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| Legislative Report |
| The latest news from the State Capitol |
Shall Not Be Questioned
On Monday, it was once again a tremendous honor to participate in this year’s state Capitol Rally to Protect Your Right to Keep and Bear Arms.
What a fantastic turnout of patriotic, God-fearing, decent people, including many from our region, to support the Constitutions of Pennsylvania and the United States against those who would exert tyrannical control over the citizens of the Commonwealth!
Our state Constitution states the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be questioned.
In fact, I have already signed on to co-sponsor the resolution, which was announced during Monday’s Rally, to IMPEACH Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto for signing several illegal, unconstitutional and extreme red flag gun control ordinances into law.
Thank You to all who attended from Washington and Fayette counties and around the state for the strong message you delivered on May 6!
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49th District Events
Popular Concealed Carry Seminar Coming to Charleroi
Our next Concealed Seminar will be held on Saturday, May 25, beginning at 10 a.m., at the Charleroi Sportsman’s Association, 79 Gun Club Road, Charleroi.
Featured speaker Kim Stolfer, Firearms Owners Against Crime will present the facts and answer questions about Pennsylvania’s concealed carry laws, the Castle Doctrine and other valuable information regarding firearms safety and state gun laws.
Whether you are considering applying for a permit or already have one, this no-cost seminar offers a unique opportunity for both prospective and experienced firearm owners to expand their knowledge of existing gun laws and get a better understanding about freely and responsibly exercising your right to keep and bear arms.
Seating is limited and will fill up quickly, so interested individuals must register as soon as possible by calling the Belle Vernon district office at 724- 929-2660.
Belle Vernon District Office Open House and Ribbon Cutting Set for May 28
Residents of the 49th Legislative District are cordially invited to join us on Tuesday, May 28, for an open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony at our new Belle Vernon district office, located at 10 Main Street.
This special event will be held from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., with the ribbon-cutting beginning promptly at 5:30 p.m.
This open house is an excellent opportunity to meet me, and my highly knowledgeable staff, learn about the wide range of legislative services that are available, and help us celebrate by enjoying some refreshments and conversation.
Services offered at my district office include:
- Property Tax/Rent Rebate applications.
- Unclaimed property recovery.
- Driver’s license and vehicle registration applications and renewals.
- Assistance with PennDOT paperwork (lost cards, changes, corrections, special registration plates, vanity plates, and temporary placards for persons with disabilities).
- PACE and PACENET applications for senior citizens.
- Referrals to agencies to resolve state-related matters.
- Information about legislation and new laws.
I am looking forward to seeing you there on May 28. Please share with your family, friends and neighbors.
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Expanding Education Opportunities
More students and their families would have access to additional educational options under legislation approved by the House this week to expand the successful Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program.
House Bill 800 would increase funding for the program by $100 million to $210 million, providing tens of thousands of additional Pennsylvania families the ability to choose a school that best fits their students’ needs.
In order to ensure that the scholarship program can continue to grow to meet demand, the legislation would also establish an automatic escalator, increasing the EITC scholarship cap by 10% whenever 90% of the tax credits are claimed in the prior year.
To allow more middle-class families access to this program, the bill would increase the maximum annual household income by $10,000 (to $95,000, before add-ons per child), while guaranteeing that once a student has received a scholarship, he or she will remain eligible through high school graduation regardless of changes to family income.
The EITC program provides tax credits to businesses that make contributions to approved scholarship organizations offering scholarships to children in kindergarten through grade 12, educational improvement organizations providing funding for innovative educational programs in public schools, and pre-kindergarten scholarship organizations offering scholarships to children enrolled in pre-kindergarten programs.
The bill now moves to the Senate for its consideration.
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Celebrating Our Small Businesses
This week marks Small Business Week in Pennsylvania.
Small businesses are the backbone of the Commonwealth’s economy, employing over 2.5 million people. In fact, 99.6% of employers in the state are small businesses.
House Republicans have been working hard to help Pennsylvania’s small businesses thrive and grow by cutting the red tape that creates barriers to growth and cleaning up our outdated laws.
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| Office Locations |
| Belle Vernon, 10 Main St. Belle Vernon, Pa 15012 (724) 669-2242 / California, 130 Woodland Court, Brownsville, Pa 15417 (724) 669-2242 |
| B-15 Main Capitol, PO Box 202049, Harrisburg PA 17120-2049 | (717) 783-8655 / 3-8655 |
| Email Address: BCook@pahousegop.com |
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