STAT E RE P RE S E N TAT I V E
Kerry A. Benninghoff
Serving the People of the 171st Legislative District
Dear Neighbor,
As your state representative in the
General Assembly, this is my report to
you. I encourage you to read through
it to learn about what is going on in
our state Capitol and also in our dis-
trict. This newsletter also has valuable
information about state programs and
services that may be a benefit to you.
Unfortunately, 2009 ended on a
sad note for my Bellefonte district of-
fice. Just a few days before Christmas,
the building that housed my district
office caught fire during the middle of
the night. While the fire caused great
material damage, we are thankful that
no one was hurt. We appreciate the
efforts of our volunteer fire personnel
and also offer our thanks to Bellefonte
Borough for allowing us to temporar-
ily operate out of their chambers.
This newsletter includes informa-
tion about state budget reforms that
I have proposed to make the process
more transparent, allowing taxpayers
to see what is going on. It also includes
an article about my recent efforts with
colleagues on both sides of the aisle to
convince Gov. Ed Rendell to release
funding for state-related universities,
including Penn State.
If you have questions about any-
thing you read in this newsletter or
any state government-related issues
or services, please feel free to contact
one of my district offices. We are here
to serve you!
Sincerely,
Kerry Benninghoff
State Representative
171st Legislative District
DISTRICT OFFICES:
140 West High Street 77 North Main Street
Bellefonte, PA 16823
(814) 355-1300 Reedsville, PA 17084
(814) 355-3523 FAX
(717) 667-6025 FAX
Email: kbenning@pahousegop.com
Website: kerrybenninghoff.com
Winter 2010
State Budget Reforms Necessary to Improve Process
Last year, Gov. Ed Rendell signed the state televised. The measure would kick into ef-
budget into law more than 100 days after fect each year on July 1 if the leaders and the
the June 30 deadline. While the budget has governor failed to reach a timely agreement
not been enacted on time since Rendell took on the budget.
office, this was one of the longest stalemates My second reform proposal is intended to
in recent memory. The delay was completely ensure that any future budget stalemates do
unnecessary and proved the need for impor- not cripple state government. I introduced
tant reforms to improve the process used to House Bill 2027, which would amend the
develop Pennsylvania’s annual budget. state constitution so that, if a state budget is
In the midst of last year’s not signed into law when
budget stalemate, I proposed the new fiscal year begins
two reforms: one would on July 1, the state would
make the budget process continue to operate on a
more open so Pennsylvanians scaled-back version of the
know what their government previous year’s budget.
is doing; the other would help On July 1, my bill
prevent budget delays in the would automatically enact
future months after missing a budget that includes 80
the deadline. percent of the previous
The budget standoff came year’s spending allocations.
to a head last year when the In other words, until a
House and Senate passed I will continue to fight for common- final budget agreement is
differing versions of a state sense budget reforms to make the reached, the state would
spending plan. After the process more open and account- operate on a scaled-back
budget bounced back and able to the people of Pennsylvania. budget where each and
forth between the chambers every department would
with each insisting on its own version, a implement a 20 percent spending reduc-
bipartisan, bicameral conference committee tion.
was set to be established with three senators This proposal would help prevent law-
(two Republicans and one Democrat) and makers or the governor from using the budget
three House members (two Democrats and as a point of leverage to push for their other
one Republican). The committee’s meet- legislative proposals. The temporary, reduced
ings would have been subject to the state’s budget would avoid the “crisis-mode law-
sunshine law, ensuring the public would be making” that too often drives the legislative
able to see what was happening. process in Harrisburg.
Unfortunately, before the committee Both of my bills are currently awaiting
members were appointed, House and Senate consideration by the House State Govern-
leaders met with members of the Rendell ad- ment Committee, of which I am the minority
ministration to finally negotiate the budget. chairman. Because Democrats hold a major-
This was done in an apparent attempt to ity of seats on the committee, a few of my
avoid the open meetings law. colleagues from across the aisle would have
In response, I introduced House Bill to support the bill in order for it to move out
1887, a measure that would mandate that of committee and before the entire House
all budget meetings between legislative lead- for consideration. I remain optimistic that
ers – with or without the governor – would we can work in a bipartisan manner to make
be conducted in public view and would be these reforms a reality.
HARRISBURG OFFICE:
41B East Wing
PO Box 592 PO Box 202171
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2171
(717) 667-2319 (717) 783-1918
(717) 260-6528 FAX
  YOU SHOULD KNOW
Preparing for Electric Choice
Electric customers are in line for some good
news. While preliminary “doomsday” predic-
tions suggested electric rates could rise by up
to 50 percent following electric deregulation, it
now appears the increase will be much smaller.
During the 1990s, Pennsylvania began the
transition from a heavily regulated electric mar-
ket with arbitrary price controls to a free market
where electric customers can choose among several
service providers.
The rate caps kept electricity prices arbitrarily
low, which some thought could lead to significant
increases when the caps are removed during the
next several years.
The rate caps on Allegheny Energy and Pen-
elec, which serve local residents, will expire on
December 31 of this year.
While preliminary estimates suggested rates
YOU SHOULD KNOW
could soar by more than 50 percent when rate
caps were removed, an October news release from
Allegheny Energy suggests, “a typical Pennsylvania
residential customer’s [electric] bill in 2011 would
increase $8.74, or 9.6 percent” if current trends
persist.
For more information about the transition to
the system of electric choice, please visit my Web
site at KerryBenninghoff.com and click on the
“Electric Choice” link on the left-hand side.
Applying for Non-Civil Service
State Jobs Just Got Easier!
The Commonwealth has improved the way
you can apply for non-civil service state jobs.
Paper applications are being phased out, so from
now on you’ll need to apply online at www.em-
ployment.pa.gov. You will provide your contact
information and work history, then select the type
of job for which
you would like to
apply. Applicants
say it takes about
20 to 30 minutes
and you can log
back on any time
to update your in-
formation or ap-
ply for additional
jobs.
Approximately 70 percent of the state’s jobs
are civil service including, for example, technical
and professional positions in fields such as nursing,
budgeting or accounting, auditing, engineering,
information technology, and human resources. If
you’re interested in civil service jobs, you should
continue to apply at www.scsc.state.pa.us.
More information about Pennsylvania jobs—
including salaries and benefits—is available at
www.employment.pa.gov. If you do not have Inter-
net access, you can find computers at most public
libraries and PA CareerLink sites. Call 1-866-858-
2753 to locate the closest PA CareerLink.
New Bellefonte Office Location
Less than 24 hours after a fire damaged my
Bellefonte district office, we were operating a
partially functional temporary office to continue
helping constituents.
In December, the building that housed my
Bellefonte district office caught fire in the middle
of the night. While thankfully no one was hurt,
the fire did ruin our district office space.
We set up a temporary office at the Bellefonte
Borough building so that we could continue to
help local residents with state government-related
concerns and issues.
After a few short weeks, we re-opened our
Bellefonte district office at 140 West High
Street, across the
street from Cool
Beans Coffee &
Tea. Our phone
number will re-
main 814-355-
1300.
Feel free
to stop by and
check out our
new location!
PennDOT Changes Age
Requirement for Photo ID Cards
Since Sept. 11, security issues have been front
and center. Among them are the need to develop
ways to accurately identify people, including mi-
nors. That was the thinking behind one recent
positive change in state law.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transporta-
tion (PennDOT) recently made photo identifica-
tion (ID) cards available to Commonwealth resi-
dents ages 10 and older. The previous minimum age
requirement to obtain a photo ID card was 16.
Act 159 of 2006 lowered the minimum age
requirement for a Pennsylvania photo ID card to
age 10. The law took effect Nov. 29, 2009. All other
requirements for obtaining a Pennsylvania photo
ID card remain the same.
To obtain a photo ID card, an individual must
complete Form DL-54A, “Application for Initial
Photo Identification Card,” which is available on
PennDOT’s Driver and Vehicle Services Web site,
www.dmv.state.pa.us, under the “Driver License/
Photo ID Information Center” link. An individual
must bring the completed form, along with the
required identity documents and a fee of $12 to
a PennDOT Driver License Center to obtain the
photo ID. Required identity documents are listed
on Form DL-54A.
PennDOT reminds individuals under the age
of 18 applying for a photo ID card that a parent,
guardian or person acting in loco parentis must
accompany them to a PennDOT Driver License
Center.
To locate a PennDOT Driver License Center,
visit the “Locations Information Center” on the
Driver and Vehicle Services Web site.
 Table Games Coming to Pennsylvania
The General Assembly in January approved and the governor signed into law a bill legalizing table
games – such as poker and blackjack – at Pennsylvania casinos.
The new law will not provide one penny in property tax relief until the state’s Rainy Day Fund reaches
$750 million. That fund was completely emptied during last year’s budget. While the state attempts to
rebuild this reserve fund, homeowners will receive no property tax relief from table game proceeds.
I would like to change the way the state’s share of the table games revenues are used. I believe
property tax relief must be our top priority. I hope that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will
join me as I attempt to positively reform this newly enacted law.

Rockview Land Transfer Update

During the past five years or more, a tremendous amount of discussion, research and debate has occurred regarding
the divestment of approximately 1,800 acres of property currently owned by the PA Department of Corrections.
In 2003, Gov. Ed Rendell deemed this land “surplus property,” which systematically triggered a process for dis-

w w w. K e r r y B e n n i n g h o f f . c o m
position. Any state surplus property must first be offered to state agencies for first right of refusal. Following that,
several agencies – including, but not limited to, state-related institutions of higher education – can attempt to acquire
ownership. After exhausting all these options, state surplus property can then be put up for public auction following
an appraisal to determine its fair market value.
The Rockview property has drawn interest by several potential owners and Sen. Jake Corman, Rep. Mike Hanna and
I have each introduced legislation delineating different owners. Though each proposal may have differed in potential
owners, we did agree on encouraging local public input, utilizing the now-completed master plan and on the need
for law enforcement capabilities to better ensure the numerous protections insisted upon by citizens of the county.
Over the past several months, we have taken a different approach and concentrated our efforts on stewardship
rather than ownership. Additionally, we started by looking at soil types on the property, what their best use is and
how we can best protect the land while facilitating non-motorized public access.
As the process moved forward, an exciting concept emerged. A potential compromise could include roles for the
PA Fish & Boat Commission, the PA Game Commission, Clearwater Conservancy and the Penn State University
College of Agricultural Sciences.
This could provide interagency educational opportunities for many of our college students, allowing them to take
classroom learning into the field alongside biologists, geologists, foresters, wildlife managers, aquatic biologists and
many other trained and experienced professionals. These hands-on learning opportunities could be developed for
local high school students as well.
Recently, we hosted a public forum to gather additional public input and reflections on the compromise concept.
Of the more than 350 participants, 25 individuals spoke at a public microphone to share their ideas.
In addition, we gathered written comments that evening and beyond. Several people raised concerns about the
need to ensure we have protections in any legislation to preserve historic features and landmarks.
The most recent public meeting provided valuable information that the local legislative delegation will now meet
to review, digest, and consider as we move forward.
I am pleased the bulk of the decisions are now being made at the local level. This will continue to be the case as
the steering committee assists with the implementation of the very detailed and comprehensive master plan, regardless
of whom the new owners turn out to be.
In any final legislative draft, distinct provisions will be made to ensure this land will not be developed, resold for
non-public use or transformed into wasteland.
The process to identify a new owner for the Rockview property has been drawn out, sometimes contentious and
full of strong opinions on all sides. In short, it has been a classic example of democracy in action, with each interested
party given an opportunity to publicly share their views before a final decision is reached.

Effort to Release Funding for Penn State and Other Schools is Successful
When the governor signed the state budget into law
in October, the spending plan did not allocate funding
for Penn State University or the three other “state-related”
schools – Pitt, Temple and Lincoln.
Gov. Ed Rendell attempted to tie funding for these
schools to the controversial bill legalizing table games at
Pennsylvania casinos. The governor threatened that, if
lawmakers failed to legalize table games – such as poker
and blackjack – he would not release funding for Penn
State and the other schools.
I sent a letter to the governor and legislative leaders, urg-
ing them to separate these two unrelated issues and release
the funding for the state-related universities. I argued that
Pennsylvania could provide funding for Penn State without
legalizing table games. I think it is bad public policy to
hold students and teachers hostage for some politician’s
ambitions to legalize table games. I also publicly called
for legislative leaders and the governor to work together to
release the funding for these schools and their students.
To view the letter I sent to legislative leaders or a column
I wrote regarding this issue, visit my Web site at KerryBen-
ninghoff.com and click on “Press Releases” under the “Latest
News” link on the left-hand side.
Finally, approximately one week before Christmas, the
Legislature approved and the governor signed into law
a bill releasing the funding for Penn State and the other
state-related schools. The law was signed despite the fact
that the Legislature had not yet approved a bill legalizing
table games, proving these two issues did not have to be
tied together.
Fortunately for the students served by these schools,
good public policy trumped politics in the end and the
General Assembly and governor worked together to enact
the law necessary to release the funding.
 Honoring Vietnam Veterans
I recently had the distinct honor and privilege to present medals of appreciation to
many of our local Vietnam War veterans.
Like other generations of Americans, our Vietnam War veterans answered the call to
duty. We owe them a sincere thank you.
At the ceremony, we paid tribute to those who were present, but also honored those
who never made it home – including prisoners of war (POW) and those categorized as
missing in action (MIA).
I felt blessed just to stand in the same room with so many true American heroes and
patriots. May we never forget their sacrifices on our behalf.

“America - land of the free, because of the brave.”

Welcome Home Troops! Vietnam Veteran Health Care Benefits

In April, I plan to attend a parade hosted by Charlie Company
to celebrate our troops as they return home from overseas. For
more details about the parade and other ways you can support
our troops, call my Bellefonte district office at 814-355-1300.
Did you serve in Vietnam and receive combat pay? You
may be eligible for Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits!
To determine your eligibility, you can all the James E.
Van Zandt VA Medical Center (VAMC Altoona) at 1-877-
626-2500.

WHAT MY OFFICES CAN DO FOR YOU

• A clearinghouse for all Pennsylvania state government forms. Representative
• Driver’s license and vehicle registration applications/renewals. KERRY BENNINGHOFF
• Assistance with PennDOT paperwork (lost cards, changes, corrections, special
DISTRICT OFFICES:
registration plates, vanity plates and temporary placards for disabled persons). 140 West High Street
• Copies of birth and death certificates. Bellefonte, PA 16823
CLIP AND SAVE

• PACE and PACENET applications for seniors. (814) 355-1300 (814) 355-3523 FAX
• Copies and summaries of state legislation.
• Access to all Pennsylvania state tax forms. 77 North Main Street, PO Box 592
• Information on hunting and fishing in Pennsylvania. Reedsville, PA 17084
• Applications for state higher education grants. (717) 667-2319 (717) 667-6025 FAX
• Assistance with Property Tax/Rent Rebate forms.
HARRISBURG OFFICE:
• Coordinate tours of the State Capitol. 41B East Wing, PO Box 202171
• Provide state maps and publications. Harrisburg, PA 17120-2171
• Information on unemployment claims. (717) 783-1918 (717) 260-6528 FAX
www.KerryBenninghoff.com

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PERMIT NO. 529
HARRISBURG, PA
PAID
Kerry A. Benninghoff
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