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PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGEPAIDHARRISBURG, PAPERMIT NO. 529
Summer/Fall 2008
Dear Neighbor:
www.RepAdamHarris.com
Another year has come and gone in thePennsylvania Legislature. Since I last wroteyou, I have had the privilege of representingthe 82
nd
Legislative District on a wide rangeof important issues facing our state. Whetherthe day’s business dealt with improved accessto health care professionals, environmentalprojects, road and bridge maintenance orpreserving your Second Amendment rights,I have cast my vote
according to the desiresof hard-working individuals throughoutour communities.
We have accomplished a great deal inthe last eight months, all while confronted with innumerable obstacles. Te Legislaturehas passed landmark legislation to grantcitizens access to public records and keepour air clean through a ban on smokingtobacco products in most public places.Lawmakers have faced their share of toughvotes this year, not the least of which wasthe final version of this year’s state budget, which I supported. Our schools will beseeing more funds from the state, spending was kept below the rate of inflation andthere are no new taxes or fees levied againstcash-strapped Pennsylvanians, making for acommon-sense compromise that was goodfor our area.Fall is just around the corner and thereare many issues that face the 82
nd
Legisla-tive District, its residents and those of thisgreat Commonwealth. Te input I receivefrom you is very much appreciated and I would like to encourage the continued useof my offi ces to answer your questions andconcerns about state-related matters.
Sincerely,Negotiating a state budget is likely thesingle most challenging task legislators faceeach and every year. is year was no dif-ferent, especially considering the currenteconomic climate and a host of importantprograms that require state support.One of the most important issues ad-dressed in this year’s budget is the state’scommitment to education. Nearly $5.23billion will be used this year to subsidize thestate’s 501 school districts, representing a 5.5percent increase ($274.7 million) over lastyear’s appropriation. House Republicansfought to ensure that all of Pennsylvania’sschools would see their fair share of the in-crease. Schools were originally guaranteedto see a minimum 1.5 percent increase, butnow they will see at least 3 percent—some will see even more. Another significantvictory for districts is the prevention of aplan to establish mandatory high schoolgraduation exams. Virtually every schooldistrict and legitimate education organiza-tion opposed the exams as unnecessary anddistracting. Another important issue for much of Pennsylvania is its ability to fund needed
Education, Energy, Infrastructure UpgradesDrive Budget Debate
infrastructure upgrades. Over the next 15years, it has been estimated that the Com-monwealth will need to invest as much as$20 billion to improve its water and sewagesystems. Already, many local governmentsthat are trying to preserve the ChesapeakeBay by cutting down on waste water emis-sions are painfully aware of how expensivethese upgrades can be. e Legislature actedto minimize this burden with $800 millionfor water and sewer projects over the nextfour years.I know that energy costs are on theminds of many individuals. With gas pricespassing $4 per gallon and rate caps on elec-tricity set to expire, Pennsylvania needs acomprehensive energy plan that keeps thebest interests of the consumer front andcenter. Legislation passed by the House willinvest $650 million over the next eight yearsto accomplish this goal.In the coming years, Pennsylvaniafaces several high hurdles and lawmakersmust become increasingly vigilant againstspending state resources wastefully. For my part, I will continue to advocate responsibleinvestments in our state’s future.
t i i erea rrs si r.
Public Smoking BanSigned into Law
This June, the Legislature pushedforward with plans to enact a statewidesmoking ban in numerous public places. While it is not as strict as many wouldhave preferred, I supported this measurebecause it is a good place to start. Underthe new law, which goes into effect inSeptember, smoking would not be per-mitted in:
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Restaurants and workplaces.
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Private homes, residences or vehiclesbeing used for child-care services or adultday-care services.
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Hotels (25 percent of rooms may besmoking).
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Certain long-term care facilities.ere are a number of common-senseexemptions, including:
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Cigar bars where total annual sales of tobacco products are at least 15 percent.
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Bars and taverns—where food salescomprise 20 percent or less of total grosssales.
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In casinos, 25 percent of the gamingfloor may be smoking. If slot machinesin the smoking area outperform thosein non-smoking areas (as reported tothe Dept. of Revenue), casinos can in-crease designated smoking areas on thefloor proportionate to the difference inrevenue. at figure may not exceed 50percent.
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Private clubs if approved by a vote of offi cers. We have all heard of the dangers of smoking and secondhand smoke and I amhappy to have taken a stand in the bestinterests of Pennsylvanians. e vote onthe bill in the House was 163-38 and wasthe result of nearly one year of negotia-tions by a House and Senate conferencecommittee.
Property Tax/Rent Rebate Applications Still Being Accepted
If you have not applied for your 2007 Property Tax/Rent Rebate, there is still time to file. Hoping to reach out to even moreindividuals, the deadline for the program has been extended from June 30 to Dec. 31, 2008. According to the Pennsylvania Depart-ment of Revenue, more than 515,000 claims have been filed for this year’s rebates.e program benefits eligible Pennsylvanians who are 65 years or older, widows and widowers 50 years or older, and those 18years or older with disabilities. Eligible participants can receive a rebate of up to $650 based on their rent or property taxes paid in2007, and income limits for homeowners were recently expanded to the following levels*:
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$0 and $8,000, $650 maximum rebate (Homeowners and renters)
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$8,001 to $15,000, $500 maximum rebate (Homeowners and renters)
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$15,001 to $18,000, $300 maximum rebate (Homeowners only)
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$18,001 to $35,000, $250 maximum rebate (Homeowners only)Property Tax/Rent Rebate claim forms are available by contacting my offi ce, or by visiting my Web site at
RepAdamHarris.com.
In order to quickly and accurately process your claim, please remember to provide all the necessary income and property tax/rentalinformation.
* Income limits exclude 50 percent of Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, and Railroad Retirement Tier 1 benefits.
Pennsylvania Can Help Parents Save forChildren’s College Education
Only 32 percent of families feel confident that they can save enough for their children’scollege education. It is not a surprising statistic knowing how expensive higher educationis and how expensive it is projected to become. ough tuition increases typically vary from school to school, average projected increases have been as high as 7 percent, whichfar outpace national inflation rates.However, the nowU program has helped more than 25,000 Pennsylvania familiessave money for their children’s education. Formerly known as the TAP 529 PennsylvaniaTuition Account Program, nowU has paid out more than $367 million in benefits in its15 years of existence.NowU offers two ways to help individuals save for the ever-growing costs associated withobtaining a college degree: a guaranteed savings plan (GSP) and an investment plan.e GSP is helpful for families who want to keep pace with tuition inflation while theinvestment plan gives college savers the choice of 13 different investment options, fromconservative to aggressive.Participants also receive a host of generous tax breaks including a state tax deductionof up to $12,000 for their contributions to qualified tuition account programs. Earningsare tax deferred, meaning they are not subject to yearly taxation for either federal or Penn-sylvania income taxes. Contributions to the GSP qualify for up to a $12,000 annual gifttax exemption and all contributions are exempt from Pennsylvania inheritance tax.Grants and scholarships can often help students meet their needs, but they are notalways enough to help par for a higher education.More information for both the GSP and the investment plan are available by visitingmy Web site at
RepAdamHarris.com
and clicking on “nowU College Savings.”
Chesapeake Bay Watershed Upgrades WinFirmer State Commitment
Water from many of Central Pennsylvania’s streams and rivers, and unfortunately mostof what we put in it, eventually reaches the Chesapeake Bay. Tese water resources are col-lectively known as the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and they encompass more than 64,000square miles and six different states. Of these states, Pennsylvania accounts for more than 34percent of the watershed.In 2005, the federal government passed the Clean Water Act and established new require-ments for water quality standards in the Chesapeake Bay. In order to meet these requirements,the states within the watershed and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) workedtogether to create maximum nutrient cap loads.Te new regulations also made 2010 the year by which the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) must meet the new requirements. While I understand theundeniable need to clean up our water resources and do our part to preserve the ChesapeakeBay, it is unfair for the state to pass the buck to local governments. Some of the strategiesfor limiting our water pollution include massively expensive sewage system upgrades and ata time when municipalities can barely afford to fuel their police vehicles, we cannot possibly ask them to bear this burden.For this reason, I have joined a number of my colleagues to support legislation designedto help local government afford these improvements. As part of this year’s budget package,the Legislature dedicated $800 million in a statewide program to improve water and waste water treatment system infrastructure and to repair or implement new flood control projects.Tis particular program would provide grants with a 50 percent match requirement. Already,funding is available through the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority in the formof low-interest loans.Priority for funding will be given to eligible applicants such as municipalities or municipalauthorities that are currently subject to federal or state court agency order, consent decrees, ornew permit discharge limits imposed after Jan. 1, 2007. Tis means that wastewater treatmentsystems within the Chesapeake Bay watershed will be afforded a higher priority for funding.
Harris partici- pated in a hearing on a proposal toutilize existing liquor tax rev- enues to eliminate property taxes for rural Pennsylva- nians. Harris and his Republicancolleagues havecontinued tovoice the opinionsof taxpayers fromaround the state,who are fed upwith oppressive property taxes.In March, Harris participated in a House Policy Committee hearing gauging the potential costs to local government for cleanup efforts to protect theChesapeake Bay. Harris acknowledged the importance of cleanup efforts,but maintained that state assistance is needed to help cash-strapped mu- nicipalities pay for the multi-million dollar projects.
Local EntertainmentSaves on Gas
Why waste time and gas travelingto another state when you can find greatentertainment options close to home?Pennsylvania is home to more than 100county and community fairs, showcasingthe state’s leading industry: agriculture.Here are a few local fairs which you mightfind entertaining.
BEAVER COMMUNITY FAIR
Sept. 14 - 20(570) 837-6541
BeaverFair.org
JUNIATA COUNTY FAIR
Aug. 30 - Sept. 6(717) 527-4414
JuniataCountyFair.com
MCCLURE BEAN SOUPFESTIVAL AND FAIR
Sept. 6 - 13(800) 338-7389
McClureBeanSoup.com
MIFFLIN COUNTY YOUTH FAIR
Aug. 4 - 9(717) 248-9618
MCYouthFair.com
e annual Pennsylvania State FarmShow, the largest indoor agricultural exhi-bition in the country, will be held in Har-risburg and is currently scheduled for Jan.10-17, 2009.For a free copy of the Pennsylvania FairsGuide, visit one of my district offi ces or visitonline at
RepAdamHarris.com
.
For the first time in this nation’s history, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a major decision regarding individual Americans’ Second Amendment rightto own firearms. Personal gun rights advocates consider the ruling to be the first of many successes to come for law-abiding gun owners. Te 5-4 rulingoverturns a 1976 law in Washington, D.C., banning the possession of hand guns.Last year, Pennsylvanians definitively rejected oppressive firearm legislation that would have established an annual $10 per gun fee. Second Amend-ment rights have been under attack for many years, and I will continue to oppose any legislation that violates Pennsylvanians’ constitutionally enumeratedfreedoms. I look forward to working with concerned citizens on this issue, and I will fight against any legislation that singles out law-abiding citizens.
In the meantime, I would like to encourage individuals who want their Second Amendment right preserved to visit my Web site at
RepAdamHarris.com
and add their name to the “No New Gun Controls” petition.
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