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Representing the 99th Legislative District
Spring 2007
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
State Representative
Gordon Denlinger
PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE
PAID
HARRISBURG, PAPERMIT NO 529
Visit me on the Web at
www.RepDenlinger.com
December 2009
Partners in Progress
For several years, localresidents have expressedconcern about traffic andpedestrian safety at theintersection of Route 322 andRailroad Avenue. In an effort toaddress those concerns, Rep.Denlinger worked closely with theEarl Township Supervisors, Sen.Mike Brubaker (R-36), and other local business and communityleaders to initiate improvementsto the intersection. The resultof those efforts is a new state-of-the-art traffic light and manyother roadway improvements atthat location.Several local businessespledged their support to thisAs we enjoy the blessings of family andfriends during the holiday season, I wanted tosend you an update on a number of key topicsand legislative efforts in Harrisburg. This hasbeen a year of much debate in Harrisburg over the size and direction of state government,and that debate will continue into next year.As I look back over 2009, one thing standsout. The volume of citizen comments sharedwith me and all elected officials has grownby leaps and bounds. Whether through e-mails, calls, letters, or just catching up in thehardware store aisle, I regularly hear fromcitizens who are passionate about health care,taxes, education, libraries, and a host of other causes and concerns.While some may think of the renewed levelof citizen input as a negative, I view this as anamazingly positive, vitally important direction.Our representative form of governmentsurvives and thrives based on the activedebates that happen in our community fromneighbor to neighbor, and the communicationof those same thoughts and views with thosewho hold office.Clearly, in a House district with nearly65,000 residents, not all views will prevail.But as your representative, input from all of my constituents is appreciated and valued.It has been and continues to be my honor to listen to and exchange ideas with agrowing number of folks in Eastern Lancaster County. To that end, I thank you for the highhonor which has been extended to me, andI remain,Yours in Public Service,Gordon Denlinger State Representative99th Legislative District
Rep. Denlinger joined elected officials and local business owners at a ceremony marking the placement of a traffic light at the intersection of Route 322 and Railroad Avenue in Earl Township. Pictured are (from left to right): Lynn Weaver,Martin Limestone; Steve Lindsey, Garden Spot Village; Sen. Mike Brubaker; Ray Martin, Earl Township supervisor; Calvin Ewell, H. R. Ewell, Inc.; Fred Wissler, Earl Township supervisor; Steve Ewell, H. R. Ewell, Inc.; Rick Kochel, Earl Township supervisor; and Rep. Denlinger.
project and they deserve agreat deal of credit for their role in seeing it through tocompletion. Their efforts are anexcellent example of what can beaccomplished when governmentand the private sector worktogether for the betterment of our community.Special thanks to:
Martin Limestone
Garden Spot Village
Lester R. Summers, Inc.
Good’s Furniture andFlooring
Valley Proteins, Inc.
Berk-Tek, Inc.
H.R. Ewell, Inc.
RepDenli
Denlinger Chairs Task Force on Budget and Economic Policy
At the start of this legislativesession, House Republican PolicyCommittee Chairman Stan Saylor (R-York) created several task forcesto examine and develop legislativesolutions on the state budget andeconomic policy; education and jobtraining; government reform; healthcare; infrastructure; energy; and smallbusiness.As a long-time advocate of limited government and responsiblespending, I was honored when Rep.Saylor asked Rep. Craig Dally (R-Northampton) and me to serve aschairmen of the Budget and EconomicPolicy Task Force. Our task forcehas been holding hearings acrossPennsylvania as part of our effortto develop sound budget practices,responsible budget cuts and innovativeideas to reduce government spendingin light of Pennsylvania’s growingbudget deficit.Pennsylvania finished the last fiscalyear with a deficit of more than $3billion and revenue collections for this year are already $160 millionbelow predicted levels. Moreover, thefact that the recent budget impassedragged on for more than threemonths past the legally mandatedbudget deadline is a clear indicationthat we must reform the state budgetprocess.I look forward to working withmembers of the task force and the restof my House Republican colleaguesto develop a comprehensive strategyto address Pennsylvania’s economicchallenges and to develop pro-growthand pro-jobs solutions for our future.
Legislation Would ImplementMuch-Needed Reforms at DPW
Now more than ever it is important that state governmentgets the most out of every taxpayer dollar it spends. Thatmeans we need to take a very close look at state spendingand take steps to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse wherever we find it. A prime example is the Pennsylvania Departmentof Public Welfare (DPW), which consumes about one third of the state budget.Recent audits have highlighted serious inefficiencies andabuse in the department, including improper Medicaid eligibil-ity determinations, failure to justify payments made throughthe special allowance program, and fraud in the Low IncomeHome Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).As a co-chairman of the House Republican Budget andEconomic Policy Task Force, I have worked closely with Rep.Mauree Gingrich (R-Lebanon) and my House Republicancolleagues to develop House Bill 1856, a series of reformsdesigned to bring about greater accountability and efficiencywithin DPW to ensure that the Pennsylvanians who truly needassistance are receiving it. Among other things, our legisla-tion would:
Require that residency be a prerequisite for receivingassistance. Residency would be established when anindividual resides in the Commonwealth for at least 90 days.
Require applicants between the ages of 18 and 65 to take andpass a test for illegal drugs as a condition of receiving benefits.
Prohibit the purchase of alcoholic beverages withwelfare dollars.
Require DPW to submit information on its plans andoperations, including work participation and verificationplans, to the General Assembly and the state treasurer’soffice and post them on the Internet.
Provide for a comprehensive audit of DPW, which includesprovider and recipient sampling to identify fraudulent actionsin the department.
Establish a computerized Income Eligibility VerificationSystem that would cross check 19 different federaland state databases on a quarterly basis to ensure thatapplicants are eligible for the benefits they are claiming.
Eliminate special allowances – except for fees or duesthat are conditional on gaining employment and arepre-authorized – for welfare recipients including specialpayments for the purchase or repair of a vehicle, tools, etc.House Bill 1856 provides reasonable, commonsense solu-tions to the problems at DPW. I strongly urge House leadersto bring it up for a vote as soon as possible.
Keystone Works Plan Seeksto Lower Pennsylvania’sUnemployment Rate
Our Commonwealth and our nation are enduringthe worst economic recession since the GreatDepression. While Pennsylvania’s unemploymentrate is lower than the national average, it hasnearly doubled over the last two years andsomething must be done to improve it.The House Republican Policy Committee’sBudget and Economic Policy Task Force, of which I am co-chairman, is currently developing apackage of legislation known as Keystone Works.These bills are designed to create incentives for employers to hire by reducing the costs associatedwith filling job vacancies and pairing unemployedPennsylvanians with employers who are activelyseeking to hire.The Keystone Works package includes:
Keystone Works I
-- This bill, which will beintroduced by Rep. Stan Saylor (R-York) andco-sponsored by me, will allow people collectingunemployment benefits to work for selectedbusinesses up to 24 hours a week for eightweeks at no cost to the employer. Employerswill be required to certify that they intend toimmediately hire for the position and followup with a performance evaluation, whether they hire the worker or not. A similar programhas been implemented in Georgia and isseeing great success.
Keystone Works II
– This bill, which will beintroduced by Rep. Curt Sonney (R-Erie) andco-sponsored by me, is similar to KeystoneWorks I, but will target public assistancerecipients who are seeking to return toemployment.
Teen Employment Incentive Tax Credit
– Teenunemployment in the United States is at arecord high of 27.6 percent. This legislation,which I plan to introduce, would provide taxcredits to businesses which provide jobsto teenagers (ages 14 to 17).These bills are currently being drafted and willbe introduced in the near future.
inger.com
Bill Would Protect Citizens’Right to Self Defense intheir Homes
Each year, there are thousands of cases of murder,in-home assault, kidnapping and rape across our nation. While our law enforcement officials doan excellent job of protecting us, they cannot beeverywhere all the time. Citizens must have thelegal right to defend themselves and their familiesfrom attack, even it means using lethal force.With that in mind, I support the Castle Doctrine,which holds that an attacker or intruder in a person’slegally occupied home or vehicle intends to do greatbodily harm, and that protective/lethal force may beused to defend oneself, one’s family, and others inthe face of an attack. Under current Pennsylvanialaw, an individual must demonstrate that they had areasonable belief that they were in imminent danger of death, serious bodily injury, kidnapping or rape to justify the use of lethal force in self-defense.I have co-sponsored House Bill 40, which wouldestablish the Castle Doctrine as the legal standardfor the use of force in self-defense. This bill wouldcreate the presumption that an attacker or intruder intends to do great bodily harm. In addition, it wouldoffer specific protection against civil liability for thelawful use of force in self-defense.This bill is not intended to give anyone the legalright to misuse lethal force. However, it is importantto assure Pennsylvania’s law-abiding citizens thatthey have the explicit legal right to protect themselvesand their families if the need should arise. HouseBill 40 would provide that assurance.
I recently presented House citations to Anna Harsh and Elizabeth Martin in recognition of their 100th birthdays. Both women are residents of Garden Spot Village retirement community in New Holland.Recently, I took part in a ceremony honoring Steve Loewen, who received a Jefferson Award for his volunteer leadership in the New Holland Community. Pictured are (from left to right): myself, Mr.Loewen and New Holland Mayor Wilbur Horning.I was pleased to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the expansion of Astro Machine Works, Inc.’s manufacturing facility in Ephrata. Pictured are (from left to right): Ephrata Mayor Ralph Mowen; Bill Youndt, vice president, Astro Machine Works; myself; and Eric Blow, president, Astro Machine Works.Recently, I welcomed students from Twin Valley Bible Academy to the Capitol.
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