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senator vogel

September 1, 2022

September is Hunger Action Month

HARRISBURG – The nation’s largest charitable food organization, Feeding America, recognizes each September as Hunger Action Month in communities across the country, and we’re doing that here in Pennsylvania as well. According to Feeding Pennsylvania, nearly 2 million Pennsylvanians – or one in nine – are struggling with hunger and of that population, 500,000 are children. Making matters more difficult, the charitable food network across the commonwealth has seen an unprecedented rise in need due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic downturn now affecting every Pennsylvanian. Hunger touches every corner of the commonwealth and exists in every community, whether…

July 8, 2022

Senate Passes 2022-23 State Budget that Cuts Taxes, Funds Essential Services

HARRISBURG – The Senate approved a $45.2 billion General Fund Budget for Fiscal Year 2022-23 that meets the needs of Pennsylvanians today without creating multi-billion-dollar budget deficits in the future, according to Sen. Elder Vogel (R-47), who voted for the measure. Senate Bill 1100 now goes to the governor’s desk for enactment into law. The $45.2 billion budget, which also includes federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, represents a 2.9% increase over the previous year’s spending – and $500 million less than Gov. Tom Wolf’s original budget request. The budget agreement does not include any broad-based tax increases and…

June 17, 2022

Vogel Introduces Dog Law Modernization Bill

Pennsylvania’s enforcement of its dog laws is, and for several years has been, in trouble, and legislation newly introduced by Sen. Elder Vogel (R-47) is focused on fixing the problems. “It’s been more than 25 years since statutory dog license fees have been raised and the last time dog kennel fees were increased was nearly 60 years ago, with both being primary sources of operating funds for the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement (BDLE),” said Vogel. “BDLE has been functioning with a deficit for a number of years and annually requires a transfer of funds to…

April 23, 2022

Beaver, Lawrence County Projects Receive a Combined Total of $4.3 Million

HARRISBURG – A total of five Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grants, with a combined total of $4.3 million, have been awarded to Beaver and Lawrence County projects, according to Sen. Elder Vogel (R-47). The majority of that grant funding total – $2.3 million – went to Shenango Area School District toward the cost of the already-constructed Shenango Recreation Complex in Shenango Township, Lawrence County. The indoor sports facility features an indoor walking track, three basketball and volleyball courts, three pickleball courts, a state-of-the-art weight room, pole vault and long jump pits and a batting cage area. “The recreation facility…

January 26, 2022

Senate Passes New Funding for Hospitals, Health Care Workers

HARRISBURG (Jan. 26, 2022) – The state Senate this week approved critical funding for hospitals and frontline health care workers who continue to keep Pennsylvanians safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, Sen. Elder Vogel, R-47, said. House Bill 253 would allocate a total of $225 million to hospitals and their employees. The additional dollars will be allocated as follows: $100 million for acute care general hospitals. $110 million for critical access hospitals, facilities with a high volume of Medicaid patients, and behavioral/psychiatric providers. $15 million for the PA Student Loan Relief for Nurses Program. Of that total, the major health care…

November 19, 2021

$2.5 Million In Grant Funding Distributed to Area Projects

HARRISBURG – The Commonwealth Financing Authority has awarded $2.5 million in grants to four projects located in Beaver, Butler and Lawrence counties, according to Sen. Elder Vogel (R-47). Three of the grants were awarded through the Multimodal Transportation Fund Program: A $1 million grant for the City of New Castle, Lawrence County, to make roadway, sidewalk and trail improvements within the Enterprise Park section of New Castle, with all the planned work focused on making Enterprise Park safer and more accessible. Betters Real Estate Holdings L.P. has received a $1 million grant for the installation of rail lines at a…

October 29, 2021

Senate Approves Telemedicine Bill

HARRISBURG – The Senate today approved legislation that promotes telemedicine as a way to overcome barriers to quality patient care created by distance and reduce the costs of those services, according to the bill’s prime sponsor, Sen. Elder Vogel (R-Beaver). “No one was even remotely aware of COVID-19 and the impact that it could have on our society when I first introduced this bill. But, if we take nothing else away from this pandemic, we now fully understand the critical need for this tool,” said Senator Vogel. “This bill is about building the infrastructure for telemedicine. It’s about establishing who…

October 27, 2021

Senate Approves Legislation Banning Deceptive “Spoofing” Phone Calls

Harrisburg – In an effort to crack down on deceptive and nuisance telephone calls, the Senate today approved a bill banning the practice of caller ID “spoofing,” according to Senator Elder Vogel (R-47) who supported the bill. Senate Bill 236 is designed to protect citizens from misleading telemarketing “robocalls,” particularly those that disguise their real phone number by making it look like a local number, increasing the likelihood that the call will be answered. The computerized telemarketing messages can be intrusive, and can also prey on trusting Pennsylvanians, including vulnerable senior citizens because the calls come across the Caller ID…

September 30, 2021

Senate Passes Measures to Help Pennsylvania Farmers Move Goods

HARRISBURG – The state Senate this week passed two measures to help Pennsylvania farmers make home deliveries and meet other transportation needs. “These bills will help our farmers move products to market easier and with less unnecessary regulation,” said Senator Elder Vogel (R-47). Senate Bill 736 would enable a farmer to register a farm vehicle for the delivery of milk and other agricultural products to both businesses and homes. Under current law, a farmer is required to purchase, register and maintain a separate commercial vehicle for home deliveries while also maintaining a farm vehicle to deliver products to businesses. Senate…

August 20, 2021

Riverside School District Receives Half a Million

Riverside School District was awarded $500,000.00 from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for redevelopment of the school’s natatorium. Riverside is one of the schools in Beaver County with a swimming pool that not only offers recreation to the students within the district, but to the public as well. Installed in 1976, the pool is in need of multiple repairs and redevelopment. Between inadequate regulation slope depth for diving, lane line anchors, cracks in the aluminum, and a need for a new air filtration system, the pool, while still functional, needs these repairs. “We are very pleased that the Department has awarded…