Author: Brigitte S.

Ceremony Honoring Greensburg Sergeant Killed in Action Set for Aug. 25

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WESTMORELAND – The official designation of a bridge in Greensburg to honor a local soldier who was killed in action will take place at 1 p.m., on Thursday, Aug. 25, according to Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward (R-39) and Senate Transportation Committee Chair Wayne Langerholc, Jr. (R-35), who championed the honor.

Act 23 of 2022, co-sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward and Sen. Wayne Langerholc, Jr., designates a bridge on PA Route 66, known as Main Street, over the Norfolk Southern Railway in the City of Greensburg as “Sgt. Richard Ivory Cullen Memorial Bridge.”

“Sgt. Cullen is a hometown hero and one of Greensburg’s bravest that put his country before himself,” Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward said. “Naming this bridge in the heart of his hometown is one way his family and this community can continue to remember and honor Sgt. Cullen for the ultimate sacrifice he made while serving our nation.”

Richard Ivory Cullen was born on Aug. 25, 1947, in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. He was drafted into the U.S. Army via selective service during the Vietnam War, beginning his tour on October 6, 1967. Cullen had the rank of sergeant, and his military specialty was light weapons infantry. Sgt. Cullen was killed in action on May 23, 1968.

“Sgt. Cullen bravely gave his life for our country, embodying what it means to be selfless,” Langerholc said. “What a serendipitous honor it is to designate this bridge in Sgt. Cullen’s memory on what would have been his seventy-fifth birthday.”

The ceremony will be held in the overflow parking lot of the Westmoreland Museum of American Art, 221 North Main Street, Greensburg, PA 15601.

CONTACT:

Erica Clayton Wright, 717-787-6063 (Ward)

Gwenn Dando, 717-787-5400 (Langerholc)

Langerholc Announces Traffic Signal Grants for Clearfield County

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JOHNSTOWN – Sen. Wayne Langerholc, Jr. (R-35) announced the following two municipalities in Clearfield County that will receive Green Light-Go funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation:

  • City of Dubois – $488,000 for modernization of the traffic signal at Liberty Boulevard (US 219) and Park Avenue,
  • Sandy Township – $383,621 for modernization of the traffic signal at Maple Avenue, Shaffer Road, and 14th Street.

“As chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, I recognize the impacts these projects will have on local municipalities,” said Langerholc. “Modernizing these traffic signals will create safer intersections and improve the overall flow of traffic in our communities.”

For more information about Green Light-Go, visit PennDOT’s website.

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Contact:  Nolan Ritchie

Meeting to consider SB 1049, HB 1571, HB 2139, HB 2216

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Senate Transportation Committee

Wednesday, June 15, 2022 | 10 a.m.

Main Capitol, Room 461

AGENDA

Meeting to consider SB 1049, HB 1571, HB 2139, HB 2216

Schedule

S.B. 1049  Stefano and Costa – Authorizes a community service program alternative to restore an individual’s operating privilege.
A04667     Stefano – Provides technical corrections to incorporate changes in Title 42 and re-writes the penalty section for driving while operating privilege is suspended.
H.B. 1571   Farry – Creates a new registration plate for recipients of the Air Medal.
H.B. 2139  Warner – Requires the PA Turnpike Commission to provide notice for v-toll violations, create an annual report on collected and uncollected revenue, conduct a study on third-party toll collection, and strengthen penalties for violations.
A04527    Langerholc – Provides a technical correction to the definition of “flat video toll”.
H.B. 2216  Mizgorski – Codifies the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Bank program at PennDOT.

 

Senators Speak at Rally Opposing Bridge Tolling

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HARRISBURG – Several Pennsylvania senators today joined members of the No P3 Bridge Tolls Coalition to voice opposition to the Wolf administration’s plan to toll interstate bridges in Pennsylvania, beginning with the following nine bridges:

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s (PennDOT) plan proposes tolling to pay for bridge projects and has received an overwhelming amount of disapproval, including members of the General Assembly, local officials, businesses and Pennsylvania residents.

Sen. Wayne Langerholc, Jr. (R-35), chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, spoke at the rally. “It is never acceptable for the hardworking people of Pennsylvania to pay a new tax, fee or toll when gas prices are skyrocketing,” said Langerholc. “The court’s temporary halt reflects the bipartisan arguments in my DRIVE SMART Act, including Senate Bill 382. I will continue to call on Gov. Wolf and PennDOT to compromise with sensible solutions.”

PennDOT’s bridge tolling initiative would cost the average commuter an additional $1,000 per year and was moved through the process without legislative input nor approval.

“The process for adding tolls to interstate bridges was mired in a lack of transparency, citizen input and legislative oversight. It has been a sloppy, closed process that sets the precedent of more tolls in the future,” said Sen. Scott Hutchinson (R-21). “The cost to motorists, communities and employers is too great, as is the power claimed by PennDOT to implement and raise tolls on its own. There are other funding options for bridge maintenance and repairs. This process should be halted and replaced with one that is open and rational.”  

Langerholc, Robinson and Hutchinson co-sponsored Senate Bill 382, which reforms the P3 statute and voids PennDOT’s plan. However, Gov. Wolf has stated that he will veto the bill.

“Our roads and bridges absolutely need to be repaired. Thankfully, we already have the funding for these projects through the federal infrastructure bill,” said Sen. Devlin Robinson (R-37). “Instead of soliciting hardworking Pennsylvanians, we must work together to allocate our available resources while being transparent, which is exactly what PennDOT failed to do.”

The Commonwealth Court sided with Cumberland County and several municipalities surrounding the I-83 candidate toll bridge that challenged the plan as unconstitutional and has temporarily halted PennDOT’s entire bridge tolling plan with a preliminary injunction.  The court also heard a different case from several municipalities in the southwest surrounding the I-79 candidate toll bridge.

VIDEO: Senators speak at rally opposing bridge tolling

CONTACT:

Nolan Ritchie (Langerholc)

Justin Leventry (Hutchinson)

Elizabeth Weitzel (Robinson)

 

Voting meeting on HB 1560

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Senate Transportation Committee

May 23, 2022 | Off the floor

Rules Room

Agenda

Voting meeting on HB 1560

Schedule

H.B. 1560 – Stephens – Designates the U.S. Air Force Major Doherty Memorial Highway in Bucks County.

A04209 – Langerholc – Creates an omnibus of designations.

 

Langerholc: Court Decision to Halt Bridge Tolling

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HARRISBURG – The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania today granted a preliminary injunction which stops Gov. Tom Wolf’s Major Bridge P3 Initiative until further court action occurs.

Sen. Wayne Langerholc, Jr. (R-35), chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, applauded the court’s order. “Today, the Commonwealth Court ruled in favor of halting PennDOT’s Major Bridge P3 Tolling Initiative. I have been challenging PennDOT’s overreach since being named Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee in January 2021,” said Langerholc. “The court’s ruling on the preliminary injunction is restoring proper checks and balances on PennDOT’s power. I now urge Gov. Wolf to work with the legislature and find a compromise that is in the best interests of the Commonwealth.”

Sen. Langerholc held several hearings to better understand how PennDOT was authorized to move forward with few details and without approval from the General Assembly. Langerholc has also sponsored Senate Bill 382, which would require the P3 process to be more transparent, while stopping this current initiative.

This order halts PennDOT’s tolling of the following bridges:

CONTACT: Nolan Ritchie, nritchie@pasen.gov

Media Advisory – Senate Panel Schedules Public Hearing at SEPTA on Safety and Sustainability

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PHILADELPHIA – A public hearing will be held on Monday at the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) headquarters to hear testimony on the safety and sustainability of public transportation.

Who: The Senate Transportation Committee, chaired by Sen. Wayne Langerholc, Jr. (R-35).

What: A public hearing to collect testimony on the safety and sustainability of public transportation in Pennsylvania.

When: Monday, May 9 at 1:30 p.m.

Where: SEPTA, 1234 Market Street, Philadelphia. Livestream will be available on the committee’s website and the Senate Republican Caucus Facebook page. The recording of the hearing will be saved to the committee’s website, as well.

Due to limited seating capacity in SEPTA’s boardroom, individuals from the public must pre-register at https://transportation.pasenategop.com/trans-050922/. Pre-registrants will receive a confirmation to attend in person.

The media is invited to attend in-person or watch via livestream. Pre-registration is recommended, but not required, for media personnel.

Contact:

Nolan Ritchie (Sen. Langerholc)

Senate Majority Policy Chair Announces Statewide Hearings on Crime and Public Safety

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(HARRISBURG) – Senate Majority Policy Chair Mario Scavello (R-40) today announced a series of hearings on the topic of crime and public safety that will begin next week in Cambria County and continue throughout the Commonwealth during the next few months.

“We are witnessing a disturbing upward trend in crime across the Commonwealth, and we owe it to Pennsylvanians to step up and help,” said Mario Scavello, Majority Policy Chair. “The goal of the hearings is to gain a better understanding of what is driving the increase in crime in our communities and to discuss tools to help law enforcement better protect our citizens.”

A top priority for Senate Republicans is to ensure Pennsylvanians feel safe in the towns, cities, and communities that they call home. These hearings on crime and public safety will help legislators better understand the trends in crime from law enforcement and key stakeholders to position the legislative branch to create more effective policies that match our Commonwealth’s economic goals with our community objectives throughout Pennsylvania.

“I welcome the Senate Majority Policy Committee to the 35th District and look forward to discussing ways we can effectively combat crime in our communities,” said Senator Wayne Langerholc, Jr. (R-35).  “As crime has increased on the national, state and local levels, we must take steps to stop it.  Having dedicated the better part of my career to law enforcement as an Assistant District Attorney, I appreciate and welcome the testimony of my esteemed former colleagues across all disciplines of law.  It is my plan to identify and subsequently implement policies to stop this dangerous trend.” 

The first hearing will be held on Monday, April 25, 2022, at 1:30 p.m. at the Cambria County Courthouse Courtroom 1, 200 South Center Street, Ebensburg, Pa. The next hearing will be held in Lancaster County.

“As a strong supporter of our law enforcement community, I am eager for the Senate Majority Policy Committee to hear directly from Lancaster County police chiefs, human trafficking victim advocates, and other local experts on the issue of crime and public safety,” said Senator Ryan Aument (R-36). “I’m confident their expertise will provide useful insight to me and my legislative colleagues on the committee as we collectively seek to support policies that empower law enforcement to keep our communities safe.” 

Unfortunately, when it comes to crime in Pennsylvania, we are witnessing a rise in senseless acts that are hitting the core of our communities.  Most recently, Philadelphia experienced one shooting per hour throughout a 24-hour period resulting in more than two dozen victims, and in the City of Pittsburgh, over Easter weekend citizens experienced a mass shooting incident that included 11 individuals who were shot of which two teenagers were killed.

Contact:

Erica Clayton Wright (Senator Kim Ward) ewright@pasen.gov
Christine Zubeck (Senator Scavello) czubeck@pasen.gov
Gwenn Dando (Senator Langerholc) gdando@pasen.gov
Stephanie Applegate (Senator Aument) sapplegate@pasen.gov

Langerholc Rural Co-Working Facility Grant Program Bill Passes Senate

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HARRISBURG – Sen. Wayne Langerholc, Jr. (R-35) announced today that legislation he sponsored to create a statewide grant program for Rural Co-Working & Innovation Centers (RCIC) passed the Senate.

Senate Bill 962 would establish the RCIC Grant Program within the Department of Community and Economic Development to help rural communities create facilities equipped with high-speed broadband, furniture, and security systems for teleworkers. 

“Our rural citizens must have access to necessary resources to work remotely,” Langerholc said. “This legislation will enable them to stay competitive in the Pennsylvania workforce industry and economy.”

According to the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, 48 out of 67 counties and 1,592 municipalities are rural and could benefit from this program.

Senate Bill 962 now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration.

Contact: Gwenn Dando