State Representative PRSRT STD

SETH GROVE
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
HARRISBURG, PA
PERMIT NO 529
196th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Winter/Spring 2010

 cut and save

Dear Neighbor
With the new year under way, I want to make you aware
of the issues Pennsylvania and the 196th District are facing
Community Calendar
Following is a list of upcoming district events I am hosting.
in 2010. I invite you and your family to join me at any of these events
The General Assembly will have some difficult choices to discuss the issues most important to our state and our
ahead this year, as our economic situation has not improved community. You can also cut out this section of the newsletter
and we are again falling behind in revenue collections. I believe as a convenient reference to what is happening in the 196th
we are headed for another challenging budget process. District.
Complicating our budget challenges is the approaching LEGISLATIVE EGGS AND ISSUES BREAKFASTS
spike in the employer contributions to public employee and *All breakfasts will begin at 8 a.m. Please R.S.V.P. as soon
teacher pensions, which could cost taxpayers billions of dollars. as possible by e-mailing your name, address, phone number
The state is obligated to pay these pensions and the court has and date of the event to wleahy@pahousegop.com or by call-
ruled three times that we cannot evade this responsibility. I ing (717) 767-3947.
have been working with my colleagues to find a solution to the
impending crisis, and I am hopeful that we can find an answer Friday, March 12 Friday, March 26
that will reduce the impact on Pennsylvania taxpayers. Dover Valley Restaurant Country Meadows of York
Another issue we are tackling in the Legislature is a 3720 Carlisle Rd. in Dover 1900 Trolley Rd. in York
proposal to ban the use of hand-held cell phones and text R.S.V.P. by Friday, March 5 R.S.V.P. by Friday, March 19
messaging while driving. House Bill 2070 passed the House Friday, March 19 Friday, April 9
in late January and is awaiting the consideration of the Sen- Ski Roundtop Windy Hill Senior Center
ate. I voted in favor of this measure because I believe it will 925 Roundtop Rd. in 50 North East St. in
ultimately save lives by reducing distracted driving. Lewisberry Spring Grove
If you have any questions about any of the issues dealt R.S.V.P. by Friday, March 12 R.S.V.P. by Friday, April 2
with in this newsletter or any other state matter, please do not
hesitate to contact me at (717) 767-3947. LEGISLATIVE LUNCHEON
Saturday, April 10
Sincerely, 11 a.m.
Dover Valley Restaurant
3720 Carlisle Road in Dover
Please R.S.V.P. by Friday, April 2
Seth Grove
State Representative TOWN HALL MEETINGS
196th District * All town hall meetings begin at 7 p.m. and do not require an
In December, Rep. R.S.V.P.
Grove welcomed Thursday, April 8 Thursday, April 29
the Central Penn
Crushers Youth
Spring Grove Borough West Manchester Township
Sporting Clays Municipal Building Municipal Building
Shooting Team from 1 Campus Ave. in Spring Grove 380 East Berlin Road in York
Wellsville to the
House floor. The Thursday, April 22 Wednesday, May 12
team was issued Warrington Township Dover Township
a citation for its Municipal Building Municipal Building
first place finish
at the national
3345 Rosstown Road 2480 West Canal Road
championships and in Wellsville in Dover
for its successes in
the Scholastic Clays SPRING DISTRICT OFFICE
Target Program. OPEN HOUSE
Friday, April 23
Sign up to receive e-mail 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
updates about upcoming events Westgate Plaza
at RepGrove.com 1550 Kenneth Road in York

www.RepGrove.com
 Grove Takes Comprehensive Approach to
Lowering DUI Incidents
Too many senseless deaths and auto crashes occur when an and a second DUI offense, but a decision by the Supreme Court of
individual whose judgment has been impaired by alcohol gets behind Pennsylvania ruled these offenses should have been considered
the wheel of a car. Those who drink and drive are not only risking two first DUI offenses since neither had been adjudicated yet.
their own lives, but are also imperiling every other driver with whom My legislation will correct this loophole to allow for any DUI
they share the road. violation which occurs after the initial offense, but before a hearing,
To address this problem, I have introduced three pieces of leg- to be considered a subsequent offense.
islation, which would work to reduce the number of repeat “Driving Taking DUI Offenders Off the Road
Under the Influence” (DUI) offenses. When a person is convicted of certain violent crimes, we bar
them from purchasing firearms. An intoxicated person behind the
Treating Alcohol Addiction wheel of the car is wielding a dangerous weapon, and we must take
House Bill 1919 would allow judicial districts throughout Penn- away a repeat DUI offender’s ability to hurt or kill another person
sylvania to establish DUI courts to adjudicate individuals charged with a vehicle.
with a DUI. The objective of this legislation is to decrease incidents I am introducing legislation that will require a two-year mandatory
of DUI and DUI-related deaths by getting to the root of the problem minimum prison sentence for habitual DUI offenders with a provision
– alcoholism. The bill would impose a $25 surcharge on defendants to force them to forfeit their vehicle. A stipulation is included in the
convicted of drug- or alcohol-related crimes to help financially sup- legislation to protect “innocent owners.”
port the court, instead of relying on taxpayer funding. A similar bill, This legislation will apply to individuals who have had numer-
Senate Bill 383, has been approved by the Senate and could be ous opportunities to comply with the drunken driving laws and to
voted on in the House soon. My DUI court legislation was amended take advantage of drug and alcohol treatment and rehabilitation
into this bill. programs, but have either failed or refused to do so.
Creating a special court to deal with these types of offenses would
save money, reduce recidivism, keep families together and provide
effective treatment for people suffering with addiction. These courts
would be a proactive and practical method of reducing crime, and
would stop the cycle of repeat imprisonment for people with alcohol
addictions. When you consider that for every $1 spent on treatment,
we see a $7 savings in the first year alone, it becomes clear that DUI
courts are not only a good investment, they are also commonsense
judicial practice. York County’s special court has saved taxpayers
hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Closing the Multiple First Offenses Loophole
I have also introduced legislation to address a loophole created
by the case Commonwealth versus Haag, which allows repeat DUI
offenders to be charged with multiple first offenses. In this case, Haag
was charged with a DUI at 11:40 p.m., after which he was released
to the custody of his wife. At 1 a.m. the next morning, only one hour Recently, Rep. Grove participated in a “ride along” with the West
and 20 minutes later, he was caught driving again and was cited for Manchester Police Department. Grove is pictured here with Officer
Hal Brook.
a second DUI offense. The case was originally tried as a first DUI

Grove Legislation Aims to Protect Teens

from Child Predators, Felony Prosecution
Recently, I introduced legislation to address the practice of minors texting risqué photos of themselves or their peers, called “sexting.” After
seeing reports of how widespread this dangerous practice had become and hearing about an incident in one of the school districts I represent, I
knew something had to be done.
Sexting is dangerous because it can expose children to genuine sexual predators. Once these images are sent out in electronic form, there is
no telling where they can end up, and police in York uncovered such photographs on the computer of a convicted sex offender. Sexting can also
lead to low self-esteem, harassment, bullying and has been linked to the suicide of two teen girls.
Under current law, individuals who send these inappropriate text messages can be prosecuted with a felony crime if the messages contain a
nude picture of person under the age of 18. A minor who participates in this type of activity could be charged with sexual abuse of children, be
forced to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law, and be marred by this conviction for a minimum of a decade.
The goal of House Bill 2189 is to balance the very real need to protect children from exploitation with a fair punishment for the adolescents
who do not fully understand the ramifications of their actions. The legislation would create a misdemeanor of the second degree for teens caught
sexting and would apply if a minor sends nude images of himself or herself or another teen via electronic communication. It would not apply to
images portraying any sexual act or minors under 13 years of age.
By classifying sexting as a misdemeanor, rather than a felony, it sends the message to teens that this is against the law and carries considerable
punishment, but not a punishment that would preclude a child from attending college, joining the military or getting a good job.
This legislation has the support of the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association, and is expected to be considered by the House Judiciary
Committee in March.

FOLLOW REP. GROVE ON

 No Help for Homeowners in Table Games Bill
As you are probably aware, Pennsylvania recently adopted a law to allow table games at slots parlors. I voted against
this expansion of gambling for several reasons, but my main concern was the lack of immediate property tax relief for
Pennsylvania’s struggling homeowners.
When slots parlors were legalized in 2004, it was with the promise of property tax relief. Not only have we not seen
meaningful property tax relief from slots, but this legislation does not allocate a dime of table games money to the Property
Tax Relief Fund until the Rainy Day Fund reaches a threshold of $750 million. As our Rainy Day Fund has a zero balance
today, it will likely be a decade or more until homeowners see any benefit from table games.
Along with my disappointment over the disregard for property tax relief, I was also concerned by the lack of important
and necessary gaming reforms in the legislation. Some of the issues needing to be addressed include political contributions
to public officials from gaming interests, allocation of the local share of revenue, licensing standards and the relationship
between the Gaming Control Board and casino interests.
We will see in time how much revenue this gaming expansion brings into the Commonwealth, but with surrounding states
moving to legalize gaming, I do not think the results will be as favorable as the governor has presented. I have heard this
rush to legalize gambling called a “race to the bottom,” and I guess we will find out who reaches the all-time low first.

Pennsylvania’s Financial Difficulties Continue in 2010

It is hard to believe, but Pennsylvania lawmakers are already
starting to work on the 2010-11 fiscal year budget. From the looks of
things, we are in for another extremely difficult year. As of the end of
January, Pennsylvania was $374 million behind projections for revenue
collections, and January marks the 21st consecutive month the state
has failed to meet these revenue projections.
Compounding our economic troubles are empty state savings
accounts, like the Rainy Day Fund, federal stimulus funds that are
set to expire at the end of next year, a looming spike in the employer
contribution of the public pension system, and the governor’s indication
the state will end the fiscal year with a significant budget gap.
I stood with the majority of my Republican colleagues in the House
to oppose the 2009-10 budget because we believed it outspent our
available resources. The state was already in the red before the ink
was dry on the governor’s signature of the budget.
Now, even with all the financial problems our Commonwealth faces,
the governor is requesting an increase in state spending by 4 percent.
I believe it is fiscally irresponsible to further increase spending when
we will end the current year with a deficit.
Following is a breakdown of the priorities the governor outlined
during his budget address in early February:
Spending: The governor has proposed a $1.2 billion increase in
spending using $26.27 billion in state dollars and an additional $2.76
billion in federal stimulus funds. It is important to note that $800 mil-
lion of these federal funds have not yet been approved, so there is
no guarantee we will actually receive these dollars.
Budget Cuts: The governor is calling for reductions to the budgets
of the Department of Environmental Protection ($3.8 million cut), the
Department of Health ($7 million cut), the Department of Agriculture
($5.4 million cut), the Department of Labor and Industry ($3.1 mil-
lion) and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
($1 million cut).
Budget Increases: The governor would increase funding for basic
education, county child welfare programs, mental retardation services,
services to senior citizens, the state police, the Department of Cor-
rections, the Department of Community and Economic Development,
and the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
Sales Tax Expansion: The governor is proposing a reduction of
the sales tax rate from 6 percent to 4 percent, but would expand the
tax to cover 74 items and services that are currently exempt – food,
clothing and prescription medicines would still be tax exempt. He
would place the extra revenue raised from this tax in a reserve ac-
count called the Stimulus Transition Reserve Fund to help offset the
future termination of stimulus funds. It is important to note that many
property tax reduction or elimination plans rely on a similar tax shift,
making further property tax relief questionable.
What would be included in the governor’s sale tax proposal?
•Coal •Vending machines
•Firewood •Residential fuel oil/gas
•Funeral services •Newspapers
•Non-prescription drugs •Stair lift devices
•Residential telephone service •Textbooks
•Water and Sewer Services •Trout
•Truck transportation •Waste management
•Scientific research and development
I will continue to bring you the latest budget news, and I would be
happy to answer any questions you might have. Feel free to contact
my office or e-mail me at sgrove@pahousegop.com
sgrove@pahousegop.com.

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LINKS ARE AT RepGrove.com

 VIN Etching Event In the District
Saturday, June 12
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
West Manchester Mall
1800 Loucks Road in York
During this free event, hosted in conjunction with the Penn-
sylvania Auto Theft Prevention Authority, your car’s vehicle
identification number will be engraved on your car’s windshield
and windows.

Some auto insurance companies offer discounts for such

procedures. Check with your insurance company to see if this
process could save you money on your premiums.
For more information about VIN etching, visit
www.watchyourcar.org.
Recently, Rep. Grove visited the Glatfelter Memorial Library to read
several books to area children for the library’s “Dads and Donuts”
program. Pictured above is Grove with librarian Ellen Helfrick.

Rate Caps for Met-Ed Customers

to Expire in December 2010
Despite my calls to delay or phase-in the expiration of electricity gen-
eration rate caps, rate caps have already expired all across Pennsylvania
for many electricity consumers. For residents of York County who are
Met-Ed customers, rate caps will expire at the end of 2010. When they
do, customers will pay fair market value for electricity generation and will Rep. Grove is happy to personally meet with any resident of the
likely see a substantial increase in their electric bills. Customers of Adams 196th District to discuss their priorities for the district and their
concerns about state government. Call (717) 767-3947 to make an
Electric were never subject to these rate caps, as electric cooperatives appointment.
were not part of electric deregulation.
Why were the rate caps put into place?
When Pennsylvania deregulated electricity to allow for consumer
choice, the caps were instituted to protect customers during the transition
to full competition. Specifically, the caps were designed to prevent utilities
from shifting costs to remaining customers as some customers migrated
to competitive suppliers.
What can you do to offset the expiration of rate caps?
You can start saving money on electricity costs now by making your
home more energy efficient. Simple actions like replacing incandescent
light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (remember that these
bulbs must be disposed of as household hazardous waste), upgrading
to Energy-Star appliances and sealing any air leaks around doors and
windows can add up to significant savings. Reducing energy use during
peak hours can save you money too. Finally, as the rate caps expire,
check out the competition and don’t be afraid to make the switch.
Where can I learn more about the competition? During one of his district work days, Rep. Grove joined the crew of
Heritage Lawn and Landscape Care in Thomasville for a day of hard
Visit www.puc.state.pa.us/utilitychoice/ for information about alternative labor.
electric companies, including a list of their prices per kilowatt hour.
CONTACT ME  clip and save
State Representative
SETH GROVE
196th Legislative District
DISTRICT OFFICE:
Westgate Plaza, 1550 Kenneth Road, York, PA 17408 Office: (717) 767-3947 Fax: (717) 767-9857
HARRISBURG OFFICE:
52-A East Wing, PO Box 202196, Harrisburg, PA 17120-2196 (717) 783-2655 Fax: (717) 772-9869
E-Mail: sgrove@pahousegop.com Web site: RepGrove.com