Author: kgordon

HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Senate State Government Chairman Sen. Cris Dush (R-25) issued the following statement today regarding Gov. Josh Shapiro’s automatic voter registration scheme to be immediately implemented through PennDOT and without input from the General Assembly, which is unconstitutional:

“Honest, transparent and secure elections remain the cornerstone of our constitutional republic. Sadly, by unilaterally implementing automatic voter registration, Gov. Shapiro has once again demonstrated his ignorance of the entire electoral process and his inability to work with the legislature as required by the Pennsylvania Constitution.

“Circumventing the legislature – and the will of the people – is a blatant act of defiance against our constitutional republic. It bypasses the checks and balances that are in place to safeguard the interests of all citizens.

“The Pennsylvania Constitution makes it crystal clear that any time government is forcibly compelling the people to do something – in this case registering online to vote through PennDOT – the rule of law must be followed to the letter.

“The governor’s automatic voter registration scheme amounts to the rigging of the process to favor thoughtless and even accidental registration in the name of ‘democracy.’ Any laws made unilaterally through executive orders – without the full scrutiny and debate that this committee and the legislature are obligated to provide – are the work of tyrants.

“Our republic thrives when voters are committed and engaged. By making registering to vote a deliberate choice, we ensure that citizens take the time to educate themselves about the issues and candidates, which ultimately leads to a more informed electorate.

“Pre-checked registration accomplishes the opposite – it encourages people to sleepwalk their way into being registered, potentially without understanding the significance of their actions. It risks turning a solemn duty into a thoughtless action, exploiting the system to catch the unwitting, the uncertain and the unintentional, making a mockery of that solemn duty.

“This is precisely why it is so important to require everyone to show valid identification at the time of voting. Preserving the personal responsibility of registering to vote is not about making things harder; it’s about ensuring that the act itself carries the weight and importance it deserves.”

 

CONTACT:  Ty McCauslin, Communications Director at 717-787-7084 or tmccauslin@pasen.gov.

HARRISBURG – Water and sewer line improvements are on their way to Eldred thanks to two state grants totaling nearly $8.5 million, Sen. Cris Dush (R-25) and Rep. Martin Causer (R-Cameron/McKean/Potter) announced today.

“Responsibly funding necessary infrastructure projects must always remain a top priority,” Dush said. “Securing this highly competitive financial assistance to complete significant upgrades in the extremely critical areas of clean drinking water distribution and sanitary sewer collection is a huge win for the hard-working people of Eldred. With so many families struggling with ever-rising costs and inflation, both grants should cost-effectively expedite this long-overdue infrastructure replacement process.”

“These investments are vital to upgrading aging infrastructure and ensuring a clean and safe water supply for the residents of this community,” Causer said. “The funding will help minimize the cost burden to consumers for these necessary updates.”

A grant of $4.67 million was awarded to the borough of Eldred for replacement of approximately 9,650 feet of existing sanitary sewer collection pipe. Additionally, the Barden Brook and Shields pump stations, last upgraded in 1996 and 2003 respectively, will be replaced.

A grant of $3.79 million was awarded to the Eldred Borough Water Authority for replacement of approximately 9,600 feet of existing distribution waterline with polyvinyl chloride waterline. A dozen fire hydrants are also set to be replaced.

Work on both projects will coincide with the paving of State Route 446 by PennDOT to minimize construction impacts in the community.

The grants were awarded by the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST) at its meeting Wednesday. Since its inception in 1988, PENNVEST has served communities and citizens by funding sewer, storm water and drinking water projects across the Commonwealth.

 

CONTACT:  Ty McCauslin, Communications Director at tmccauslin@pasen.gov.

HARRISBURG – Sens. Cris Dush (R-25), Maria Collett (D-12) and Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-28) expressed gratitude to their Senate colleagues today for unanimously advancing their shared legislation to ensure that sexually exploited children who are human trafficking victims always have full access to appropriate services and support.

Tragically, under current Pennsylvania law, any minor that is exploited for commercial sex must identify their third-party perpetrator to be considered a victim of human trafficking, unless their purchaser is charged as a trafficker.

“No matter how a district attorney chooses to prosecute, sexually exploited children should never be subject to the emotional and physical trauma of identifying their human trafficking perpetrator to obtain services that they desperately need for healing and recovery,” said Dush. “Enactment of this bipartisan, collaborative legislation would finally ensure that any child who is preyed upon for commercial sex will be legitimately recognized as a victim of human trafficking under the law.”

Sponsored by Dush, Senate Bill 44 would ensure that third-party control is never a consideration for access to victim services by amending Titles 18 and 23 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes. In addition to the important changes this legislation makes to the trafficking section, Dush’s office worked with the Office of the Attorney General to modify Section 6318 to allow law enforcement to pose as a third party, or a seller, when working undercover.

“As we continue to ensure law enforcement have every resource they need to prevent, investigate and prosecute human traffickers, we must also do everything we can to make sure victims have the tools and resources they need to recover and thrive,” said Collett. “These bills will remove an unnecessary barrier to services like counseling, childcare, legal assistance and other supports that enable victims to become survivors.”

Collett’s Senate Bill 45 would eliminate the third-party control requirement to access victim services under the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline Notification Act (Act 197 of 2012).

“I applaud my colleagues in the Senate for building on the bipartisan success of Act 1 of 2020 to remain vigilant in our fight against human trafficking in every corner of the state and ensure that criminals are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Phillips-Hill said. “This legislation will ensure that the most vulnerable victims of these heinous acts, children, are able to get the critical support services they need without hinderance.”  

Senate Bills 44 and 45 now advance to the PA House for consideration.

CONTACTS

For Senator Dush:  Ty McCauslin, Communications Director at 717-787-7084 or tmccauslin@pasen.gov.

For Senator Collett:  Bailey Landis, Communications Director at 215-688-0493 or Bailey.Landis@pasenate.com.

Legislation to Improve Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Ability to Identify and Remove Ineligible Voters Also Scheduled for Consideration

WHAT:  Beginning today at 11:30 a.m., PA Senate State Government Committee Chairman Sen. Cris Dush (R-25) will convene the second public confirmation hearing for Acting Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt.

Immediately following Schmidt’s confirmation hearing, Chairman Dush and committee members will consider critical election reform legislation (Senate Bill 125) which would improve the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s ability to work with other states to identify ineligible voters and refer them for removal at the county level.

The Senate State Government Committee has broad oversight over the executive branch, including the Office of the Governor, the Departments of State and General Services, and the State Ethics Commission. The committee is also responsible for developing and approving legislation and constitutional amendments relating to campaigns and elections, ethics, and state government transparency.

WHEN:   Tuesday, June 20, at 11:30 a.m.

WHERE:  Hearing Room 1, North Office Building, State Capitol Complex, Harrisburg.

LIVESTREAM:   Barring technical difficulties, both today’s confirmation hearing and voting meeting will be streamed live on www.SenatorCrisDushpa.com.

CONTACT:  Ty McCauslin, Communications Director at 717-787-7084 or tmccauslin@pasen.gov.

HARRISBURG – On Monday, June 12, starting at 11 a.m. on the front steps of the state Capitol, Pennsylvania Senate and House Second Amendment Caucus Chairs Sen. Cris Dush (R-25) and Rep. Abby Major (R-60), along with many other pro-Second Amendment state lawmakers, will join together with law-abiding firearm owners from across the commonwealth for the 2023 Right to Keep and Bear Arms Rally.

The theme for this year’s rally (to be held rain or shine) is “United We Stand!”

“In a free society, no law-abiding citizen should be the target for discrimination when they are put into a situation which requires the use of lethal force to defend themselves, their loved ones or others,” said Dush, who has re-introduced Senate Bill 357, which would fully allow for the life-preserving, Constitution-enforced concealed carrying of legally owned firearms.

“Clearly, the safety and welfare of our citizenry cannot be guaranteed by criminalizing our most fundamental freedoms” said Dush. “This includes senselessly disarming law-abiding citizens in gun-free zones, imposing useless universal background checks or sanctioning the tyrannical confiscation of legally owned firearms through due process-denying, unconstitutional red flag laws.”

This year’s outstanding featured speakers will be nationally recognized right-to-carry advocates, Karise and Jerel Crew, CEO and Founders of That Gun Talk. The couple will share their compelling story of how the most unique brotherhood and sisterhood in the firearms safety training industry originated through “one arrest and a fully loaded Glock with one in the chamber.” This apprehension and subsequent firearm confiscation occurred at the Philadelphia International Airport’s TSA pre-checkpoint, even though both Karise and Jerel possessed valid licenses to carry a firearm and had no previous criminal records. 

“Recent action by the House Democrats shows we must stay vigilant in protecting our Second Amendment rights,” Major said. “I encourage everyone to attend this year’s rally to demonstrate to my fellow lawmakers the support that exists for no changes to existing gun laws. Instead, what is needed is enforcement of existing law.”

Established in 2006, this annual grassroots event is in direct support of the Second Amendment and Article 1, Section 21 of the Pennsylvania Constitution which clearly states: “The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the State shall not be questioned.”

Barring technical difficulties, the 2023 Right to Keep and Bear Arms Rally will also be livestreamed on Sen. Dush’s website and RepAbbyMajor.com/livestreams. You can find more information and download a flyer here.

 

CONTACTS:

For Senator Dush:  Ty McCauslin, Communications Director, 717-787-7084 or tmccauslin@pasen.gov.

For Representative Major: Tracy Polovick, 717-260-6358 or tpolovick@pahousegop.com.