Senator Rothman E-Newsletter

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In this Update:

  • Upcoming Events
  • Ag Freedom Legislation Approved by Game & Fisheries Committee
  • Calling on Shapiro to Send PA National Guard to Defend Texas Border
  • Senate Passes Public Safety Bills Targeting Opioid Overdoses, Human Trafficking
  • Recognizing Agriculture’s Impact on Our Lives
  • Around the Capitol

Upcoming Events

I hope to see you at one or more of these upcoming events!

COFFEE WITH ANGLERS EVENT

Join me and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) for coffee, donuts, and angler education. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn from the PFBC about the Huntsdale State Fish Hatchery. Following the event, participants are invited to follow the PFBC stocking truck from the hatchery to a stocking event on the Yellow Breeches. Anglers will need to provide their own transportation to the stocking location. Due to limited space, reservations are required; please RSVP HERE.

Thursday, March 28 , 8-9:15 a.m. with optional stocking to follow.  Huntsdale State Fish Hatchery, 195 Lebo Road, Carlisle

Please note: NO waders will be permitted inside the hatchery premises for biosecurity reasons.

IDENTITY THEFT PREVENTION/SHREDDING EVENTS 

  1. Saturday, April 6, 9 a.m. to Noon; Second Presbyterian Church, 528 Garland Dr, Carlisle
  2. Saturday, May 11, 9 a.m. to Noon; Kohl’s Parking Lot, 6444 Carlisle Pike, Mechanicsburg *Together with Reps. Sheryl Delozier and Thomas Kutz
  3. Saturday, June 8, 9-11 a.m., Grace United Methodist Church, 982 Medical Rd, Millersburg *Together with Rep. Joe Kerwin’s office

LICENSE PLATE REPLACEMENT EVENTS 

  • Saturday, May 4, 1-3 p.m., Shippensburg Police Department, 60 W Burd St., Shippensburg
  • Saturday, May 11, 1-3 p.m., Silver Spring District Office, 4 Flowers Dr., Mechanicsburg
  • Saturday, June 1, 1-3 p.m., Family Life Center, 27 W Shortcut Rd., Newport

Preregistration for our license plate events is encouraged but not required. If you plan to attend, please let us know HERE, as it will help the event run smoothly for all participants.

Ag Freedom Legislation Approved by Game & Fisheries Committee

Yesterday, the Senate Game and Fisheries Committee approved legislation that would give farmers more freedom to mitigate crop damage on their farms while also opening up more opportunities for sportsmen. 

I originally introduced the legislation as four separate bills but the committee voted yesterday to roll those four bills into one; the Ag Freedom legislation is now fully contained in Senate Bill 1087.

Senate Bill 1087 address four objectives:

  1. Provide common-sense procedural relief for farmers registered in crop deprivation programs, allowing them to transport animals to processors, thereby saving time, reducing waste, and maximizing donations to charitable feeding programs.
  2. Stiffen penalties for trespassing on private property.
  3. Establish an optional, non-public “Ag Access List” for those seeking more hunting opportunities. The list would be shared only with farmers requesting crop damage assistance from hunters.
  4. Add a tenth seat to the Game Commission Board from the agriculture community, integrating a critical habitat stakeholder.

This legislation increases hunting opportunities for sportsmen while also protecting private property rights, making this legislation a win for all involved.

More information is available HERE.

Calling on Shapiro to Send PA National Guard to Defend Texas Border

The Senate approved a measure calling on Gov. Josh Shapiro to protect Pennsylvania communities by supporting Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s request to respond to America’s illegal immigration crisis.

Senate Resolution 251 implores Shapiro to reverse course and deploy the Pennsylvania National Guard along Texas’s southern border with Mexico as part of Operation Lone Star. The border security initiative has led to more than 500,000 illegal immigrant apprehensions, more than 40,000 criminal arrests and the seizure of more than 468 million lethal doses of fentanyl, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

A 2023 report indicates at least 251,000 illegal immigrants reside in Pennsylvania with an annual burden of more than $1.6 billion on taxpayers. That equates to a cost of approximately $318 per Pennsylvania household annually, according to the Federation for American Immigration Reform.

Senate Passes Public Safety Bills Targeting Opioid Overdoses, Human Trafficking

The Pennsylvania Senate approved two measures this week boosting community safety by targeting opioid overdoses and human trafficking. Both bills, which head to the House of Representatives for consideration, are part of the Senate Republican effort to improve community safety across Pennsylvania.

Senate Bill 1054 strengthens the Overdose Information Network (ODIN) law, which requires all law enforcement in Pennsylvania to input reports of an overdose within 72 hours of the incident into the ODIN system. The ODIN database enables law enforcement agencies to quickly record, analyze and share information concerning fatal and non-fatal drug overdoses and naloxone administrations. The bill would ensure overdose reporting by EMS providers is incorporated into the statewide mapping system. EMS providers are responsible for handling more than 80% of overdoses annually in Pennsylvania.

Senate Bill 1111 would ensure that individuals who are convicted of certain human trafficking offenses – as well as attempt, conspiracy or solicitation to commit those offenses – are subject to the same Megan’s Law reporting and evaluation requirements as other sexual offenders.

Recognizing Agriculture’s Impact on Our Lives

In Pennsylvania, we are blessed that agriculture is one of our top industries as it helps to provide us with food security without having to rely as much on other states or even other countries.

National Agriculture Week, observed March 17-24, encourages every American to understand how food products are produced; appreciate the role agriculture plays in providing safe, abundant, and affordable products; value the essential role of agriculture in maintaining a strong economy; and consider career opportunities in the agriculture, food, and fiber industries.

Around the Capitol

The 34th District is home to THREE amazing FFA state officers! It was wonderful to have State Chaplain Madeline Musser; FFA State Vice President, Clayton Hetrick; and FFA State Sentinel, Grace Brammer join us as we celebrated National Ag Week!

It was an honor to host and formally recognize the PIAA State Champion Cumberland Valley Varsity Cheerleaders at the Capitol yesterday.

It’s always a joy to visit with students from across the district.  This week, we had the privilege of welcoming fourth graders from Middlesex Elementary School to the Capitol. 

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