PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGEPAIDHARRISBURG, PAPERMIT NO 529

Dear Neighbor:

First, let me thank you for your vote of confidence bychoosing me as your state representative. Being able toshare my experience and dedication to public service towork for the people of the 196th District is a true honor.Since being sworn into office to represent the 196thDistrict in York County on Jan. 6, it has been my goal to beaccessible to you and to every resident of our district whoneeds assistance with state services. When you have aquestion about a PennDOT issue, when you need a copy of your birth certificate or when you need to file an insurancecomplaint, my office is here to help. As the 2009-10 legislative session progresses, you canalso contact me regarding your concerns with legislation,including the Pennsylvania budget. I will do my best tokeep you informed regarding what is going on in Harrisburg,and I am looking forward to hearing what you have to sayabout legislative matters. Your input is vital in helping toshape policies for Pennsylvania that will be most beneficialto our district.The Commonwealth and our nation are facing chal-lenging times. We will confront unprecedented decisionsregarding the financial stability and economic future of Pennsylvania, and I want to maintain an open dialogue withyou on how to proceed in these matters.I look forward to serving you in the Pennsylvania Houseof Representatives, and I am hopeful that we will meetand have the opportunity to chat at one of my upcomingevents.Sincerely,Seth GroveState Representative196th District

On Jan. 6, I took the oath of officeto officially beginmy first termrepresenting the196th District.

The following are a fewexamples of the servicesoffered at my ofﬁce:

• Driver’s license and vehicle registration applications andrenewals.• Assistance with PennDOT paperwork (lost cards,changes, corrections, special registration plates, vanityplates, and temporary placards for disabled persons).• PACE and PACENET applications for seniors citizens.• Property Tax/Rent Rebate applications.• Consumer complaint forms.• State tax forms.• Filing for unclaimed property.• Free state maps, state park information, and PA VacationGuides.• Copies of legislation.• Tours of the State Capitol.• Referrals to agencies to resolve state-related matters.

www.RepGrove.com

State Representative

SETH GROVE

196th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Spring 2009

You’re Invited

to My Open House

I will be hosting an Open House at my district office in the WestgatePlaza. This will be your opportunity to meet my staff, find out howmy office can assist you and enjoy some light refreshments with your state representative.

Friday, April 17

1 to 6 p.m.1550-C Kenneth Road York

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No RSVP is necessary

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There will be a special ribbon-cutting ceremony at 2 p.m.

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It Happened in theHouse

Although a lot of time and effort have gone into under-standing the state budget and the federal stimulus package,the Pennsylvania House of Representatives has also beenworking on other legislative priorities. Following are severalbills, which I co-sponsored, that have passed the House.Please note, these bills will need Senate approval and thegovernor’s signature to become law.

House Bill 39

– Would prohibit dog owners fromperforming certain surgical procedures on their dogs andby granting authority to dog wardens to enforce certainprovisions of the animal cruelty statute in countieslacking a court-appointed humane society police ofﬁcer.

House Bill 73

– Would provide an exemption from juryduty for people age 70 or older who opt not to serve.

House Bill 270

– Would allow a former or retired justice, judge or magisterial district judge who is not sitting onthe bench in the capacity of a senior judge or senior magisterial district judge to perform marriages. In addition,retired mayors, such as York County’s “Marrying Mayor,”Robb Green, would be able to perform marriage services.I am also in the process of introducing legislation whichwould prohibit members of the General Assembly from be-ing employed by or affiliated with a lobbying firm while themember is in office. It would also specify that any legislator violating this ban would be committing a third-degree felony.I have authored this bill because I believe it is unethical for legislators to receive monetary compensation from firms inbusiness to sway the decisions of government.

Agriculture Remains aPriority for Grove

I had the opportunity to speak to Secretary of Agriculture Dennis Wolff regarding Pennsylvania’s priorities for the industry and his plans for the department in the coming year.In March, members of the Dover Future Farmers of America visited Harrisburg. I enjoyed meeting these students, who are the future of agriculture, and showing them around the Capitol.During the 23rd Annual York County Agricultural Recognition Banquet,I presented the James Eisenhour Family of Wellsville, the recipientsof the 2009 Outstanding Farm Family Award, with a citation from theHouse of Representatives congratulating them for their contribution toagriculture and the excellence of their farm, Cedar Hill Farms.

Grove Selected for KeyCommittees

For the 2009-10 session, I have been chosen to serve on theHouse Aging and Older Adult Services, Health and Human Services,and Intergovernmental Affairs committees. I will also temporarilyserve on the House Consumer Affairs Committee while Rep. ScottPerry (R-Dillsburg) is deployed to Iraq.The Consumer Affairs Committee deals with legislation relatedto public utilities, landlord and tenant relations, and unfair tradepractices. The Aging and Older Adult Services Committee handleslegislation regarding programs for senior citizens, long-term careand older adult protective services. The Health and Human Ser-vices Committee examines bills about health and welfare-relatedissues.Serving on the Intergovernmental Affairs Committee will bean especially important assignment, as it will examine legislationrelating to the federal stimulus package. The committee’s connec-tion to bills regarding the Susquehanna River Basin Compact andthe Chesapeake Bay Commission are also particularly importantto York County.Republican Leader Sam Smith (R-Jefferson/Armstrong/Indiana)also appointed me to the State Planning Board, which conductsresearch and collects demographic and economic data, developsstrategic plans for the Commonwealth and monitors state andnational trends.

Legislative Survey

Because I value the opinions of those I serve and want toaccurately represent your views in Harrisburg, I have posted alegislative survey on my Web site,

RepGrove.com

. If you donot have Internet access, contact my ofﬁce and a member of my staff will assist you in completing the survey. I look forwardto reading your responses!

Pennsylvania’s Financial Picture

In February, Gov. Ed Rendell addressed the General Assemblywith his spending plan for the 2009-10 ﬁscal year. During his address,the governor reported revenue collections had fallen severely shortof projections, potentiallyleaving the Commonwealthwith a budget shortfall of more than $2 billion.Since the time of theaddress, we have learnedthat Pennsylvania will likelyreceive assistance fromthe federal government.Though money is alreadyﬂowing into the state fromthe feds, we are still notsure exactly how all of thefunding will be used. I willaddress the stimulus fund-ing further in the followingarticle.One proposal whichcreated quite a stir was thegovernor’s announcementthat he wants to create anew tuition program for certain college studentsusing funds from expandedgaming. According to the governor, this would not be an actual expan-sion of gaming because it is already being done illegally. My questionis, if we know this is going on illegally, why aren’t we enforcing thelaw? Frankly, we are still too busy ironing out the wrinkles with slotmachines to try to initiate another expanded gaming program. Also,allowing these video poker machines in bars would prompt a lawsuitby current casino license holders who paid $50 million in license fees.Pennsylvania would likely have to return those licensing fees and payexpensive court costs. Finally, where is the real property tax relief wewere supposed to see from the original gambling expansion?Another component of the governor’s budget ad-dress which has gotten a lotof attention is his sugges-tion that we should createa commission to generatea plan for school consoli-dations. He would like tosee the Commonwealthgo from 501 to 100 publicschool districts. I have asection on my Web site,

RepGrove.com

, devotedto the school district con-solidation study conductedby the Legislative Budgetand Finance Committeein 2006. According to thestudy, the most economicalcircumstances for consoli-dation exist with combinedenrollments of less than3,000 students. This wouldnot be possible under thegovernor’s proposal.Ultimately, the solution to our economic problems in Pennsylvaniais not federal assistance, fancy revenue enhancements (taxes), or thegovernor’s school district consolidation plan. What we need is good,old-fashioned restraint in spending. Following is a chart showingPennsylvania’s budget growth since 1994. It is clear that spendinghas gotten out of control.

$$ Keep Your Eye on the Money $$

As a member of the House Intergovernmental Affairs Committee, which has already held one hearing on Pennsylvania’s share of thefederal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), I am going to be watching how the federal aid is spent very closely. I encour-age you to do the same.I have posted a section on my Web site,

RepGrove.com

, called “Follow the Federal $timulus Money.” Through this section, you canlink to a site that shows exactly how the Commonwealth is using the funds, including a county-by-county breakdown. You can also linkto the federal government’s site which catalogues grants available to local governments through ARRA. Finally, there is a link to a Website that gives an explanation of the federal legislation enabling the stimulus program.While portions of this funding will certainly help Pennsylvania’s overall ﬁnancial picture, we must be very vigilant in how we spend thismoney. We cannot create new programs or future obligations because this is not a permanent funding stream. We must remain cognizantthat this money will run out after 2011.This means any money for which we are required to accept federal mandates should be carefully examined. Mandates could end upcosting us more money when all is said and done. This is why I am supporting legislation which would give the General Assembly greater oversight in determining if federal dollars should be accepted and how those we do receive are allocated. These bills include:

• House Resolution 165 and House Bill 993

, which would require the House and Senate to approve or reject the stimulusmoney targeted for Pennsylvania and require the House and Senate approve all highway and transportation projects which willreceive stimulus funding before any stimulus money is spent.

• House Bill 991

, which would create a nine-member Stimulus Oversight Council to analyze and report to the General Assemblyregarding the use and distribution of stimulus funds. The council would consist of two members each from the House andSenate, one member from labor, one member from the business community, two members from local governments,and one member to be appointed at the governor’s discretion.

• House Bill 992

, which would assure that decisions on the distributionof the stimulus funds will rest with the people rather than the governor byrequiring state agencies which receive stimulus funds to report to theGeneral Assembly on how they intend to spend the funds and the impact thefunds will have before they are distributed by the Legislature.If you have any questions regarding these bills or the ARRA program, contactmy ofﬁce.

During a House Intergovernmental Affairs Committee hearing regarding the federal stimulus funding coming to Pennsylvania, I questioned how the Commonwealth can use these federal dollars in a way that will not impact our general fund when the money runs out after 2011.