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In this Update:
Lycoming College Policy Committee Hearing Reviews Workforce Shortages
Strategies to solve Pennsylvania’s current and future workforce shortages were examined during a public hearing of the Senate Majority Policy Committee which I chaired with Senators Gene Yaw, Lisa Baker, and Scott Hutchinson at my alma mater, Lycoming College. We were joined by leaders from Lycoming, Pennsylvania College of Technology, Luzerne County Community College, and Allegheny College, as well as employers, labor and career development organizations, and students. We’re facing shortages in many key fields: doctors, nurses, dentists, teachers and especially skilled trade laborers as we seek to identify key problems and bridge any gaps that exist between our educators and these important industries. Assisting Our Corrections Officers
There are few jobs as stressful and essential as a corrections officer in our state prisons – working day and night, weekends, and holidays to ensure the safety of inmates and their fellow prison staff. Staffing shortages are causing many problems for this vital workforce including mandatory overtime, increased stress, and more violent incidents. Recently, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed my Senate Bill 111, which would eliminate the requirement that state corrections officers live in Pennsylvania, allowing more people to apply for these jobs and providing real relief to those affected by shortages. I recently met with PSCOA President Michael Ohler and Eastern Region Vice President Robert Derr to discuss this bill and other legislation that could help our corrections officers perform their duties effectively. Addressing Long-Term Care Workforce Shortages
Too many of our families, including mine, have faced the difficult decision of moving a parent or grandparent into a long-term care center. Unfortunately, the professionals who make sure they are cared for are facing increasing challenges because of workforce shortages. Recently, the Senate passed my Senate Bill 114 to ensure our long-term care centers have the support they need to do their vital work and keep our older family members safe and comfortable. This legislation would encourage more employees to join the long-term care workforce by expanding both the availability of long-term care training courses for nurse aides and the eligibility for individuals to take the nurse aide competency exam. I look forward to working with our bipartisan partners in the House of Representatives to get this bill to the governor’s desk as soon as possible. How Can We Get Money Out of Politics?
Reforming our campaign finance system is key to restoring faith in our electoral process. Recently, I was invited to speak in Washington D.C. at a session of the U.S. House Republican Study Committee about campaign finance reform. The best quote to summarize the current situation came from state Sen. Ed Cooper of Wyoming: “the guy with the most money has the most rights.” In recent years, we’ve witnessed out of state actors dumping millions into state and local races, drowning out the voices of people who live, work, and raise their families in our communities. I cosponsored a resolution earlier this year that calls on Congress to enact a constitutional amendment returning oversight of campaign finance laws to the states. I believe this is a thoughtful approach to a very complicated issue. This bipartisan amendment has received support from 23 states across our nation so far – we’re hoping Pennsylvania will be the 24th. Pictured here is Dave Black, a former deputy secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, as we worked the halls of the Rayburn House Office Building in support of this effort. Updating Procedures to Ensure Continuity of State Government
Recently, my bill to update the procedures that ensure the continuity of Pennsylvania’s state government if a governor or lieutenant governor is unable to perform their duties passed the Senate with a vote of 35-14 and now advances to the House of Representatives. I introduced Senate Bill 460 after a review by the Senate State Government Committee found the Governor and Lieutenant Governor Disability Procedure Law, which was enacted in 1974, was applied differently in all three cases it was needed and contained antiquated language, including a reference to the telegram. I hope these procedures will never be necessary; however, we must be prepared if tragedy strikes. These procedures came into the spotlight in May of 2022 when Lt. Gov. John Fetterman underwent a pacemaker operation following a stroke. They previously were used in 1993, when Gov. Bob Casey underwent a rare heart-liver transplant, and in 2014, when Gov. Tom Corbett was anesthetized during surgery. Difficulty of Drawing Good Maps
Partisan redistricting and gerrymandering recently returned to the news when California and Texas proposed maps that give the party in power significant electoral advantages. Due to the realities of divided government here in Pennsylvania, we’re unlikely to see similar action in the General Assembly. However, when the PA Supreme Court unilaterally redrew our congressional districts in 2018, many Democrats celebrated their new advantage in competitive districts. A recent op-ed published in the Morning Call examined the complexities that have plagued past attempts to end partisan gerrymandering for good. The piece discusses how states handle this issue, and the inevitable, negative drawbacks of who draws these maps, be it legislators, judges, or independent commissions. In 2022, as the chairman of the Senate State Government Committee, I chaired multiple public hearings on this topic and introduced two constitutional amendments to ensure future redistricting efforts would be less partisan. I will continue to support these efforts in the future.
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