HARRISBURG, Aug. 28 – State Rep. Pam Snyder, D-Greene/Fayette/Washington, is inviting residents of the 50 th Legislative District to participate in a live Tele-Town Hall meeting from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 4. Residents of Snyder’s district, which includes all of Greene County and parts of Fayette and Washington counties, will receive an automated phone call at 7 p.m. Tuesday inviting them to join the event. To participate, people simply need to remain on the line once they receive a call. Cellphone users can register for the event at https://tthm.wufoo.com/forms/rep-pam-snyder-teletownhall-signup/ . Snyder said people staying on the line have the option to listen or join in the discussion, all from the comfort of home. “By simply sitting in on the conversation, you’re already doing your part,” Snyder said. “However, joining in on the conversation will give me a better understanding of your views on a number of topics that will in part allow me to better represent you at the Capitol.” During the live event, Snyder will discuss and take questions on a variety of state issues, and participants will be asked to weigh in on poll questions using their touch-tone phones. Anyone who doesn’t get to speak during the event will be able to record a question at its conclusion. Questions will be forwarded to Snyder. Residents also may email questions to Snyder before the Tele-Town hall meeting at RepSnyder@pahouse.net . Read more
My Veterans Report newsletter includes a reminder that we have a monthly outreach at my Carmichaels office where specialists can assist veterans in obtaining benefits. Read more
My 2018 Sportsmen Update newsletter contains valuable information for those who, like me, cherish our great outdoors. Read more
CARMICHAELS, July 26 – Washington Greene County Job Training Agency Inc. is getting a $411,400 grant to help people who’ve received treatment for opioid use return to the workforce, state Rep. Pam Snyder announced today. Snyder, D-Greene/Fayette/Washington, said Pennsylvania was one of six states awarded the National Health Emergency Dislocated Worker Demonstration Grant, which will be administered by the state Department of Labor and Industry to provide job training and employment support. “In addition to helping people receive the treatment they need to overcome addiction, a much-needed second step of the recovery process should be assisting them in finding employment,” Snyder said. “The ultimate goal should be helping people become productive members of society, and there’s no better way to fuel one’s self-esteem than by having a job.” Snyder said the funds will be used to: Connect Pennsylvania CareerLink employment services to Pennsylvania Centers of Excellence. Develop a mobile app to link people to workforce and support resources. Increase the number of certified recovery specialists and provide additional training to retain existing specialists. Engage employers in recovery friendly workplace initiatives. Snyder said these efforts will include such things as encouraging employers to hire and work with people who are in recovery, helping guide those individuals to support or employment services they Read more
Here's a compilation of action on House bills related to fighting the opioid crisis. Read more
The purposeful dismantling of the U.S. union workforce, which continued with the Supreme Court’s recent Janus v. AFSCME decision, must be reversed if we are to pull the middle class out of the greed-fueled economic quicksand that threatens to swallow it whole. It’s no secret that mighty business interests, dating back to the robber barons and captains of industry, have detested unions since their inception. They’d greatly prefer to cling to the unfettered ability to set wages, benefits and workplace safety rules – and, even more so, to be the only well-funded voice heard in the halls of government when it’s time to craft labor laws. The Janus decision basically allows public sector workers to keep receiving union-negotiated pay and benefits while avoiding any responsibility to pay their share as beneficiaries of that service. It's merely another way to judicially weaken the clout of organized labor. As an elected official who hails from Greene County in the heart of bituminous coal country, no one needs to school me on the vital role that unions, such as the United Mine Workers of America, have played in creating and maintaining the strong middle class necessary for our economic model to succeed for all workers. Unions, private and public, set the bar for higher wages, safer working conditions and maintenance of decent health and retirement benefits – especially for those who, while working hard, might not be able to obtain Read more
CARMICHAELS, July 10 – Saying their participation will bolster her effort to bring modern internet to rural areas , state Rep. Pam Snyder is asking 50 th Legislative District residents to take a 30-second online broadband speed test at http://broadbandtest.us/ Snyder, D-Greene/Fayette/Washington, said the test is part of the Pennsylvania Broadband Mapping Initiative being conducted by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania and Penn State University. “By participating in this short test using your home computer, you’ll be helping document actual internet speeds in your area, which helps document the nature and scope of the problem,” Snyder said. “Having this empirical data on hand gives those of us fighting for better broadband yet another tool to make our case.” Snyder has partnered with state Rep. Kristin Phillips-Hill, a Republican from York County, to lead the legislative effort to bring modern internet service to the 800,000 Pennsylvanians living in underserved and unserved areas. In addition to introducing a four-piece legislative package, Snyder and Phillips-Hill earlier this year were on hand as the governor announced a commitment to address internet service deficiency through creation of a new state office and financial incentive program. The state Office of Broadband Initiatives is headed by Mark Smith, a former Bradford County commissioner. The Pennsylvania Broadband Investment Incentive Program is offering up to $35 Read more
This week's email contains good news on a clarification issued by the state Department of Human Services, and photographs including the one to the left from the Merrittstown Fourth of July ceremony and parade. Read more
CARMICHAELS, July 6 – As a legislative leader in the fight to bring reliable, modern internet to rural areas where such service is spotty or nonexistent, state Rep. Pam Snyder will speak at the Pennsylvania Telephone Association’s annual conference in Hershey on Tuesday. Snyder, D-Greene/Fayette/Washington, said she welcomes the opportunity to tell a new and important audience about the package of legislation she and state Rep. Kristen Phillips-Hill, R-York, have crafted and are promoting to address this problem. “Representative Phillips-Hill and I, who chair the legislature’s newly formed Broadband Caucus, look forward to providing an overview of our initiatives, successes chalked up thus far, and where we are headed,” Snyder said. “This is an important issue to 800,000 Pennsylvanians, and we’re ecstatic to gain the support of the Pennsylvania Telephone Association as another key ally.” Previously, the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, which has 62,000 farm member families, joined the fight to bring better broadband to underserved and unserved areas. Last month, the state Public Utility Commission launched an action to take jurisdiction of utility pole attachments away from the federal government. Snyder and Phillips-Hill were invited to the governor’s announcement of his commitment in March. At that time, he announced creation of the Pennsylvania Office of Broadband Initiatives, which is responsible for Read more
CARMICHAELS, July 5 – State Reps. Pam Snyder, D-Greene/Fayette/Washington, and Jason Ortitay, R-Washington/Allegheny, today issued the following statements in response to the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services issuing a new bulletin on guidance for the minors’ right to consent law: “This administrative action essentially achieves what I and Representative Ortitay have been seeking via legislation, which is clarity on a law put on the books in 2004,” Snyder said. “That law had a good intention, in that it allowed minors to consent to mental health examinations and treatment without parental consent. But because health care providers were interpreting the law differently, it meant that in some cases parents who knew or suspected that their child had a mental health issue were frozen out of the process. They could send their child for help, but if the child told a health care professional he or she didn’t think it was necessary, that’s often where it ended because the doctor couldn’t even discuss the case with the parents. This new rule restores some balance to the equation. And it accomplishes the same goal as bills I authored that passed the House in the last two legislative sessions.” “I’m pleased to see the department finally step up and issue this clarification in order to clear up confusion about the rights of parents and minors surrounding mental health treatment under the 2004 law,” Read more
My reaction to this week's U.S. Supreme Court decision that undercuts unions and an update on fixing the Crucible Hill slide are included in this week's email. Read more
CARMICHAELS, June 27 – State Rep. Pam Snyder said today’s U.S. Supreme Court decision that allows workers to benefit from collectively-negotiated wages and benefits without having to pay the equivalent of union dues represents the latest blow in a continued assault on the middle class. Snyder, D-Greene/Fayette/Washington, said the long-awaited Janus decision turned out as many predicted, with the court’s Republican majority holding sway in a 5-4 ruling clearly aimed at weakening collective bargaining in the public sector. “There’s a direct correlation between the decline of unions and the decline of the middle class,” Snyder said. “We need to go back and look at our history. People need to realize what unions have done: They built the middle class, they fight for all workers’ rights.” Snyder said the upshot of today’s decision is that workers who clearly benefit from union-negotiated wages and benefits will no longer have to pay what’s known as “fair share fees” if they choose not to formally belong to the union. In essence, said Snyder, those workers will now be entitled to get a free ride, courtesy of their workplace brethren who pay union dues. “Even though they’re not paying dues, they’ll still reap the benefits when they reach a contract agreement,” Snyder said. “That’s not fair, that’s not right – and getting something for nothing is Read more
CARMICHAELS, June 22 – Noting increases of $100 million for basic education and $70 million for school safety, state Rep. Pam Snyder today said the completed 2018-19 state budget addresses many key needs without the tax or fee increases disliked by many of her constituents. Snyder, an affirmative vote when the spending plan passed the House 188-10 earlier this week, reserved comment until several budget-related bills crucial to completing the package also received legislative approval. “I’m happy that this year, approval of the new state spending plan occurred early, rather than at or past the June 30 deadline,” said Snyder, D-Greene/Fayette/Westmoreland. “While this budget isn’t perfect – none of them ever are – the reality is that since it provides increases in many important areas without raising taxes, I joined the majority of my colleagues in supporting the plan.” However, Snyder said she initially remained cautious of offering her full stamp of approval, based on last year’s situation where the spending plan was approved on time, but full implementation was delayed because of wrangling over the necessary package of budget-related bills. Snyder said the 2018-19 budget also contains an additional $30 million for vocational education programs, $20 million more for Pre-K Counts, $5 million more for Head Start and $15 million more for special education. In addition, Snyder noted that it provides more Read more
Cumberland Township's designation as a zone offering special tax incentives to promote investment headlines this week's email. Read more
CARMICHAELS, June 18 – State Rep. Pam Snyder said the state Public Utility Commission’s recent action to take control of utility pole attachments away from the federal government is a positive outgrowth of her work that procured the governor’s commitment to expanding high-speed internet. Snyder, D-Greene/Fayette/Washington, said the PUC voted to begin rulemaking to allow it to take jurisdiction over pole attachments – a duty that has defaulted to the Federal Communications Commission because the state has not assumed it. “What we’re seeing is a newfound appetite by the PUC to take over this responsibility, which is welcome news to those of us fighting to bring modern broadband to under-served areas,” Snyder said. “One of the criticisms of federal oversight of pole attachments is that it’s inadequate because of weak enforcement. “If the commonwealth takes this over, as we hope, Pennsylvania can have more of a direct say in the infrastructure development needed to expand broadband to rural areas. That would benefit residents, hospitals, schools and businesses as they compete in the high-tech era.” Snyder has partnered with state Rep. Kristin Phillips-Hill, a York County Republican, in pushing to bring modern broadband internet to 800,000 Pennsylvanians who lack it, many of them living in rural areas. In addition to introducing a package of bills and resolutions to accomplish that objective, Snyder Read more
CARMICHAELS, June 15 – The federal government has approved Cumberland Township, Greene County, as a Qualified Opportunity Zone, giving tax incentives to those who invest in businesses, real estate and other ventures within its borders, state Rep. Pam Snyder announced today. Snyder, D-Greene/Fayette/Washington, said the designation was meted out to 300 low-income communities across Pennsylvania, as a means to help economically distressed areas garner investments that could secure their turnaround. “This is a valuable tool in attracting development to Cumberland Township,” Snyder said. “These Qualified Opportunity Zones provide an incentive for investors to put their unrealized capital gains to work, in ways that have a direct impact on promoting growth.” Snyder said the program gives investors tax benefits for investing their capital gains in low-income community census tracts, as well as certain tracts adjacent to low-income tracts. It applies to private investors making private equity investments in funds that will then invest in businesses, real estate, and other ventures in low-income communities. The incentive offers deferral, reduction, and potential elimination of certain federal capital gains taxes. The fund model also will enable a broad array of private equity fund managers and investors to pool their resources, increasing the scale of investments going to under-served areas. Snyder said the Cumberland Township designation was Read more
CARMICHAELS, June 13 – State Rep. Pam Snyder today announced that the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission has awarded $65,000 to the Rivers of Steel Heritage Corp. for a project in Greene County. Snyder, D-Greene/Fayette/Washington, said the Keystone Historic Preservation Grant will be used toward Phase 3 of the historic restoration of W.A. Young and Sons Foundry and Machine Shop, located in Rices Landing. “All of the structure's windows and frames, and some of the clapboard siding, have deteriorated to a critical stage,” Snyder said. “Also, many glass panes are missing or broken, creating several ports of entry for wildlife and the weather to disturb the national treasures housed inside the machine shop.” Snyder said the work fits well within the intended scope of PHMC grants, which are used to support projects that identify, preserve, promote, and protect historic and archaeological resources in Pennsylvania for both the benefit of the public and the revitalization of communities. The money comes from the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund, which is supported annually from a portion of the state realty transfer tax revenue, and requires a 50/50 cash match. Read more
Adult Basic Education in Greene, Fayette and Washington counties gets a boost from a $1.02 million state grant. Read more
CARMICHAELS, June 6 – A $1.02 million state grant to the Intermediate Unit 1 announced today by state Rep. Pam Snyder will assist the Adult Basic Education and literacy effort in Greene, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties. Snyder, who received notice from the state Department of Education that the grant is being awarded, said it provides a significant boost to the IU 1’s efforts. “These grants are awarded to assist adults to become literate and obtain the knowledge and skills necessary for employment and economic self-sufficiency,” said Snyder, D-Greene/Fayette/Westmoreland. “Another prong is assisting adults in attaining a secondary school diploma and in the transition to postsecondary education and training – including through career pathways.” Snyder said two other objectives of the grant, depending on community need, are: Assisting adults who are parents or family members to obtain the education and skills that are necessary to becoming full partners in the educational development of their children and lead to sustainable improvements in the economic opportunities for their family; and Assisting immigrants and other individuals who are English language learners in improving their reading, writing, speaking and comprehension skills in English, improving their mathematics skills and acquiring an understanding of the American system of government, individual freedom and the responsibilities of citizenship. Read more
Did you know that to combat the opioid crisis, the legislature since 2015 has passed seven bills that became law -- and the House has put another four bills in the pipeline? Read more
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