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Next Week: Game Commission Night
Are you ready for an exciting evening at the Pennsylvania Game Commission Night?
Come out next Tuesday, March 17, and hear from Pennsylvania Game Commission Elk Biologist Jeremy Banfield, and we will learn all about elk in Pennsylvania. Staff will also share updates and answer your questions.
Join us for this fun and informative evening!
Seats are filling up fast. Register at repowlett.com to reserve your seat or call the Wellsboro office at 570-724-1390 or the Troy office at 570-297-3045.
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Attention Farmers!!!
Registration is now open for a free Breakfast Meeting on Agriculture, Thursday, April 9, at 9:30 a.m. at the Tioga County Fairgrounds in Wellsboro hosted by Sen. Gene Yaw and me.
This is a great event and will be featuring a discussion on farm legacy and succession planning led by Kurtis Eby, Bare Wealth Advisors, and Tony Brubaker, Brubaker Farms LLC.
The breakfast is open to farmers and members of the agriculture community in Tioga and Bradford counties. Seating is limited, and registration is required.
The deadline to RSVP is Thursday, March 26.
Please RSVP by visiting Sen. Yaw’s website here.
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Future Entrepreneur Summit: Focus on the Trades
I am looking forward to hosting our second annual Future Entrepreneur Summit this spring. This year we will be focusing on the trades, where will introduce students to entrepreneurship, business ownership, and real-world applications of hands-on skills while connecting them with local employers and mentors.
I believe that by elevating the value of skilled work and providing practical options beyond traditional college, the summit will help students make informed career choices, while strengthening our local economy and building a stronger workforce for the future.
Click here to register.
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A Memorable Day at the Capitol
Meet the future leaders of PA! I was thrilled to welcome students from Liberty Elementary School for a tour of our stunning State Capitol last week. They were wowed by its beauty, fascinated by its history, and inspired to learn more about their state government!
If you or your group would like to plan a visit to the Capitol, please contact my legislative assistant in Harrisburg, Jill Beatty, at jbeatty@pahousegop.com or 717-772-5371 to schedule a visit. You can learn a lot about touring the Capitol by clicking here.
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From Idea to Law: A Visit with Don Gill’s Fourth Grade Classes
Thank you to Mrs. Boyce and Mr. Kennedy for inviting me to join their fourth grade classes at Don Gill Elementary last week! We had a great time talking about the different roles of government and how an idea becomes a law. The students even came up with some of their own ideas, created some bills and learned firsthand how the process works.
We wrapped up each class period with a fun game of Pennsylvania Bingo, sharing some interesting facts about Pennsylvania along the way. I always enjoy spending time with our students and seeing their excitement for learning.
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Veterans Service Officer Outreach in Troy
The Troy district office is hosting free veterans’ assistance hours on the second Thursday of each month to all veterans and their dependents. Call the Troy office at 570-297-3045 to schedule an appointment to speak with Bill McGovern, Veterans Service Officer from the American Legion. We are now scheduling appointments for March 12.
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PGC Opens Shooting Range Improvement Grant Program
The Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Shooting Range Improvement Program is now accepting applications for shooting range projects.
Eligible applicants include existing shooting ranges, shooting clubs, recreational shooting organizations, archery clubs and education groups. Applicants must demonstrate public use of current facilities, such as public range times, educational outreach/training or organized shooting competitions. Retail ranges are not eligible to apply for this program.
A maximum of $50,000 will be awarded per project. Submissions are due to the Game Commission by Friday, May 8, with project selection by July 1. Click here for more information.
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Need Tax Help?
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, provided by the United Way of Bradford County, is now accepting appointments for the upcoming tax season. The service is being offered at multiple locations across the county, including at my office in Troy.
The VITA program provides free tax help to individuals and families with a household income of $72,000 or less, veterans, people with disabilities, individuals over the age of 50, Native Americans or individuals who speak limited English. Please note that you only need to meet one of the requirements to qualify.
Appointments are required and may be made by calling 1-866-839-0442 or clicking here.
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Beware of Tax Season Scams
Tax season has arrived, and with it the threat of tax-related scams.
The Internal Revenue Service reminds you to watch out for these warning signs:
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A big payday – If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Bad tax advice on social media may convince you to lie on tax forms or mislead you about credits you can claim.
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Demands or threats – Impersonators want you to pay “now or else.” They threaten arrest or deportation. They don’t let you question or appeal the amount of tax you owe.
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Website links – Odd or misspelled web links can take you to harmful sites instead of IRS.gov.
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Taxpayers should also be aware of IRS impersonators. The IRS will never contact you using social media or text message. The first contact from the IRS usually comes in the mail.
To learn more about tax scams and how to protect yourself, click here.
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Energy Development, Public Safety Featured in State Budget Hearings
With rising energy prices and concerns about electric grid stability, members of the House Appropriations Committee focused heavily on energy development and permitting issues during last week’s budget hearing with the departments of Environmental Protection and Conservation and Natural Resources. Members emphasized the importance of building baseload energy production from coal, natural gas and nuclear power to decrease energy costs for consumers and meet rising demand.
During hearings with the Office of Attorney General and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, public safety was the focus, with concerns raised about needed support for law enforcement and fire and emergency medical services. Republican members of the committee also expressed concerns that the governor’s proposal underfunds the Office of the Attorney General for a second year in a row. Attorney General Dave Sunday shared that his office needs more funding to prosecute and combat human trafficking in Pennsylvania, among other functions of his office.
Budget hearings will come to a close this week with testimony from the Pennsylvania departments of Transportation, Revenue, Health and Aging, along with the Pennsylvania State Police and higher education institutions. The governor’s Office of the Budget will also testify.
Budget hearings will stream live at www.PABudget.com and www.PAHouseGOP.com. For a full schedule of hearings and video of prior hearings, click here.
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PA ABLE Celebrates $200 Million Saved by Pennsylvanians with Disabilities
The PA ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) Savings Program continues to grow, with Treasurer Stacy Garrity announcing recently that the program has surpassed $200 million in assets.
PA ABLE is an important program that provides savings opportunities to Pennsylvanians with disabilities that don’t impact important benefits they rely upon. It also provides significant tax benefits. Money saved with PA ABLE can be used for a wide variety of disability-related expenses to cover day-to-day things like groceries and rent and bigger expenses like assistive technology and vehicle adaptations.
PA ABLE is a powerful program that helps individuals with disabilities improve financial security and live more independently. In January, PA ABLE expanded eligibility to include those whose disabilities began prior to age 46 (previously age 26).
For information about eligibility and how to start saving with PA ABLE, visit www.paable.gov or call 855-529-ABLE (2253).
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