State Representative PRSRT STD

SETH GROVE
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
HARRISBURG, PA
PERMIT NO 432
196th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Summer 2010

LET’S TALK ABOUT THE NEWS ON MY SITES AT

Facebook.com/RepSethGrove | Twitter.com/RepGrove

Dear Neighbor
As we close in on the end of the 2009-10 legislative session, there is
still much work to be done in Harrisburg. I want to take this opportunity
to update you about what has happened at the state Capitol and what is
ahead for the rest of the year.
I am pleased to say budget negotiations for the 2010-11 fiscal year
went much more smoothly this year than last year. Though we passed
the budget on time, questions remain about the funding provided in the
spending plan, and we are expected to consider legislation in the fall to
implement a natural gas severance tax. I voted NO on the budget this
year, and you can read more about why on page 2 of this newsletter.
As you may know, Pennsylvania is in the midst of a Special Session
on Transportation as a result of the federal rejection of the proposal to toll
Interstate 80. Our road and bridge maintenance has been underfunded for
far too long and now we must find a funding stream that will provide $3 billion
annually for infrastructure upkeep. Bear in mind this $3 billion will not include
expansion or new construction. The governor has expressed his support of
raising the gas tax by 3 cents and increasing fees for driver’s license and
vehicle registration, but the General Assembly has yet to debate any of
these proposals. I will keep you informed as the situation unfolds.
Finally, a survey of legislative initiatives is available on my website,
RepGrove.com. I encourage you to log onto my website and complete
this survey or contact my district office if you do not have Internet access.
Your opinions are vital to my success in representing our district, and I
look forward to reading your answers.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns regarding state
matters, you can call my district office, e-mail me directly, visit my website
or access my Facebook page.
Sincerely,
Seth M. Grove
State Representative
196th District

Community Calendar
Following is a list of upcoming events I am hosting. I invite you and your family to join me at any of these events to discuss
the issues most important to our state and our community. You can also cut this section of the newsletter out as a convenient
reference to what is happening in the 196th District.

LEGISLATIVE EGGS AND ISSUES BREAKFASTS LEGISLATIVE LUNCHEON

*All breakfasts will begin at 8 a.m. Please RSVP as soon as 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 2
possible by e-mailing your name, address, phone number and date of Dover Valley Restaurant / 3720 Carlisle Rd. in Dover
the event to wleahy@pahousegop.com or by calling (717) 767-3947. RSVP by Tuesday, Sept. 28.
Friday, Sept. 17
Ski Roundtop / 925 Roundtop Rd. in Lewisberry
RSVP by Tuesday, Sept. 14 VIETNAM WAR AND ERA VETERANS CEREMONY
Thursday, Oct. 7
Friday, Sept. 24
 cut and save

1 p.m.
Alexander’s Family Restaurant / 840 Carlisle Rd. in York Toyota Arena at the York Fairgrounds / 334 Carlisle Avenue in York
RSVP by Tuesday, Sept. 21 Visit page 4 of the newsletter to learn more.
Friday, Oct. 8
Windy Hill Senior Center / 50 N. East St. in Spring Grove
RSVP by Tuesday, Oct. 5 YORK COUNTY ENERGY FAIR
This expo is a collaboration among the York County House delega-
Friday, Oct. 15 tion to help those residents who will soon experience the expiration
Dover Valley Restaurant / 3720 Carlisle Rd. in Dover of electric generation rate caps. The event is still in the planning
RSVP by Tuesday, Oct. 12 stages, but you can learn more by contacting my office.

SIGN UP FOR E-MAIL UPDATES AND NEWS ABOUT UPCOMING EVENTS AT

REPGROVE.COM
 2010-11 Budget Review:
How Your State Tax Dollars Will Be Spent
On time, fiscally sound, holding the line on taxes, forward-look- of corporate welfare in which winners and losers are chosen based
ing, prioritizing the needs of Pennsylvanians – if I were able to craft on politics. If we truly want to encourage job creation and business
a budget for the Commonwealth on my own, those are just a few of expansion, we should make Pennsylvania a more business-friendly
the words I would use to describe what that budget would look like. state to help businesses across the board, not just those that are
Unfortunately, Pennsylvania’s 2010-11 budget does not exactly live the handpicked favorites of government officials.
up to these standards. Though it was on time and does not rely on Education: Basic education will see a $250 million increase in
new or increased taxes at this time, I believe it is an unsustainable this budget, but this and all other funding could be in jeopardy if
spending plan, and ultimately, I could not support it when it came the FMAP money is not approved by Congress. For public school
before the House for a vote. districts in the 196th District, the increase in funding was allocated
Following is a breakdown of the budget: as follows:
Dover Area – 2 percent or $211,210
Taxes: I am pleased to inform you this budget does not contain any Northern York County – 3.96 percent or $286,170
new or increased taxes, such as a personal income tax or business Spring Grove Area – 3.97 percent or $420,981
tax increase. However, the House and Senate leaders agreed to con- West York Area – 6.73 percent or $350,472
sider a severance tax on natural gas drilling by Oct. 1 of this year. Streamlining Government Operations: While I could not support this
Cost-Saving Measures: Another positive aspect of this budget budget due to several factors, I also believe our system of budget-
was its inclusion of cost-saving measures, which will cut down on ing is flawed. We need to do more to increase transparency and
government waste. The use of purchase cards (P-Cards) will save look for ways to reduce state expenses. To address this need, I
the state $10 million and the recovery of tax refund errors will garner am in the process of drafting several bills aimed at lowering state
$35 million. spending, with the eventual hope of reducing your tax burden. The
legislation includes:
Spending: This budget contains $28.04 billion in spending for
•Creating a Council on Efficient Government to ensure each
2010-11, which represents a $207 million increase. Though this is
agency is focusing on its core mission, maximizing resources and
$1 billion less than the original budget request by the governor, it is
contracting services with the private sector to increase efficiency
important to remember we ended last year with a $1 billion deficit.
and effectiveness of government services. This council would be
This spending is unsustainable because Pennsylvania has been
comprised of volunteers from the business community.
supplementing spending over the past two years with billions of
•Establishing an Independent Review Forecasting Commission
dollars in federal stimulus money which will expire after the 2010-11
of volunteer economists who would develop true revenue forecasts
budget cycle. When stimulus money ends in 2011-12, the Com-
in a transparent process.
monwealth will be left with a $3 billion structural deficit. Though
•Granting authority to the Legislative Budget and Finance Com-
$207 million is a modest spending increase when compared with
mittee to audit state government agencies and programs to root
previous years under the Rendell administration, it is irresponsible
out waste, fraud, abuse and inefficiencies, and to rely more on the
to spend even a single dollar more when faced with such a large
private sector for the delivery of services. The goal is to make sure
funding cliff next year.
the state is spending tax dollars to serve the people, not to grow
Unapproved Federal Money: This plan allocates $850 million in
the bureaucracy.
federal Medical Assistance funds (FMAP), which have not been ap-
If you have any questions or comments regarding the budget,
proved by Congress. If this money does not come through, budget
feel free to contact my district office.
cuts will be necessary. Because this money was included in the bud-
get, it will be the governor
who gets to decide where
those cuts will come from;
however, I am hopeful the
Legislature will be given
a voice in the process.
Ultimately, we should have
waited for the check from
Congress before including
this money in our spending
plan.
Economic Development:
Though cuts were seen to
nearly every other depart-
ment, the Department of
Community and Economic
Development will actually
see an increase in funding
of $59.3 million. While I
fundamentally agree with
the need to spur economic
development, I believe it is
wrong to create a system

FOLLOW ME ON
 Fixing the Public Pension
Crisis Will Take Courage
The Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS) and
the State Employees’ Retirement System (SERS) are the pension
plans for hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvania school and public
employees. Both are defined benefit plans, which means each
employee is entitled to a specific retirement benefit based on salary
and years of employment. These plans are funded by a combination
of returns on investments made by the retirement systems, contribu-
tions from the employee, and contributions from the employer. The
employer is essentially the taxpayer.
In 2012, PSERS and SERS will be faced with a serious cost
spike because investment income is down. Because the employee Since the incident at Spring Grove High School in which several teens
contribution level is set by law, Pennsylvania taxpayers will be on were caught sexting, I have been committed to finding a fair and balanced
the hook to cover the costs of retiree benefits. This means school way to protect Pennsylvania’s young people from exploitation, while
sending a message that sexting will not be tolerated. I am proud to say
boards will be forced to raise property taxes, and the Legislature will that my House Bill 2189 passed the House in June and is now awaiting
be forced to increase taxes. the consideration of the Senate Judiciary Committee. This legislation
In an effort to ease these costs, the House recently passed House is the result of months of bipartisan dialogue and the input of the
Bill 2497, which would address the spike in several ways. In part, the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association (PDAA). Pictured with me
is Edward M. Marsico Jr., president of PDAA, during the introduction of
bill reduces the multiplier, increases the vesting period from five to 10 my sexting bill. You can learn more about this legislation at my website,
years, eliminates lump sum payments, and increases the retirement RepGrove.com.
ages for all new SERS and PSERS members – attempts to change
benefits for existing members have been denied by the courts on three
occasions. It also incrementally increases the employer contribution
rates, which can be compared to refinancing a mortgage.
What the bill does not do is provide adequate protections for our
property taxpayers, which is why I ultimately could not support it. I
authored legislation, House Bill 2482, to lock employer contributions
made by school districts at 4 percent for the 2010-11 school year and
beyond. The Commonwealth would make up the necessary differ-
ence to fully fund the pension system. This would guarantee property
owners would be 100 percent protected from massive property tax
increases.
Our public pension systems are in serious trouble and we must
take bold action to ensure our obligations are met, while cushioning Rich Farr of Rabbit Transit joined me in the House chamber moments
our taxpayers from the full burden of these benefits. before Gov. Ed Rendell opened the Special Session on Transportation.
While House Bill 2497 is a step in the right direction, I believe it Since the federal rejection of the state’s request to toll Interstate 80,
Pennsylvania must find a $3 billion annual funding source to maintain
does not go far enough to protect Pennsylvania taxpayers. The legisla- our roads and bridges and support public transportation.
tion is awaiting the consideration of the Senate Finance Committee.
If you have any questions about the pension crisis, feel free to
contact my office.

L E G IS L AT IV E

SURVEY
In order to provide the best representation for the 196th District,
I need your input. Log onto RepGrove.com or contact my office
to complete a 10-question legislative survey.
During the York County model legislature, which offered students from
across York County the opportunity to visit the Capitol for an in-depth
view of state government, I explained the legislative process and the
importance of standing committees in reviewing legislation.

Go Green with
Paperless Newsletters
Many people have asked if they can receive an electronic version of my newsletter
rather than the paper copy. The answer is ... absolutely.
Simply go to RepGrove.com and click on the “e-newsletter” icon on the upper right
corner of the page to sign up.
Even if you already receive regular e-mail updates, you must complete this form and
include your full mailing address so you can be removed from the newsletter mailing list.
You will be notified via e-mail when a new edition of the e-newsletter is available.

LINKS ARE AT RepGrove.com


Legislation I Like
Following is a list of bills I am either co-sponsoring or have voted in
support of on the House floor. You can learn more about these bills at
www.legis.state.pa.us. If you have any questions about this legislation,
contact my office.
House Bill 460 would remove the display requirement of hunting
licenses from the Game and Wildlife Code – hunting licenses would still
need to be carried on the person. This legislation passed the House in
March and is awaiting Senate consideration.
House Bill 929 would extend the “Operation Recognition” program to
allow school districts to grant diplomas to honorably discharged Vietnam
War veterans who did not graduate because they entered into military
service. This bill passed the House in March and is awaiting movement
by the Senate Education Committee.
House Bill 726 would add a Missing Endangered Person Advisory
System to our current Amber Alert System. This legislation passed the
House in June and is awaiting action by the Senate Law and Justice
Committee.
House Bill 2070 would ban the use of handheld cell phones and text
messaging for all drivers. This bill passed the House in January and is
awaiting Senate consideration.
House Bill 843 would give concurrent jurisdiction to the Pennsylvania
attorney general and county district attorneys to prosecute child
pornography cases when they involve multiple counties or states. This
bill passed the House last November and is awaiting action by the Senate
Judiciary Committee.
House Bill 1592 would expand the offense of “invasion of privacy” to
protect individuals from being photographed or filmed in a state of full or
partial nudity when there is a reasonable expectation of privacy or from
having their intimate parts photographed or filmed, even if they are covered
by clothing. This legislation was brought about by a case in which a man
was inappropriately, but not illegally, taping young girls at a swim meet.
House Bill 1592 was approved in the House in November 2009 and is
awaiting a vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
House Bill 169 would increase prize limits for small games of chance,
which are used by community and civic organizations, as well as volunteer
emergency service providers, to bolster fundraising efforts. This legislation
passed the House in May and is before the Senate Finance Committee.
House Bill 1502 would require public work contractors to verify the
legal employment status of workers, and
House Bill 1503 requires construction industry employers to participate
in the E-Verify Program when hiring workers. Both bills passed the House in
June and are awaiting a vote by the Senate State Government Committee
and Senate Labor and Industry Committee, respectively.
Members from the Windy Hill Senior Center visited the Capitol in March. My
office continues to offer assistance at Windy Hill Senior Center from 9 a.m. to 10
a.m. on the first Tuesday of every month. Service is also available at the Heritage
Senior Center from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. on the first Monday of every month.
CONTACT ME
REP. SETH GROVE
196th Legislative District
DISTRICT OFFICE: Westgate Plaza, 1550 Kenneth Road, York, PA 17408 (717) 767-3947 Fax: (717) 767-9857
HARRISBURG OFFICE: PO Box 202196, Harrisburg, PA 17120-2196 (717) 783-2655 Fax: (717) 772-9869
E-Mail: sgrove@pahousegop.com Website: RepGrove.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/RepSethGrove Twitter: Twitter.com/RepGrove
Recognition Ceremony
Scheduled for Veterans
Who Served During
Vietnam War
I am joining with my colleagues in the York County House delega-
tion to honor the military contributions of veterans who served in the
Vietnam War and the Vietnam War era. The event will take place on
Thursday, Oct. 7, at the Toyota Arena at the York Fairgrounds.
If you, or someone you know, served in the military during this
era and are interested in participating, contact my district office at
(717) 767-3947 or register online at RepGrove.com as soon as
possible.
I am looking forward to honoring the bravery and dedication of
your military service. In the meantime, if you have any questions
about state programs and services for veterans, do not hesitate to
contact my office.
Rx Price Finder Can
Help You Find the Best
Prices for Medications
Even with the Medicare Part D Program and assistance from
PACE or PACENET, there are still many older Pennsylvanians who
struggle to afford their prescription drugs. Maybe you have fallen into
the “donut hole” or you do not qualify for PACE or PACENET because
of age or income, but there are still resources available to help make
your medications more affordable.
Pennsylvania has an online service, PA Rx Price Finder, to help
you find the best prices on your prescription drugs. This website al-
lows you to enter the names, strength and doses of your medications
to find the pharmacies offering the most affordable prices.
Simply log onto www.PARxPriceFinder.com, and follow the simple
instructions. Be sure to have your prescription information ready when
you begin. If you have difficulty using the website or do not have
Internet access, contact my office and we will be happy to help you.
PA Rx Price Finder is a service open to every Pennsylvania
resident, regardless of age or income.
I celebrated Earth Day with students at Spring Grove High School
and visited their rain garden, which was designed to reduce
stormwater runoff.
clip and save