Latest News from State Capitol and 55th District By Rep. Jill Cooper (R-Westmoreland)
2024-25 Budget Slighted Senior Programs, Proposal Aims to Correct Problem
Throughout the months of June and July, while the 2024-25 budget was being completed, I wrote in this column that for me, the right budget will be one that appropriates funding responsibly to address priorities shared with me by constituents in the 55th Legislative District.
Though the final budget did include some of those priorities, such as education and public safety, I cast my vote against it because overall, the budget overspent on new programs while failing to prioritize others.
One such example was revealed recently; a freeze on funding for county Area Agencies on Aging (AAA). A bill I recently co-sponsored aims to fix the problem.
Our local AAA, the Westmoreland County Area Agency on Aging, receives allocations from Harrisburg through a particular line item within the budget referred to as PennCARE. The funding can be used to administer services such as home-delivered meals; personal care; transportation; community senior centers; and services to assist victims of abuse, neglect, abandonment and financial exploitation of older adults in all of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties.
In 2023-24 the PennCARE line was funded at $287.8 million. In his initial 2024-25 budget proposal, Gov. Josh Shapiro suggested increasing it by just over $15 million, of which $10 million would have gone to the AAA network and $5 million for additional housing options for seniors.
However, the final 2024-25 budget plan, which came in at $47.6 billion, a nearly $3 billion increase from the year prior, did not include the PennCARE increase. I cannot explain at which point the administration agreed to freeze the funding at last year’s amount.
Unfortunately, all of this comes at a time when seniors are particularly vulnerable. The rising costs of groceries and utilities are worrisome, and seniors often rely on programs such as home-delivered meals arranged through AAAs to help defray costs.
The unnecessary burden placed on the freeze of PennCARE funding is likely to mean reductions or eliminations of services and possible waiting lists. In addition, our senior centers are facing the same rates of inflation as Pennsylvania families and rely on AAA’s to continue providing services.
The bill I co-sponsored addresses the issue by transferring $15 million from the Lottery Fund to the PennCARE line item. In doing so, taxpayers will not be impacted, and AAAs will get the much-needed funding.
The generations that preceded us were small business owners, manufacturers, farmers and police officers. When a Pennsylvanian retires from their craft and seeks to enjoy their time with family, they deserve to know that the services they helped fund through their years of earning a wage will be there for them when they are most in need. This is why I consider the $15 million increase so important.
Here are some additional news topics and reminders I would like to share.
Slickville Town Hall Will Focus on Power Surges – On Thursday, Oct. 10, at 6 p.m. at the Slickville Volunteer Fire Department located at 128 Main St. in Slickville, I am hosting a town hall event to update area residents on the power surges that have been problematic for area residents. Additional discussion of current events and issues in Harrisburg and here at home will also occur.
911 Text Service Available in All Counties - The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency is reminding citizens you can now text 911 in any county across the Commonwealth.
Texting 911 is as simple as texting a friend. Type 911 in the “to” field and explain what is happening in your text. Include your location.
Texting 911 is ideal if the person trying to report the emergency is deaf, hard of hearing or has a speech disability; is having an emergency and cannot talk on the phone; is in a situation in which it is not safe to call 911.
PEMA recommends calling if at all possible, as it provides background sounds and context clues to aid operators and emergency responders. But if you can’t call, texting is the next best thing.
Keeping Kids Safe in the Car - Car crashes are a leading cause of death for children. Every day in 2022, on average, three children under age 13 were killed and 429 were injured in cars, SUVs, pickups and vans, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Also in 2022, 39% of children killed in car crashes were unrestrained.
As Child Passenger Safety Week draws to a close, parents and caregivers are reminded of the importance of properly restraining children in vehicles.
The Commonwealth’s primary seat belt law requires all vehicle occupants younger than 18 to wear a seat belt when riding anywhere in a vehicle. Children up to the age of 2 must be secured in a rear-facing car seat, and children under the age of 4 must be restrained in an approved child safety seat. Children must ride in a booster seat until their eighth birthday. Parents are also reminded that due to potential dangers associated with air bag deployment, children 12 and younger should always ride buckled in a vehicle’s back seat.
Selecting the appropriate car seat for your child’s age and size is vital to its effectiveness. For tips on selecting a car seat, visit
penndot.pa.gov/TravelInPA/Safety/TrafficSafetyAndDriverTopics/Pages/Child-Passenger-Safety.aspx.