limitations completely for future cases. Read more
Pa. state Rep. Frank Burns attended a rally and news conference at the state Capitol to demonstrate public support of efforts to get bills that would remove the statute of limitations on sexual abuse cases moved to the full House for a vote. Read more
Saying the move reflects well on the ability and stability of the Cambria County workforce, state Rep. Frank Burns today hailed the state-approved relocation of 50 administrative human services jobs to the Hiram G. Andrews Center from Dauphin County. Burns, who helped lobby to obtain the jobs, said the Dauphin County Assistance Office has had trouble keeping the customer service positions filled, battling a nearly 100-percent annual employee turnover. Even though the 50 employees will still report to the Dauphin County assistance office executive director, Burns said his home county will benefit from the addition of good-paying jobs. Read more
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