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HARRISBURG, PA
PERMIT NO. 529

Dear Friend, Upcoming

Thank you so much for the continued opportunity to represent you in Harrisburg. It is my
privilege and honor to serve you.
I would like to take a moment to update you on a number of key topics and legislative efforts in
Events
Harrisburg as well as important developments here at home. In February, the governor delivered April 7
his annual budget address to the Legislature. Like many families across the Commonwealth, Job Fair
state government is trying to do more with less. I will discuss the governor’s proposal and my own co-sponsored with Willow Grove
budget priorities later in this newsletter. In addition, I will update you on legislative efforts to help Chamber of Commerce
families with special needs children, my bill to assist families with a child living with a food allergy, Williamson’s Restaurant, Horsham
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 like April
to discuss an issue in further detail, please feel free to contact my district office at (215) 674-3755. Date and Location TBD
Also, be sure to visit my Web site RepMurt.com for important news and updates.
House Republican Policy
Sincerely, Committee Hearing on
Child Labor Laws
Aug. 12
Thomas P. Murt 50+ Anniversary Tea
State Representative St. David’s Church, Willow Grove
152nd Legislative District A representative from the
Pennsylvania Department of Aging
will be on hand to discuss issues
relating to older
Lawmakers Take a Close Pennsylvanians. Please contact the
office if you have been married for
Look at State Spending 50 years or more.
Budget should not shortchange vulnerable members of society Sept. 16
In February, Gov. Ed Rendell delivered his annual budget address to the Legislature. I think the
Disabled American
governor’s budget proposal is a good starting point for negotiations, but I am concerned about the level Veterans Mobile Van
of spending and the proposed tax increases on working families and job creators. will be parked outside the district
Pennsylvania and the entire nation are enduring the worst economic decline since the Great office. My staff will be available to
Depression. As a result, state revenues last year fell $3.25 billion short of predictions. Likewise, revenues answer any questions about state
are already $374 million below estimates for this year. Clearly, something must be done to bring our programs available to military
spending under control. We must examine the entire budget to determine which programs are working veterans.
and which are not and then make cuts accordingly.
However, that does not mean we can shortchange those members of our community who cannot
Oct. 6
help themselves, including adults with special needs and the families who care for them. It is my opinion Job Fair
that government is not doing enough to help these families. I have been an outspoken advocate on co-sponsored with Willow Grove
their behalf and I will continue to do so as the budget process moves forward. Chamber of Commerce
I understand that these are very difficult economic times for all of us, and like everyone else, Williamson’s Restaurant, Horsham
government must start living within its means. However, that does not mean the needs of these families Dec. 3
must go unmet. Rather, it means that we, as lawmakers, must take a careful look at where our limited
resources are being spent to ensure that they are being used wisely and with the greatest benefit to Winter District Office
our community. Open House
As we continue to deal with our difficult financial situation, it is my hope that we will make every
effort to eliminate waste and abuse in programs which are not serving their stated purpose so we can Please contact the district office for
continue funding the programs which are. more details on these events.
 State Budget Process in
Need of Reform
The extended delay in passing the state budget for the 2009-10 fiscal
year had a negative impact on many worthwhile and important entities,
causes, and missions across Pennsylvania including organizations that
help the homeless, Pennsylvanians with disabilities, public school districts,
county governments, child care services, and veteran services. Some
school children were even deprived of basic educational materials because
the governor chose to veto funding for them even though it was available
in a bridge budget that reached his desk.
As lawmakers, it is our responsibility to pass a balanced state budget
by the June 30 deadline, and we must take steps to ensure that what
happened last year will never happen again. Two legislative proposals
have 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 they
would be a tremendous step in the right direction and we should begin
exploring them immediately.
Many legislators, including myself, did not accept pay until the budget
was 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 payments
for all lawmakers and the governor if the June 30 deadline passes without
a new state budget in place. It would continue denying them pay until a
new budget is enacted.
One of the most troubling aspects of the recent budget impasse is the
negative impact it had on schools and social services that rely on state
funding to operate. If there is no state budget in place, these services
cannot function. With that in mind, I have co-sponsored House Bill 2014
which would require that if a budget is not passed by the end of the fiscal
year on June 30, the previous year’s budget will become the budget for the
upcoming year. This scenario is not an attractive one, but it does offer a
powerful incentive to lawmakers to accomplish a very basic responsibility
to complete a spending and revenue plan by July 1.
I am very interested in your views on how we can fix the budget
process. Please feel free to contact my district office or visit my Web site
at RepMurt.com.
Table Games Will Not
Solve Pennsylvania’s
Financial Problems
Earlier this year, the Legislature passed a bill to allow
Pennsylvania’s casinos to offer table games like black jack
and poker. I was firmly opposed to the legalization of slot
machine gaming in our Commonwealth and I was equally
opposed to this expansion of gambling.
Since the inception of slot machine gaming in
Pennsylvania, we have seen many serious problems with
the licensing and oversight of casinos. Pennsylvania’s
gaming industry is in need of significant reform and much
greater 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.
When slot machine gaming was legalized, we heard promises
of significant property tax relief, but so far, the property tax
relief we have seen is well below expectations. Given that
fact, it is foolish to rely on revenue from expanded gaming
to help resolve our budget problems.
Beyond those concerns, I am deeply troubled by the
negative impact legalized gambling is already having on our
communities. This expansion of the gambling will almost
certainly increase that impact.
Given the significant regulatory problems, as well as the
questionable fiscal impact and negative societal effects from
legalized gaming, I do not believe expanding the industry was
the right decision for Pennsylvania.

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 and
their 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 the
care 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 my
colleagues from both sides of the aisle share that view, and together, we formed the Intellectual Disability Caucus to advocate legislation
relating 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 these
disabilities 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 new
people into the program. While not designed solely for adults with disabilities, it is available to any disabled adult who meets
the 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 with
disabilities. 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 policy
up 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-relative
caregivers and increases reimbursement levels.
• House Bill 1319 would establish an Adult Protective Services program to be administered by the Department of Public
Welfare. This program would be designed to protect abused, neglected, exploited or abandoned adults between 18 and 59 years
of 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 community
services 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. The
fact 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 District

Rep. Murt visits with local veterans on Veterans Day 2009. Rep. Murt reads “The Monkey’s Paw” and discusses its
moral with students at Keith Valley Middle School.

Rep. Murt hosted a winter open house at his district office in Rep. Murt discusses bullying with students during Upper
Hatboro. Here, he visits with the Dickerson family of Willow Moreland Middle School’s Acceptance Day.
Grove.

Food Allergy Bill Passes

House 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 that
as many as 100 to 200 people die each year from food allergic reactions. Food allergies are believed to be the leading cause of anaphylaxis
outside 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 probably
have 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-
tion 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 to
ensure 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 we
pack 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 take
all 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 use
by school districts in developing food allergy management practices. My bill would provide schools statewide with a uniform set of guidelines
to follow in order to recognize which foods could trigger allergic reactions in students. Likewise, it would create a standard protocol to follow
if 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 a
student with a food allergy should they develop an allergic reaction at school. I believe my bill is essential to protecting children across the
Commonwealth 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.
It is my hope that the committee will pass it and send it to the floor for consideration by the full House.
Bills Would Provide Property Tax Relief for Disabled Veterans
As a veteran of the Iraq war, issues impacting Pennsylvania
veterans have always been especially important to me. As our
fellow Pennsylvanians return from combat, we must be mindful
of our obligations to ease the pain and suffering they endure as a
result of military-related disabilities.
Earlier this year, Rep. Doug Reichley (R-Lehigh) and I introduced
a pair of bills to assist disabled veterans. Rep. Reichley’s bill, House
Bill 2224, would amend Pennsylvania’s constitution by removing
“served during a period of war” requirement and the “financial need”
requirement for the Commonwealth’s Disabled Veteran Real Estate
Exemption Program. This will enable us to provide 100 percent
property tax relief for all disabled veterans regardless of whether their
disability was sustained during wartime or peacetime. In addition,
the bill would allow the surviving spouse of a soldier killed in action
to qualify for this benefit.
My legislation, House Bill 2225, would provide a tax relief stipend
to disabled veterans who are not 100 percent disabled. This program
would function in conjunction with Pennsylvania’s Property Tax/Rent
Rebate program.

Attention Local Veterans!!

The personal stories of veterans are stirring and powerful because they provide first-hand testimony of what they saw as history
unfolded before them. In an effort to ensure that these stories can live on for generations to come, I am asking all veterans who live
in the 152nd Legislative District to write down their memories of their time in the service. Those stories, along with “then” and “now”
photos of each participating veteran, will be printed and bound in a special Memory Book. If you are a local veteran, or if you know
a local veteran who should participate, please contact my office or visit my Web site at RepMurt.com for a special form to use when
submitting stories and photos.

PACE and PACENET Low-Income Home

Provide Low-Cost
Prescription Drug
Assistance for Seniors
Senior citizens who rely on prescription drugs to stay healthy may qualify for
financial assistance through the state’s PACE and PACENET prescription drug
assistance programs.
Eligibility restrictions for PACE require that applicants be residents of
Pennsylvania for at least 90 consecutive days prior to application. Additionally,
applicants must be age 65 or older and have a total income for the preceding
calendar year of less than $14,500 for a single person, or less than $17,700
combined for a married couple.
Once enrolled in the PACE program, a benefit card will be mailed, and
enrollees will be required to pay a $6 co-payment for each generic prescription
medication. Brand name prescriptions require a $9 co-payment. These co-
payments are made to the pharmacy at the time of purchase.
PACENET members who enroll in a Medicare Part D plan will pay the Part
D premium directly to the plan. Depending on the Part D plan one is enrolled
in, monthly premiums will range between $14.80 and $28.45. In addition, Part
D cardholders will pay no more than the PACENET co-payments of $8 for each
generic prescription medication and $15 for each brand name to the pharmacy
at the time of purchase.
PACENET members who do not enroll in a Part D plan will pay $28.45 each
month at the pharmacy toward the cost of their medications. If this is not paid on
a monthly basis, it will accumulate. In addition, the individual will pay $8 for each
generic prescription medication and $15 for each brand name.
Individuals who believe they qualify for PACE or PACENET can contact my
district office at (215) 674-3755 or visit my Web site at RepMurt.com.
Energy Assistance
Program (LIHEAP)
Extended
Pennsylvania’s Low-Income Home Energy Assistance
Program (LIHEAP) is now open until April 2.
The LIHEAP program is administered by the
Department of Public Welfare (DPW) and helps income-
eligible households pay for heat during the winter
months.
The original closing date of the LIHEAP program was
March 15, but circumstances have allowed the program to
continue until April 2. The cash grant amounts have also
increased by $100.
DPW anticipates helping approximately 600,000
families with cash grants during the 2009-10 program
year.
Applications will be available at the Montgomery
County Assistance Office at (610) 272-1752. Philadelphia
residents should contact Philadelphia County Assistance
Office at (215) 560-1583. Applications are also available
from local utility companies and community service
agencies, such as Area Agencies on Aging or community
action agencies. LIHEAP cash grant applications are
available online at http://www.compass.state.pa.us.
For complete eligibility requirements and additional
information on LIHEAP, visit my Web site at RepMurt.com
and click on “LIHEAP Information.”

STATE REPRESENTATIVE THOMAS P. MURT

Satellite Hours
District Office Upper Dublin Township Building
19 South York Rd. 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington
Hatboro, PA 19040 Wednesday, April 14 – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Phone: (215) 674-3755 Wednesday, May 12 – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Capitol Office Huntingdon Valley Library
P.O. Box 202152 625 Red Lion Road, Huntingdon Valley
Harrisburg PA 17120-2152 Thursday, April 15 – Noon to 2 p.m.
Phone: (717) 787-6886
Thursday, May 13 – Noon to 2 p.m.

www.RepMurt.com