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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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My office continues to be inundated with phone calls and emails from constituents with questions and concerns about the mail-in ballot system and have presented a number of anomalies which they feel cause concern.
I have an obligation to my constituents to ensure that all your voices are heard and that any allegation of impropriety in the election cycle is taken seriously and fully investigated.
Last week at the state Capitol in Harrisburg, I joined many of her Republican House colleagues requesting that the certification of election results be delayed until a comprehensive audit of the election is completed.
The establishment of a bipartisan investigatory committee with subpoena power will enable legislators to gather the facts and work toward making sure our election process is sound and secure. Public sentiment and the volume of lawsuits filed both before and since the election tell us that investigatory action is in order.
While I believe that the use of absentee ballots and the paper ballot option for people who are unable to get to the polls is perfectly safe, fewer steps in the process means fewer errors. I am a strong advocate for voting at the polls on election day, if able, as the best and most efficient way to vote.
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Sincerely,
Valerie Gaydos |
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New Program to Support PA Veterans
Our veterans have sacrificed so much for us and for our country. As a Commonwealth, we have a responsibility to honor them and support them in any way we can.
In conjunction with Veterans Day earlier this week, the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) launched PA VETConnect, a statewide outreach initiative designed to better serve our veterans, especially those in areas where support resources are scarce.
PA VETConnect identifies and cultivates new community partnerships to simultaneously broaden referral capabilities and connect veterans to the best possible resources, regardless of the township, county or region where they reside.
To learn more about PA VETConnect, visit www.dmva.pa.gov/VETConnect. Veterans who are in need of assistance and want to connect with a service through PA VETConnect can send an email request to RA-MVVET-CONNECT@pa.gov.
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Wolf Files Appeal, Overturn an Order from the State Office of Open Records
Gov. Tom Wolf filed an appeal with the Commonwealth Court to overturn an order from the state Office of Open Records requiring him to release COVID-19 data.
The order was issued after my colleague Rep. Frank Ryan (R-Lebanon) filed a Right-to-Know (RTK) request using Act 77 of 2020 which passed unanimously with bipartisan support requiring the administration to be fully transparent and to respond to all requests. The RTK is seeking data Wolf used to make his decision in July to keep Lebanon County under lockdown.
As you may recall, several businesses in Lebanon county, as well as its county commissioners, very vocally sought to reopen the limited areas of the county during Wolf’s phased reopening. Oddly, Lebanon was kept closed by the governor while all other counties in the state, some of which had higher numbers of COVID-19 cases reopened. Wolf also withheld more than $12 million in federal CARES Act funding earmarked for the county stating that it was due to Lebanon County “disobeying” his mercurial orders.
Click here for more information.
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State Expands Window to Backdate UC Claims
The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) has temporarily expanded its ability to backdate Unemployment Compensation (UC) claims from six weeks to up to 52 weeks.
The change is intended to allow L&I staff to assist claimants who attempted to file UC claims during the first weeks of the pandemic but needed assistance and were unable to reach a staff member due to the sudden surge in claims. According to L&I, the temporary change will simplify the process for backdating and allow for more approvals at a faster pace.
Claimants seeking to file a backdated claim should email uchelp@pa.gov with the subject line “Back Date Request.” The email should include the exact date they were separated from their employer and any relevant information about the separation for the additional weeks the claimant wishes to claim.
Due to the anticipated high volume of initial backdating requests, claimants may experience a delay in receiving a response. Claimants should send only one email request as they will be processed as fast as possible and multiple requests will only delay UC’s ability to process in a timely manner.
Additional information is available at www.uc.pa.gov.
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LIHEAP Program Available Now!
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps low income people pay their heating bills through home heating energy assistance grants and crisis grants. This program is federally funded. The LIHEAP program opened Monday, November 2, 2020. Completed applications should be sent to your local County Assistance Office. For more information on the program, click on the links below.
Application
Brochure
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‘Move Over’ Legislation Signed into Law
Legislation to strengthen Pennsylvania’s “Steer Clear Law” and better protect police, tow truck drivers and other first responders has been signed into law after its recent unanimous passage by the General Assembly.
Act 105 of 2020 rebrands the “Steer Clear Law” as the “Move Over Law” to clarify how motorists should react when approaching or passing an emergency response area, such as a police officer conducting a routine traffic stop or a tow truck operator helping a disabled vehicle.
The new law, which takes effect next April, establishes a point system for a “move over” violation; doubles the fines for a summary offense; improves awareness by requiring PennDOT to educate the public throughout the year; and implements new requirements for drivers approaching an emergency response area.
There are more than 350 reportable traffic crashes in Pennsylvania every day that put first responders in harm’s way. So far this year, 40 first responders have been killed nationwide while working roadside incidents.
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Winter Weather Awareness Week
It may not have felt much like winter this past week, but in preparation for the inevitable, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is reminding drivers to be prepared when the snow flies.
Now is the time to get your vehicle ready for winter. Consider having your mechanic check the brakes, battery, hoses and belts. Also make sure your fluid levels are full; the heater and defroster are working properly, as well as your radio in order to receive weather and traffic reports; tires are properly inflated and have sufficient tread depth; and wipers and lights are in good working order.
Assemble a winter emergency kit to carry with you in your car at all times. This should include a blanket and warm clothes; jumper cables; small shovel; first aid kit; medications for you and your passengers; and water and nonperishable food. A full list of suggested items is available here.
To help keep you informed when you head out on the roads, you can access travel information on nearly 40,000 state-maintained roadway miles year-round at www.511PA.com, and during the winter you will find plow-truck locations and details of when state-maintained roadways were last plowed. The information is made possible by PennDOT's Automated Vehicle Location (AVL) technology, which uses units in each of the roughly 2,200 department-owned and rented plow trucks to send a cellular signal showing where a truck is located.
For more information and resources to help you prepare for and get through the winter, visit www.penndot.gov/winter.
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Office Locations |
District Office: |
1009 Beaver Grade Road, Suite 220, 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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