“The new funds will help the school district move forward with much-needed work to the high school’s roof, sections of which are more than 30 years old and well past their serviceable life,” Conklin said. “Components are failing and allowing moisture in, and the school needs to move forward with replacement and restoration work to prevent building damage and slipping hazards. I’m glad the new funding will help make that happen.” Read more
“The new funding will help our townships and other district organizations meet a wide range of practical needs, from medical equipment for our first responders to accessible transportation to building renovations,” Conklin said. “Some of the funding will also help lay the groundwork for a new performing arts center to draw more visitors to our growing downtown arts district.” Read more
“Unlike public schools, which must recruit student athletes from within their district’s geographic boundaries, private and charter schools can hand-select the best athletes from anywhere they choose,” Conklin said. “The result is that they end up with all-star teams and a deeply unfair advantage over public schools.“The impact goes far beyond a win or a loss. It leaves public school athletes behind when it comes to important life opportunities like scholarships and recruitment for college and pro sports. Public school is supposed to be about opening doors for students and teaching them the importance of fair play, and PIAA needs to help reinforce those lessons." Read more
“The statistics involving domestic violence are grim,” Conklin said. “According to the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, one in three women, one in four men and nearly half of LGBTQ+ people will experience this abuse in their lifetime. Sometimes, that abuse will turn deadly. Worse still, the statistics have been moving in the wrong direction.” Read more
“The new funding will allow the county and area organizations to bolster crime prevention, expand services for victims, assess needs for at-risk youth and provide drug treatment and other services to help folks transition back to the community,” Conklin said. “Some of the new funding will also allow the public defender’s office to add caseworker services that can help folks with mental health, intellectual disabilities or substance use disorder access needed services." Read more
“Dedicated teachers and school staff are the No. 1 reason our students thrive, but they also depend on a safe, hazard-free learning environment,” Conklin said. “That’s why I worked to secure budget funding that addresses all our district’s educational needs – from staffing and curriculum to building improvements that ensure safe and healthy classrooms. With this new funding, State College Area School District will have the resources needed to identify and eliminate any building hazards so students and staff can stay safe and focus on the business of learning.” Read more
“Frequent and more severe storms are challenging our communities’ stormwater management capacity and increasing the risk of flooding that can threaten motorists and impact our roads,” Conklin said. “Securing this new funding will allow Rush Township to move forward with needed stormwater management work and roadway improvements on Medical Center Drive so traffic flows as smoothly and safely as possible.” Read more
“Our district is fortunate to have highly dedicated first responders who answer the call 24/7, regardless of tight budgets, staff constraints and other logistical challenges,” Conklin said. “Securing this funding should help ease some of the burden for Hope Fire Company so the department can ensure that their frontline heroes have the resources they need to stay safe on the job.” Read more
“With the new funding, State College can ensure the borough has the latest signal communication and timing technology to keep traffic flowing smoothly, maximize safety and reduce the idling and stop-and-go driving that increases harmful vehicle emissions,” Conklin said. “The funding will also allow Ferguson Township to modernize signal equipment at a busy intersection to reduce collisions and ensure motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists stay as safe as possible." Read more
“Literacy holds the key to so many life opportunities, from finding good-paying jobs and successfully navigating community resources to helping one’s children with homework,” Conklin said. “But too many adults still struggle with basic literacy needs. This new funding will bring those essential skills to more residents, including many for whom English is a second language, so they can chart a more productive future for themselves and their families.” Read more
“These farms are critically important to our community, but their benefits extend far beyond the fences that border them,” Conklin said. “Under the talented stewardship of our local farmers, these lands strengthen our regional food supply and bolster the health of our local, regional and state economies. This new funding is going to help ensure they are around now and far into the future, where we can all continue to reap the benefits.” Read more
“The RV industry is different enough from the automotive industry that Pennsylvania has separate laws governing RV manufacturers and dealers,” Conklin said. “But areas of the law – particularly as it relates to warranty services – need to be updated to better protect consumers and provide clearer guidance for dealers. “My bill would accomplish that by adding provisions that ensure more efficient warranty repairs, more consistent rate-setting and prices for warranty service and stronger consumer protections from rogue dealers who host pop-up-stye RV events.” Read more
“I am deeply humbled that the first responders at Port Matilda EMS have chosen to dedicate this ambulance in my name, but they are the true heroes,” Conklin said. “They are the ones who stand ready 24/7 to render lifesaving care, regardless of the dangers or challenges involved.“We can never do enough for our EMS workers and other first responders, and we can never thank them enough. But we can do everything in our power to support them and try to ensure that they have the resources they need to carry on their lifesaving work.” Read more
“Minority-owned businesses have a critical role to play in Pennsylvania, but for too long, they have faced financing hurdles that have prevented them from growing and expanding,” Conklin said. “It’s time to level the playing field by connecting these businesses with the resources they need to thrive. Doing so creates jobs, adds healthy competition, grows our local and state economies, and empowers business owners to give back to their communities." Read more
“K-12 sports should be about teaching values and competitiveness, giving children a second option that keeps them in school, and allowing opportunities for a brighter future," Conklin said. Read more
“Free and fair elections are at the very heart of our democracy, but ensuring that they run smoothly and efficiently requires vigilance – and sometimes action – on our part when changing circumstances demand it,” Conklin said. “Five years ago, Pennsylvania expanded the use of mail and absentee ballots, resulting in a dramatic increase in these ballots. It was a great move that increased voter participation, but it also created some unwanted administrative issues.“As mail ballots have increased, county election board workers from all over the state have been telling us that the current system is unworkable and that they simply don’t have enough time to process these ballots. The resulting delays in tabulating returns can prevent a timely and efficient vote count and – even worse – foment voter mistrust and unfounded conspiracies.“This isn’t a Democratic issue or a Republican issue. It’s a logistical issue that is within our power to fix. Today, by passing my bill to extend time for pre-canvassing, we took a major step toward fixing those issues and making the system work as it was intended.” Read more
“By leaving public schools no option but to compete against larger, more powerful teams recruited by private schools, the PIAA’s current system is putting student athletes from public schools at a huge disadvantage before they even set foot on the field,” Conklin said. “It’s a system that sets kids up for failure, sends the wrong message and – worst of all – exposes them to the risk of serious injury. “We need to reform the playoff rules by allowing the PIAA to set up alternate playoff systems and championships for boundary and non-boundary schools. Having separate playoffs would not hurt the element of competition – it would merely ensure those contests are waged on a level playing field.” Read more
“Learning is never a one-size-fits-all proposition, but one thing is universally true – all students need a safe and supportive environment to learn and thrive,” Conklin said. “This new funding will ensure our schools have the resources they need to provide that environment, so students and staff are free to focus on academic success.” Read more
STATE COLLEGE, April 19 – Faster, more reliable broadband is coming to underserved areas of Centre County thanks to new funding of nearly $17.6 million from the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority, state Rep. Scott Conklin, D-Centre, announced today. Conklin, who is majority chairman of the House Commerce Committee, said the funding – which includes $16.1 million to Verizon Pennsylvania LLC and $1.5 million to Windstream Pennsylvania LLC – will bring residents and small business owners in underserved areas the connections they need. “Internet provides essential connections to the world, but for too long, residents lacking speedy, reliable access have faced a disadvantage when it comes to key online resources for job opportunities, training and education, shopping, telemedicine and more,” Conklin said. “Small businesses in underserved areas also lose a major competitive edge. “We have worked hard to get the necessary broadband infrastructure in place, and with this new infusion of funding, we can finally make those critical high-speed connections a reality for the residents and businesses who need them.” Conklin said that matching funding will bring the total project to nearly $40 million. The funding – which is part of a statewide package awarded under the Broadband Infrastructure Program – will also benefit underserved communities in Blair, Read more
“As chair of the House Commerce Committee, I believe we must fund minority businesses to ensure marginalized Pennsylvanians have the ability to start their business in our commonwealth,” Conklin said. “With more than 1.15% of businesses owned by minorities in 2020, we need to make the economy more equitable for Pennsylvania’s entrepreneurs by allowing minority businesses to prosper in our economy and remain competitive in our marketplace. By advancing this legislation to the House, we will invest in Pennsylvania’s businesses, ensuring that we keep Pennsylvania open for business.” Read more
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