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The Latest News from Your State Representative |
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Please do not reply to this e-mail, as I am unable to respond to messages sent to this address. You can contact me directly at vgaydos@pahousegop.com or here. |
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Freedom is a chance to be better. And, as Albert Einstein once said, freedom is only possible by struggling for it. This week, I voted in favor of legislation (SB618) that will prohibit the use of vaccine passports from being required of citizens to participate in routine activities within the Commonwealth. It is imperative we continue to protect the freedoms of each and every Pennsylvanian but requiring a vaccine passport for people to live day-to-day represents an extreme government intrusion into people’s personal lives especially when dealing with citizens’ private medical information.
As a member of the House Health Committee, and Chair of the Cybersecurity Caucus, I am cautious of any centralization of personal health records especially by government especially when data breaches of such sensitive information in government are still a serious concern.
Click here to watch my comments.
The bill would prohibit a school district, institution of higher education or other government entity from requiring proof of a COVID-19 vaccination to use a service, enter a building or undertake an activity. It would also prohibit the expenditure of tax dollars to create an electronic vaccine tracking system. Finally, Senate Bill 618 would narrow the authority of the secretary of Health relating to issues under the Disease Prevention and Control Act.
I believe every Pennsylvanian who wants a COVID-19 vaccine should have the opportunity to receive one. However, those who cannot get the vaccine due to medical reasons, arbitrary vaccine deployment phases created by the governor, or personal choice should not be discriminated against by their own government and certainly not tracked in a central registry.
The bill now returns to the Senate for consideration.
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Sincerely,
Valerie Gaydos |
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Gaydos Votes Yes, House Approves Voting Rights Protection Act
Citizens of Pennsylvania deserve to have a voting process that they can trust. This week, I
voted to approve House Bill 1300 which is legislation to improve Pennsylvania’s election process to ensure free, fair and accessible elections for all and to restore the integrity and trusting our system.
If Pennsylvanians are to have faith in our election system, they must have complete confidence elections are conducted fairly, efficiently and free of any bias or corruption. No legal voter should ever be denied the opportunity to cast a legal ballot.
House Bill 1300, the Voting Rights Protection Act, would call for an expansion of Pennsylvania’s voter identification law; require regular election audits; improve election uniformity among the 67 counties as required by the Pennsylvania Constitution; enhance certification processes for all machines used in elections; require signature verification using ballot scanning equipment for mail-in and absentee ballots; improve lists of registered voters; conduct an audit of every election for, among other things, to improve security of elections. Specifically, registered voters would receive through their counties’ durable scannable voter registration cards, much like the identification cards currently issued to voters, to be used when voting in person.
To enhance voter access, the bill also would allow for early in-person voting to begin in 2025; outline a process for mail-in voters to correct certain types of errors on their ballots, such as unsigned or undated ballots; and gives counties the option to use secure mail-in ballot drop boxes during specific times and at secure locations. The measure also sets a standard that counties would have to ensure voters never have to wait longer than 30 minutes to cast their ballots, and elderly voters or those with disabilities would be given the opportunity to move to the head of the line to vote.
The bill also passed the state Senate and is now headed to the governor for his signature.
Please take the time to read the entire legislation to understand how this legislation advances the ball to create greater transparency and accountability, not less. And, if you have any questions, please call my office.
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2021-22 State Budget Deadline Nears
As Rep. Gaydos and her House colleagues work to help the Commonwealth recover economically from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, negotiations on the 2021-22 state budget are drawing to a close among the House, Senate and governor’s office.
While the Independent Fiscal Office has projected the Commonwealth will end the current fiscal year with $3 billion in revenue beyond initial estimates, it’s important to recognize most of this money is the result of one-time federal stimulus dollars and increased tax collections related to it (such as families using their stimulus funds to purchase new furniture and other durable goods).
The Commonwealth is still facing a long-term structural deficit in our state budget, which is why Rep. Gaydos will once again be working toward a fiscally responsible spending plan that focuses on funding the core functions of government, eliminates waste and ultimately respects the taxpayers who foot the bill.
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Gaydos Selected to Team Pennsylvania Foundation Board of Directors
Rep. Gaydos has been nominated by House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin) and approved by the Team Pennsylvania Foundation to serve on its board of directors. Team Pennsylvania is a collaboration of the highest levels of public and private leadership to support Pennsylvania’s goal of being a national leader in education and economic development.
In this capacity, Gaydos will help Team Pennsylvania Foundation, a dynamic public/private partnership, to improve and strengthen the state’s workforce and to help grow a vibrant economy in Pennsylvania.
As a current member of the House Commerce and Education committees and her experience as a business owner, Gaydos said that she was honored to be able to contribute to furthering business growth, education & workforce development and government efficiency in the state of Pennsylvania.
Team Pennsylvania Foundation is a non-partisan, 501©(3) nonprofit established in 1997 to connect private and public sector leaders to achieve and sustain progress for Pennsylvania. Strong relationships between business and industry are necessary to facilitate partnerships for the betterment of the Commonwealth.
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Gaydos Sends Message to School Boards, Superintendents in the 44th District
Rep. Gaydos would like you to read the letter below that she wrote to the 44th Legislative District public school superintendents and school board presidents. Education and health care are two of her top priorities. Preparing students, teachers, administrators and parents for personal responsibility during the upcoming school years is paramount.
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House Introduces Safer Pennsylvania Act
A package of bills was unveiled this week to help ensure victims feel safe and supported after a traumatic experience, and that the criminal justice system is equipped to improve public safety outcomes.
The six pieces of legislation being proposed are as follows:
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The Victims of Violence Employment Leave Act would authorize victims of violent crime and their immediate family members to take unpaid leave from work as needed for medical appointments, counseling, court proceedings or other needs. |
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The Victims of Violence Landlord-Tenant Act would permit individuals to lawfully terminate residential leases when necessary as a result of the crime. |
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The Victims of Violence Emergency Relocation Act would expand protections to victims of other types of violent crimes, their immediate family or household members, and witnesses to violent crime who are threatened with further violence. |
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The Victims of Violence Compensation Act would update the Crime Victims Act to ensure more victims receive the help they need and know their rights |
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The Education Access and Incentivization in Corrections Act would build on Pennsylvania’s commitment to education in the correctional system as a smart, proven public safety strategy. |
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The Sexual Assault Testing and Evidence Collection Act would create an exception to reporting identifying information specifically in sexual assault cases where victims wish to remain anonymous. |
The measures have not yet been formally introduced.
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Senate Committee Approves Gaydos Legislation to Better Protect and Serve Residents
Legislation sponsored by Rep. Gaydos that would better protect the victims of human trafficking overwhelmingly passed the Senate Judiciary Committee this week.
Gaydos addressed the Senate committee to explain her legislation. Click on the box below to learn more.
House Bill 1147 would expand the list of sexual offenses that require offenders to attend and participate in a Department of Corrections program of counseling and therapy designed for incarcerated sex offenders. This legislation is necessary as a result of additions made to the list of sexual offenses (human trafficking) in the Crimes Code, specifically the definition of sexual servitude,
Human trafficking is a horrendous crime, and everyone needs to continue to raise public awareness as well as arm prosecutors and law enforcement with every tool possible to take down traffickers and protect victims.
House Bill 1147 now moves to the full Senate for consideration.
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House Approves Mortgage Broker Bill
Legislation that would allow for remote mortgage origination to continue and allow Pennsylvania’s mortgage brokers to continue working as they are now, whether remotely or in a licensed location, passed the House this week.
House Bill 1588, the Remote Mortgage Banking Bill, modernizes Pennsylvania’s Banking Code to no longer restrict mortgage operations to within 100 miles of the physical branch location. The home lending market would open up across the Commonwealth, which is crucial for successful business.
In addition, the legislation looks to keep parts of the pandemic waiver program permanent, which will help businesses become more competitive and will give consumers more access.
This bill is a big step forward in making Pennsylvania the ideal place to purchase a home. House Bill 1588 now heads to the Senate for consideration.
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Celebrating PA Dairy
June is Dairy Month in Pennsylvania, the perfect time to enjoy an extra dish of ice cream or yogurt, another piece of cheese or tall glass of milk!
Dairy is our Commonwealth’s largest agricultural industry, helping to generate $14.7 billion of economic activity each year. We rank second in the nation in terms of the number of dairy farms, and seventh nationally in milk production. In fact, last year our 482,000 cows produced more than 10.2 billion pounds of milk!
Nearly all of the Commonwealth’s dairy farms – an estimated 99% of them – are family-owned, and the industry supports more than 52,000 jobs statewide.
If you’d like to support Pennsylvania dairy, be sure to check the milk you purchase at the grocery store and look for the PA Preferred logo or milk with a plant code beginning with “42.” Plant codes are usually printed near the top of the container or on the lid, sometimes they’re printed right on the label. The first, and most important, part of the code will always be two numbers (between 01 and 56). This identifies the state where the milk was processed. Pennsylvania’s magic number is 42!
Learn more about the state’s dairy industry here.
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Office Locations |
District Office: |
1005 Beaver Grade Road, Suite 106, Moon Township, PA 15108 | Phone: (412) 262-3780, Fax: (412) 262-3783 |
Capitol Office: |
Room 428, Irvis Office Building, House Box 202044, Harrisburg PA 17120-2044 | Phone: (717) 787-6651 | |
Email: vgaydos@pahousegop.com |
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