Sept. 1—WILKES-BARRE — Officials from small, local municipalities this week detailed the difficulties they have faced in applying for the state funding they need to complete long-awaited projects and address critical needs such as repairing closed bridges.
“The officials we heard from today don’t have dedicated advocates or grant writers on their boards,” said Rep. Frank Burns, a Democrat who represents parts of Cambria County. “State grant money is a lifeline for a lot of these communities, it can help provide the money they need to upgrade water lines or buy the equipment that first responders need. But we know there are headaches, and we want to be able to cut down on the bureaucracy for these smaller municipalities.”
Officials detailed how overwhelming the grant process can be, especially for a municipality that doesn’t have a dedicated grant writer. Officials explained that they don’t know where to find the best grant options for their municipality or what went wrong when they don’t receive grant money.
“Grant writing is very detail-oriented, it can be challenging, and years of experience can often make all the difference,” said Policy Committee Chairman Ryan Bizzarro, who represents parts of Erie County. “A key point we heard today was to keep an open line of communication with your state representative and state offices, but we also need to continue to listen to our rural municipal officials and find a way to cut more red tape.”
The House has looked at this issue during the current legislative session and in 2023 passed Rep. Abigail Salisbury’s Municipal Grant Assistant Program — HB 1216. The bill would have helped address the economic challenges and lack of grant-writing expertise faced by rural municipalities — which often have older or aging populations.
The program provides municipalities with training in writing grants and ensures that professional grant applicants can come into contact with municipalities so that they can offer their services.
The Senate has taken no action since the bill was passed by the House of Representatives in June 2023.
Yaw, Miller measure to expand Neighborhood Assistance Program included in state budget
Legislation to expand the Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP) was included in the state budget for 2024-25, according to Sens. Gene Yaw, R-23, and Sen. Nick Miller, D-14, sponsors of the original measure.
The maximum amount for the NAP program will be increased from $36 million to $72 million in the coming budget year.
“The Neighborhood Assistance Program enables businesses, communities and organizations to work together to revitalize our neighborhoods and increase access to employment, quality education and affordable housing,” Yaw said. “I am pleased with this significant investment in the program and grateful to Senator Miller for his partnership in getting this across the finish line.”
“This legislation helps both local businesses and our communities thrive,” Miller said. “We invest in our neighborhoods and support economic development by providing affordable housing programs, community services, crime prevention, education, job training or neighborhood outreach. I want to thank Senator Yaw for his commitment to increasing the NAP cap.”
In November 2023 alone, more than $3.5 million in NAP funding was awarded in Yaw’s district. One of the winners was the Pennsylvania College of Technology Foundation, which received $1,056,250 in partnership with Coterra Energy to improve labs and instructional spaces, said Yaw, who chairs the Penn College Board of Trustees.
Since he began his term in 2023, Miller’s district has received more than $1.3 million in NAP funding, including several projects to bring more affordable housing to the Lehigh Valley.
Established by the General Assembly in 1967, the program serves as a major resource for businesses, nonprofits, and underserved neighborhoods. NAP’s goal is to improve underserved areas and support neighborhood preservation by creating a productive partnership between community-based entities and the business and corporate communities.
Rep. Meuser Supports Full Accountability for 9/11 Terrorists
U.S. Congressman Dan Meuser, Republican from Dallas, co-sponsored HR 9311, the Justice for 9/11 Act, this week.
The legislation aims to ensure that those responsible for the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, are fully held accountable.
Meuser said the legislation ensures that the mastermind behind the attack, Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, and his accomplices, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin ‘Attash and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi, can be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
In addition, these terrorists are subject to strict conditions of confinement at Guantanamo Bay and their transfer to the continental United States or any other country is prohibited.
Meuser said Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin ‘Attash and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi all played critical roles in the planning and execution of the September 11 terrorist attack. All three terrorists have been held at Guantanamo Bay for years, as they are the subject of ongoing military commission proceedings.
Meuser said the Biden-Harris administration recently reached a settlement with all three terrorists, but that was rescinded by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
“As we approach the 23rd anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, it is critical that Congress reaffirm our commitment to justice for the victims and their families,” Meuser said. “This legislation ensures that those responsible for this horrific attack, which claimed nearly 3,000 American lives, can be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
The Justice for 9/11 Act has been referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
Lt. Gov. Davis hosts roundtable on child care; highlights work to reduce costs, increase access
Lt. Gov. Austin Davis joined business leaders, parents and providers for a roundtable discussion in Philadelphia this week to discuss how to expand access to child care and to highlight how the Shapiro-Davis administration is working to lower child care costs for families and support child care providers.
“As a new father, I’ve seen firsthand how important it is for working families to have access to high-quality, affordable child care,” said Davis, who co-chairs the Early Learning Investment Commission (ELIC), a public-private partnership that brings together leaders to make recommendations and policies for early learning. “Child care is infrastructure — like roads, bridges, and the internet — and without it, our economy is crippled. That’s why the Shapiro-Davis Administration expanded the child care tax credit for Pennsylvania families and, in the new bipartisan state budget, created a tax credit for employers who help their employees pay for child care. But there’s more work to be done in this area, and today’s roundtable provided valuable insights and perspectives.”
The bipartisan 2024-2025 state budget recently signed by Gov. Josh Shapiro includes a new tax credit for employers who contribute to their employees’ child care costs, as well as a $17.7 million increase in funding for early childhood education.
All of this work builds on the significant progress made last year to ease the burden of child care costs for working parents, when Governor Shapiro signed an expansion of the state’s child care tax credit for more than 200,000 Pennsylvania families and increased funding for Child Care Works by $66.7 million to provide 75,000 low-income families with affordable and accessible child care.
Davis said the lack of affordable child care is a major problem for the labor market in Pennsylvania and the rest of the country.
PennDOT Driver License, Photo Centers Closed for Labor Day
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced this week that all driver’s license and photo centers, including the full-service center in Harrisburg, will be closed from Saturday, August 31 through Monday, September 2 in observance of Labor Day.
Customers can still obtain a wide range of driver and vehicle products and services, including all driver training forms, publications and manuals, online through PennDOT’s Driver and Vehicle Services website.
Online driver and vehicle services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and include driver’s license, photo ID, and vehicle registration renewals; driver history services; address changes; license and vehicle registration reinstatement letters; the ability to pay for license or vehicle insurance reinstatement fees; duplicate driver’s licenses and photo IDs; REAL ID pre-verification; and driver test scheduling. There are no additional fees for using online services.
A complete listing of PennDOT driver’s license and photo license centers closing in 2024 is available online. If you plan to visit one of PennDOT’s On-Line Messenger Service Centers, call ahead for holiday hours.
Contact Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
