Upper Delaware Council seeks consultant

UPPER DELAWARE — The Upper Delaware Council is seeking an independent contractor to develop a long-term fiscal sustainability plan and/or to update a 1995 Lehigh University economic analysis titled “Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River: Impact of the River Management Plan on the Finances of Local Governments in NY and PA.”

Interested parties can find details of the Request for Proposals at www.upperdelawarecouncil.org, or by contacting executive director Laurie Ramie at laurie@upperdelawarecouncil.org.

Wayne County Task Force seeks input on alternative transportation

WAYNE COUNTY, PA — The Wayne Tomorrow! Transportation Task Force wants to know what people think of alternate modes of transportation.

The task force has released a survey to gather opinions on topics like shared-ride shuttle service and bike-sharing, as well as pedestrian and bicycle paths.

The survey is located at www.WayneTomorrow.com.

Sturm seeks another term as Bethel supervisor

WHITE LAKE, NY — Daniel Sturm has announced his intentions to run for re-election as the Town of Bethel Supervisor.

Sturm has served on the Bethel Town Board for nearly 18 years, serving four years as a councilmember and 14 as supervisor. He will be running on Democratic and Conservative Party lines.

Sturm’s goals as supervisor are to bolster the image of Bethel as a place to live and do business, improving the town while keeping taxes low. “I work hard every day to serve the residents to the best of my ability, and we are moving in the right direction with a positive future,” he said.

Pennsylvania Senate Judiciary Committee advances legislation

HARRISBURG, PA — The Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Sen. Lisa Baker (R-20), met May 25 to consider five bills. Two measures introduced by Baker received unanimous approval.

Senate Bill 703 prohibits the use of social media and internet platforms to stalk another and increases penalties, especially if the victim is a minor.

Senate Bill 704 expands the crime of institutional sexual assault by including caregivers engaging in certain sexual activities with care-dependent individuals, eliminating a loophole that permits perpetrators to falsely claim that the victim consented.

Institutional sexual assault, which applies in settings such as prisons and schools, is premised on the fact that consensual sexual acts are not possible in situations with an inherent imbalance of power. Senate Bill 704 acknowledges that the same power disparity in relationships exists between caretakers and care-dependent individuals.

Three other pieces of legislation were advanced to the full Senate for consideration, safeguarding newborns in need of care (Senate Bill 305), creating increased accountability for court costs (Senate Bill 516), and providing greater transparency for the prosecution of certain offenses (Senate Bill 588).

Northeast lawmakers announce $1 million in state funding for Pike and Wayne counties

HARRISBURG, PA — Sen. Lisa Baker (R-20) and Reps. Rosemary Brown (R-Monroe/Pike), Jonathan Fritz (R-Susquehanna/Wayne) and Mike Peifer (R-Pike/Wayne) announced more than $1 million in state funding for improvement projects in Pike and Wayne counties.

The grants were made available through the Monroe County Local Share Account (LSA), which is derived from gaming revenues generated at the Mount Airy Casino Resort.

Pennsylvania falls to 45th in the nation in state funding for public education

HARRISBURG, PA — The U.S. Census Bureau this week released the 2019 Public Elementary-Secondary Education Finance Data that shows Pennsylvania falling further behind in meeting the needs of Pennsylvania’s students.

The data shows that Pennsylvania dropped from 44th to 45th in the share of district revenue that comes from the state—sixth from the bottom. As far as the overall percentage of revenue coming from the state, Pennsylvania has dropped to 37.9 percent, compared to a U.S. average of 47 percent.

Shapiro and PA Senate Democrats seek to address fracking negligence

HARRISBURG, PA — On May 25, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro and PA Sen. Steve Santarsiero held a press conference discussing a proposed set of bills to increase oversight and transparency on fracking in the state.

The proposed bills are a result of the recommendations from Pennsylvania’s 43rd Statewide Investigating Grand Jury report on the industry.

“Shapiro has taken seriously his obligation to protect the environmental rights of the people of Pennsylvania,” said Maya van Rossum, leader of the Delaware Riverkeeper Network. “The grand jury investigation documenting the many ways Pennsylvania government has failed to protect Pennsylvanians from the devastating consequences of fracking was an important first step.”

Raising funds for research for Lyme

19th DISTRICT, NY — U.S. Representative Antonio Delgado (NY-19), Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) and Rep. Lee Zeldin (NY-01) have introduced the Stamp Out Lyme Disease Act, bipartisan legislation to raise funds for the research and development of treatments for Lyme and tick-borne diseases.

“Lyme disease is an urgent and persistent threat in our upstate New York communities,” Delgado said. “This bipartisan legislation will raise awareness about the disease and directly support medical research to treat and cure tick-borne illnesses.”

Delgado’s bipartisan Stamp Out Lyme Disease Act would commission a postage stamp to raise funds for Lyme disease research, with proceeds going to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Gunther announces the assembly passage of Monticello school aid bill

ALBANY, NY — Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther (D, I, WF- Forestburgh) announced that the assembly has passed A6289 to forgive the Monticello Central School District’s building aid penalty.

The bill has been vetoed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo the past two years, and Gunther is hopeful that it will get signed this year. “The federal government has given New York State a tremendous amount of money, and it would be unconscionable to continue to punish Monticello for a simple paperwork error nearly a decade ago,” she said.

Gunther said the penalty amounts to $1.9 million for the district. The bill would need to pass the Senate before being sent to the governor for his signature.