PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE AIDHARRISBURG, PAPERMIT NO. 529

Dear Friend,

hank you so much for the continued opportunity to represent you in Harrisburg. It is myprivilege and honor to serve you.would like to take a moment to update you on a number of key topics and legislative efforts inHarrisburg as well as important developments here at home. In February, the governor deliveredhis annual budget address to the Legislature. Like many families across the Commonwealth,state government is trying to do more with less. I will discuss the governor’s proposal and my ownbudget priorities later in this newsletter. In addition, I will update you on legislative efforts to helpfamilies with special needs children, my bill to assist families with a child living with a food allergy,and legislation to provide property tax relief to disabled veterans.Please take a moment to read through this newsletter. If you have any questions or would liketo discuss an issue in further detail, please feel free to contact my district ofﬁce at (215) 674-3755.Also, be sure to visit my Web site

epMurt.com

for important news and updates.

Sincerely,homas P. MurtState Representative52nd Legislative District

Lawmakers Take a CloseLook at State Spending

Budget should not shortchange vulnerable members of society

In February, Gov. Ed Rendell delivered his annual budget address to the Legislature. I think thegovernor’s budget proposal is a good starting point for negotiations, but I am concerned about the levelof spending and the proposed tax increases on working families and job creators.Pennsylvania and the entire nation are enduring the worst economic decline since the GreatDepression. As a result, state revenues last year fell $3.25 billion short of predictions. Likewise, revenuesare already $374 million below estimates for this year. Clearly, something must be done to bring our spending under control. We must examine the entire budget to determine which programs are workingand which are not and then make cuts accordingly.However, that does not mean we can shortchange those members of our community who cannothelp themselves, including adults with special needs and the families who care for them. It is my opinionhat government is not doing enough to help these families. I have been an outspoken advocate onheir behalf and I will continue to do so as the budget process moves forward.I understand that these are very difficult economic times for all of us, and like everyone else,government must start living within its means. However, that does not mean the needs of these familiesmust go unmet. Rather, it means that we, as lawmakers, must take a careful look at where our limitedresources are being spent to ensure that they are being used wisely and with the greatest benefit toour community.As we continue to deal with our difficult financial situation, it is my hope that we will make everyeffort to eliminate waste and abuse in programs which are not serving their stated purpose so we cancontinue funding the programs which are.

Upcoming Events

April 7Job Fair

co-sponsored with Willow GroveChamber of CommerceWilliamson’s Restaurant, Horsham

April

Date and Location TBD

House Republican Policy Committee Hearing onChild Labor Laws

Aug. 12

50+ Anniversary Tea

St. David’s Church, Willow Grove A representative from thePennsylvania Department of Agingwill be on hand to discuss issuesrelating to older Pennsylvanians. Please contact theofﬁce if you have been married for 50 years or more.

Sept. 16

Disabled AmericanVeterans Mobile Van

will be parked outside the districtofﬁce. My staff will be available toanswer any questions about stateprograms available to militaryveterans.

Oct. 6

Job Fair

co-sponsored with Willow GroveChamber of CommerceWilliamson’s Restaurant, Horsham

Dec. 3

Winter District OfﬁceOpen House

Please contact the district ofﬁce for more details on these events.

Table Games Will NotSolve Pennsylvania’sFinancial Problems

Earlier this year, the Legislature passed a bill to allowPennsylvania’s casinos to offer table games like black jackand poker. I was firmly opposed to the legalization of slotmachine gaming in our Commonwealth and I was equallyopposed to this expansion of gambling.Since the inception of slot machine gaming inPennsylvania, we have seen many serious problems withhe licensing and oversight of casinos. Pennsylvania’sgaming industry is in need of significant reform and muchgreater regulation. Until those reforms are implemented,it would be the height of irresponsibility to even consider expanding this industry.Even with reforms, I have serious doubts about whether expanded gaming will have the effect its advocates promise.hen slot machine gaming was legalized, we heard promisesof significant property tax relief, but so far, the property taxrelief we have seen is well below expectations. Given thatfact, it is foolish to rely on revenue from expanded gamingo help resolve our budget problems.Beyond those concerns, I am deeply troubled by thenegative impact legalized gambling is already having on our communities. This expansion of the gambling will almostcertainly increase that impact.Given the significant regulatory problems, as well as thequestionable fiscal impact and negative societal effects fromlegalized gaming, I do not believe expanding the industry washe right decision for Pennsylvania.

State Budget Process inNeed of Reform

The extended delay in passing the state budget for the 2009-10 fiscalyear had a negative impact on many worthwhile and important entities,causes, and missions across Pennsylvania including organizations thathelp the homeless, Pennsylvanians with disabilities, public school districts,county governments, child care services, and veteran services. Someschool children were even deprived of basic educational materials becausethe governor chose to veto funding for them even though it was availablein a bridge budget that reached his desk. As lawmakers, it is our responsibility to pass a balanced state budgetby the June 30 deadline, and we must take steps to ensure that whathappened last year will never happen again. Two legislative proposalshave been offered to help us avoid this type of impasse in the future.While they may not be the total solution to our problems, I believe theywould be a tremendous step in the right direction and we should beginexploring them immediately.Many legislators, including myself, did not accept pay until the budgetwas passed and I believe this was the right thing to do. House Bill 1629,of which I am a co-sponsor, would apply that concept to every lawmaker and the governor. This legislation would deny pay and per diem paymentsfor all lawmakers and the governor if the June 30 deadline passes withouta new state budget in place. It would continue denying them pay until anew budget is enacted.One of the most troubling aspects of the recent budget impasse is thenegative impact it had on schools and social services that rely on statefunding to operate. If there is no state budget in place, these servicescannot function. With that in mind, I have co-sponsored House Bill 2014which would require that if a budget is not passed by the end of the fiscalyear on June 30, the previous year’s budget will become the budget for theupcoming year. This scenario is not an attractive one, but it does offer apowerful incentive to lawmakers to accomplish a very basic responsibilityto complete a spending and revenue plan by July 1.I am very interested in your views on how we can fix the budgetprocess. Please feel free to contact my district office or visit my Web siteat

RepMurt.com.

Helping Families with Special Needs Children

As an educator and an elected ofﬁcial, I have always had a strong interest in the care and quality of life of adults with special needs andheir parents. These individuals have been in the care of their parents all of their lives. Now, they are in their 50s or 60s, and they are in thecare of a parent who is in their 70s or even 80s.I believe we are not doing enough to help these families and I continue to be an outspoken advocate on their behalf. A number of mycolleagues from both sides of the aisle share that view, and together, we formed the Intellectual Disability Caucus to advocate legislationrelating to Pennsylvanians with intellectual disabilities.We agreed that since the issue of intellectual disabilities crosses party lines, so should lawmakers as we try to help individuals with thesedisabilities and the families who care for them.In the current legislative session, there are several pieces of legislation which would provide help to these families:

House Bill 1

would expand the number of eligible adults in the adultBasic program by accepting approximately 130,000 newpeople into the program. While not designed solely for adults with disabilities, it is available to any disabled adult who meetsthe eligibility requirements. This bill passed the House last year and is now awaiting action in the Senate.

Senate Bill 189

while not designed solely for adults with disabilities, would provide protection for eligible young adults withdisabilities. This bill was signed into law on June 10, 2009, as Act 4 of 2009. It allows a parent to retain a child on a health care policyup through and including the age of 29.

House Bill 245

would expand the scope of the Family Caregiver Support Program to include reimbursements for non-relativecaregivers and increases reimbursement levels.

House Bill 1319

would establish an Adult Protective Services program to be administered by the Department of PublicWelfare. This program would be designed to protect abused, neglected, exploited or abandoned adults between 18 and 59 yearsof age who have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.

House Bill 1361

would establish a Family Caregiver Support Advisory Board within the Department of Public Welfare.

House Bill 826

would increase the reimbursement provided to caregivers under the Family Caregiver Support Act. Another bill,

House Bill 1247

introduced by Rep. Kate Harper (R-Montgomery), would eliminate the waiting list for housing and communityservices and establish a Bill of Rights for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. House Bill 1247 calls on the Department of Public Welfare to develop an action plan that will eliminate the emergency and critical segments of the waiting list by 2012.I sincerely believe caring for Pennsylvanians with intellectual disabilities is a legitimate and vital function of our state government. Thefact that these families do not have the political strength of the gaming or tobacco industries only makes them more worthy of my efforts.

Around the 152nd DistrictFood Allergy Bill PassesHouse Education Committee

Between 6 million and 7 million Americans -- or 2 percent to 2 ½ percent of our nation -- suffer from food allergies. It is estimated thatas many as 100 to 200 people die each year from food allergic reactions. Food allergies are believed to be the leading cause of anaphylaxisoutside of a hospital setting, causing an estimated 30,000 emergency department visits each year in the U.S.Yet this issue is given very little attention in the media. In fact, if you or someone you know does not have a food allergy, you probablyhave not had a reason to learn about this potentially deadly condition.Parents who know their child has a food allergy can take steps to ensure that their child is insulated from the foods which trigger a reac-ion when they are at home. Because our children spend much of their days away from the safety of their home, we must do all we can toensure their safety wherever they are.Our children spend a major part of every day at school. In some cases, they eat breakfast and lunch at school. As parents, even if wepack an allergen-free lunch for our child, we cannot monitor the foods to which they will be exposed at school. As a result, even when we takeall the appropriate steps, we cannot protect them from the foods we know will cause an allergic reaction.To help remedy this problem, I have introduced House Bill 1148, which would require the development of Food Allergy Guidelines for useby school districts in developing food allergy management practices. My bill would provide schools statewide with a uniform set of guidelineso follow in order to recognize which foods could trigger allergic reactions in students. Likewise, it would create a standard protocol to followif a student should develop an allergic reaction at school.The goal of this legislation is not to impose new mandates on the schools. Rather, it is to ensure that schools know how to care for astudent with a food allergy should they develop an allergic reaction at school. I believe my bill is essential to protecting children across theCommonwealth and I intend to continue advocating for its passage.The House Education Committee has passed House Bill 1148 and it is currently awaiting a vote by the House Appropriations Committee.t is my hope that the committee will pass it and send it to the ﬂoor for consideration by the full House.

Rep. Murt visits with local veterans on Veterans Day 2009.Rep. Murt reads “The Monkey’s Paw” and discusses itsmoral with students at Keith Valley Middle School.Rep. Murt hosted a winter open house at his district ofﬁce inHatboro. Here, he visits with the Dickerson family of Willow Grove.Rep. Murt discusses bullying with students during Upper Moreland Middle School’s Acceptance Day.