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senator vogel

February 3, 2021

Senator Vogel Raises Concerns About Governor Wolf’s Tax & Spend Budget

Senator Elder Vogel today raised serious concerns about the Governor’s proposal to raise income taxes, increase state spending and slash Pennsylvania’s support for agricultural programs. The Governor today (February 3) unveiled his proposed $40.2 billion General Fund Budget for Fiscal Year 2021-22, which includes a $3.1 billion (8.2 percent) increase in state spending, a substantial Personal Income Tax (PIT) rate hike, imposition of Marcellus Shale extraction tax, and elimination of funding for vital agricultural programs and services. As Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which oversees the budget review process in the Senate, and Chairman of the Senate Agriculture…

January 27, 2021

Senate Approves $912 Million COVID-19 Relief Package

The Senate is poised to approve a comprehensive $912 million relief package to help restaurants, schools, employers, and tenants impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Senator Elder Vogel, who supported the bill in the Senate and on Tuesday when it came before the Senate Appropriations Committee for consideration. Senate Bill 109 amends the state Fiscal Code to allocate $569.8 million for Rental and Utility Assistance, $197 million for education programs, and $145 million to support Pennsylvania’s struggling hospitality industry as it copes with the devastation created by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Governor’s mandated closings and restrictions. The bill…

January 14, 2021

Senator Vogel Announces Railroad Grant; Reappointed Chair of Agriculture

New Castle Industrial RR Receives $262,500 State Grant New Castle Industrial Railroad, Inc., was today (January 13) awarded a $262,500 state grant to construct a new 3,200-foot siding to expand its main line track capacity accommodating increased interchange traffic with CSX and NS railroads, according to Senator Elder Vogel. “The efficient movement of goods is imperative for businesses to be successful,” Senator Vogel said. “This funding will help New Castle Industrial Railroad meet the needs of the industry and the local marketplace, which in turn should further expand family sustaining job opportunities in our area.” Formed in 1992, the New…

January 6, 2021

Senator Vogel Sworn-in to Serve in 2021-22 Legislative Session

State Senator Elder Vogel was sworn into office today (January 5) during a ceremony in the Senate Chamber of the State Capitol to represent the people of the 47th Senatorial District during the 2021-22 Legislative Session. “We will face many changes during this Session, and many of those issues are a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic” Senator Vogel said. “The pandemic and the mitigation efforts have had a devastating impact on our economy, locally and statewide. This is especially true among Pennsylvania’s farming families. The closure of restaurants and schools has rocked those families. Crops have spoiled and fresh…

December 30, 2020

Local Projects Receive State Grants Totaling $6 Million

Projects in the 47th Senatorial District were recently awarded state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grants totaling $6 million according to Senator Elder Vogel. Stefanik Properties LLC, was awarded $2 million for the proposed development of the Stafanik Industrial Park on an 18-acre site in Center Township, Beaver County. The project includes the proposed construction of two buildings and the development of infrastructure to support the site. The Western Central Pennsylvania Electrician Joint Apprenticeship & Training Committee was awarded $1 million for the construction of a proposed state-of-the-art 20,000 square foot IBEW 712 Apprenticeship Training Center in Neshannock Township, Lawrence…

August 18, 2020

Local Water/Sewer Projects Receive $3 Million in State Funding

Several major infrastructure improvement projects in the 47th Senatorial District were awarded a total of $3,040,918 in state funding by the Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA) today (August 17), according to Senator Elder Vogel. “These grants represent a significant investment by the state in the development and rehabilitation of water and sewer systems serving communities across my Senate district,” Senator Vogel said. “These are essential projects that will upgrade these systems, expand service and improve the quality of life in those communities. These grants will help defray the costs of the projects and reduce the burden that otherwise would have fallen…

May 29, 2020

Senate Approves Budget/Comprehensive COVID-19 Funding Package

Facing an uncertain economic future and working to address the devastating impact of COVID-19, the Senate today (May 28) set a course for recovery by approving a $25.8 billion interim budget for Fiscal Year 2020-21 as well as a plan to direct $2.6 billion in federal CARES funding to organizations that were most severely impacted by the virus, including $40 million to help farmers and address food insecurity issues, according to Senator Elder Vogel, (R-47). The measures now go to the Governor for enactment into law. House Bill 2387is an interim spending plan that provides five months of funding for…

April 15, 2020

Senate Approves Measures to Improve COVID-19 Mitigation Process

The Senate approved two bills today that would create a better process for determining which businesses can operate during the COVID-19 pandemic and give county leaders a stronger say in determining the best mitigation measures for their citizens, according to Senator Elder Vogel. Governor Wolf ordered the closure of all businesses not deemed “life-sustaining” on March 16. Although a haphazard waiver system was eventually created for businesses that wished to remain open, that process was riddled with inconsistencies and lacked any sense of transparency or accountability to the public, Senator Vogel said. Senate Bill 613, which now goes to the…

April 14, 2020

VIDEO: Senator Vogel Offers Online Unemployment Compensation Guide

Recognizing that many people have seen their daily lives and their jobs impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak, Senator Elder Vogel launched a special page on his website (www.senatoreldervogel.com) dedicated to providing his constituents with information regarding unemployment compensation. The new page, www.senatoreldervogel.com/unemployment-questions/, provides contact information and helpful links for people who have questions about how to file claims and about other steps in the process. It details eligibility requirements, addresses issues of interest to small business owners and incudes a section dedicated to answering the questions about the unemployment compensation process posed by callers to Senator Vogel’s office. “Pennsylvania has…

February 5, 2020

Senator Vogel Responds to Governor’s Budget Proposal

The Senate will carefully study the $36.1 billion state General Fund budget for Fiscal Year 2020-21 unveiled by Governor Tom Wolf on Tuesday (February 4) before a joint session of the General Assembly, according to Senator Elder Vogel (R-47). “Obviously, it’s more of the same old, same old,” said Senator Vogel. “We hear that he doesn’t want to raise taxes, yet there is over $1 billion in new spending in the budget and that money has to come from somewhere. We don’t know where that is coming from yet. He is taking a lot of money out of other programs….