State Senator

KEEPING IN TOUCHAndy Dinniman

Senate of PennsylvaniaDear Friend, It’s a challenging time in Pennsylvania. The state budget impasse, which

threatened to bring schools and vital social services to the brink of closure, has been

partially resolved. As of this writing, funding for schools, social service agencies, and

student higher education grants is being partially released, but the budget problem

continues. The budget stalemate is totally unacceptable and cannot be allowed to happen

again. To help ensure that it doesn’t, I have introduced a bill that will require the

legislature to remain in continuous session, meeting every day without leave,

without pay, without reimbursements, and without per diems if a complete

budget is not passed and signed by July 1. The same goes for the governor and

cabinet members. In addition, after June 30, all meetings and negotiations between

legislative leaders and the governor must be open to the public. Finally, Pennsylvania

ought to move toward biennial budgets, as is done in many states, to reduce the

uncertainty of the yearly budget process and allow more planning and financial

stability for our schools and human service agencies.

Partisan bickering does not work. The latest research on state legislatures shows

that budget impasses are avoided in states where lawmakers face strong consequences

for the failure to pass a budget on time. We must enact such consequences here in

Pennsylvania. Over the past year, we had opportunities to take on important and long-standing

issues that will impact our future – pension reform, liquor privatization, and

education funding. I supported these measures because they represented a real

compromise on questions that have loomed over the legislature for years – questions

that need to be resolved. In fact, a compromise approach to these issues was passed in

the Senate, with the governor’s concurrence, but failed to move forward in the House.

I hope you find this newsletter informative. As always, please know that I will

continue to put people before politics in standing with you and for you, the people of

Chester County.

Sincerely,

ANDY DINNIMAN

ANDREW E. DINNIMANSTATE SENATOR19TH DISTRICT182 MAIN CAPITOL BUILDINGSENATE BOX 203019

HARRISBURG, PA 17120-3019717-787-5709FAX: 717-787-4384ONE NORTH CHURCH STREET

WEST CHESTER, PA 19380-3006610-692-2112FAX: 610-436-1721EMAIL: andy@pasenate.com

WEBSITE: www.senatordinniman.comFACEBOOK: Senator Andy Dinniman

TWITTER: @SenatorDinniman

COMMITTEESEDUCATION, MINORITY CHAIR

AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS

ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGYPOLICYPUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE

STATE GOVERNMENTBEN FRANKLIN TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

EDUCATION COMMISSION OF THE STATES

INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE CAUCUS, CO-CHAIR

JOINT LEGISLATIVE CONSERVATION COMMITTEE

LIFE SCIENCES AND BIOTECHNOLOGY CAUCUS, CO-CHAIR

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES

PENNSYLVANIA HIGHER EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES AUTHORITY

PENNSYLVANIA HISTORICAL AND MUSEUM COMMISSION

STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION

STATE PUBLIC SCHOOL BUILDING AUTHORITY

INSIDE: Education Update • Taking Action on Property TaxesNew Transportation Projects • Safe and Healthy Communities

Winter 2016

Keeping in Touch—SENATOR ANDY DINNIMAN

DISTRICT OFFICE One North Church Street • West Chester, PA 19380(610) 692-2112 • Fax: (610) 436-1721 Hours: Mon. – Fri. • 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

HARRISBURG OFFICESenate Box 203019 • 182 Capitol Building • Harrisburg, PA 17120-3019(717) 787-5709 • Fax: (717) 787-4384

E-MAIL: andy@pasenate.com • WEBSITE www.senatordinniman.com

OFFICES TO SERVE YOU

BECOME A FRIEND ON FACEBOOK@Senator Andy Dinniman

FOLLOW ON TWITTER@SenatorDinniman

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City ofCoatesville

Tredyffrin Twp

Lower Oxford Twp

Elk Twp

Highland Twp

West Bradford Twp

East Nottingham Twp

London Grove Twp

Franklin Twp

New Garden Twp

Upper Oxford Twp

West Fallowfield Twp

Penn Twp

East BradfordTwp

East Fallowfield Twp

West Marlborough Twp

Charlestown Twp

New London Twp

West Nottingham Twp

Londonderry Twp

West Whiteland Twp

Schuylkill Twp

East Whiteland Twp

West SadsburyTwp

West Pikeland Twp

London BritainTwp

Valley TwpSadsbury Twp

East Caln Twp

Phoenixville

Oxford

Downingtown

West Chester

Malvern

South Coatesville

Parkesburg

Atglen

West Grove

Modena

Avondale

CHESTERCOUNTY

SCHOOL DISTRICTS (WHOLE OR PART OF):Avon Grove, Coatesville Area, Downingtown Area, Great Valley, Kennett Consolidated, Octorara Area, Oxford Area, Phoenixville Area, Tredyffrin-Eastown, Unionville-ChaddsFord, and West Chester Area.

Senator Dinniman and staff regularlyvisit senior centers throughout the areaincluding Coatesville, Downingtown,Kennett, Oxford, Phoenixville, and WestChester. Please call (610) 692-2112 formore information.

West Chester District Office�

Senator Dinniman is the first member of the Pennsylvanialegislature to launch a free mobile app to stay in touch withconstituents. You can download it for Apple and Androiddevices at www.senatordinniman.com/app

E-MAIL UPDATESSenator Dinniman issues regular legislative e-mail updates on a variety of issues. To sign up for electronic updates, visit www.senatordinniman.com/e-news

Scan this QR code with your phone to visit Senator Dinniman'swebsite. where you will find more information on the budget andpreventing future budget impasses.

– NEW –FREE

MOBILE APP

� 19th Senatorial DistrictMUNICIPALITIES:Atglen, Avondale, Coatesville, Charlestown, Downingtown, East Bradford, East Caln, East Fallowfield, East Nottingham, East Whiteland, Elk, Franklin, Highland, London Britain, London Grove, Londonderry, Lower Oxford, Malvern, Modena, New Garden, New London, Oxford, Parkesburg, Penn, Phoenixville, Sadsbury, Schuylkill, South Coatesville, Tredyffrin, Upper Oxford, Valley, West Bradford, West Chester, West Fallowfield, West Grove, West Marlborough, West Nottingham, West Pikeland, West Whiteland, and West Sadsbury.

In the East Whiteland andMalvern area, construction on thewidening and improvement of Route202 between Route 401 and Route30 is expected to be completed bythe middle of this year. That projectrepresents the last section of a largerinitiative to rebuild and widen Route202 to three lanes in each direction allthe way from Exton to King of Prussia. In turn, Dinniman is making it apriority to expedite plans to expandand improve the Route 30 Bypassfrom Downingtown to the Route 10intersection. “There is no doubt thecompletion of the Route 202widening will put additional pressureon the Route 30 Bypass,” Dinnimansaid. “The area between theDowningtown and Thorndale exits isalready particularly congested withvehicles backing up to the exit rampsat rush hour. We need to improve theRoute 30 Bypass to relieve trafficbuildup in this area and ensuremotorists’ safety.” At the Exton Train Station, workis now underway on the first phase ofa project that will significantlyimprove the experience of rail riders.Updates include the construction of aheated station building with a ticketoffice, waiting area, and restrooms. Inaddition, the project calls for new,raised platforms making the trainaccessible for those with disabilities,as well as reconfigured parking and alot expansion that will provide spacesfor more cars. It is estimated forcompletion in the summer of 2018. In addition, Dinniman is workingwith SEPTA and West WhitelandTownship officials to develop thestation into a true transportation hubwith regional bus service, andpedestrian walkways connecting it tonearby commercial centers like MainStreet at Exton. In Coatesville, work will beginthis spring on the Third AvenueStreetscape project, part of the effortto tie the city’s revitalization to the

over the years, but one of the thingsthat has not changed is thisintersection,” Dinniman said. “Thisintersection is a main gateway tosouthern Chester County, and weneed to make improvements now.” Finally, Dinniman said that thisspring, crews will resurface morethan 10 miles of U.S. Route 1between Hopewell Road and Route896 (Newark Road) in EastNottingham, Lower Oxford, UpperOxford and Oxford. In addition,crews are scheduled to resurface justover seven miles of Route 10between Route 41 (Gap NewportPike) and U.S. Route 30 (LincolnHighway) in West Fallowfield,Highland, Sadsbury, andParkesburg.

new train station slated for the 300block of Fleetwood Street. Plans forthe new station call for a dual-purpose building featuring a waitingand ticketing area, as well as acareer education and entrepreneurialcenter. In anticipation of the newstation, Amtrak has already addedtwo additional stops to theCoatesville Train Station as part of aseries of updates to the KeystoneService line. In the West Grove area,Dinniman is working to secure statefunding for significant improvementsto the intersection of Route 796 andOld Baltimore Pike. Penn Townshipacquired the former home of the RedRose Inn at the site and recentlymodified its non-historic addition onthe intersection’s northwesterncorner to make way for therealignment of Route 796. Currently,traffic builds up quickly and can backup all the way to the Route 1southbound off-ramp, causing trafficcongestion and safety issues. “Penn Township and thesurrounding area have changed a lot

Keeping in Touch—SENATOR ANDY DINNIMAN

� Strong Transportation Infrastructure

Transportation – it’s what brings ustogether and what keeps us movingforward.

From updated train stations toimproved intersections to new roadsand bridges, Senator Dinniman isworking to ensure that transportationprojects are completed on time, onbudget, and with a minimal impact on residents.

*NOTE: Future newsletters will provideupdates on the progress of the Downingtown,Parkesburg and Paoli train stations as part ofthe multi-million-dollar project that will speedup and vastly improve Amtrak Keystoneservice from Harrisburg to New York City withfive stops at Chester County stations.

Keeping in Touch—SENATOR ANDY DINNIMAN

Senator Dinniman talks about thedangers of Lyme disease at a pressconference on the release of thePennsylvania Lyme Disease Task

Force Report.

ur emergency first responders are on call around the clock to keep us safe, and SenatorDinniman is working to ensure theyhave the support and resources todo their jobs. Dinniman was recently recognizedby the emergency services communityfor passing legislation and updatingstate regulations to give police andemergency first responders accessto the life-saving, anti-overdose drugNaloxone. Dinniman helped lead the effortto pass Act 139 of 2014, the law thatallows police officers, emergencymedical responders, and others tocarry Naloxone. In addition, Dinnimanworked to cut through red tape andupdate state regulations to give firstresponders access to the overdoseantidote months ahead of time. As aresult of his efforts and leadership,Pennsylvania Physician General Dr.Rachel Levine signed a statewidestanding order for Naloxone,meaning all Pennsylvanians nowhave access to the life-savingprescription drug. “The epidemic of addictionpresents a grave threat to the healthand safety of our communities andour children,” Dinniman said. “Thosewho are addicted and their familieshave been fighting on a personallevel, and we need to join the battleat the public health level. Everyone

deserves a second chance at life andat recovery.” In the year since its implementation,Naloxone has already been used tosave the lives of 35 Chester Countyresidents, many of them young people.Dinniman, who praised all of those whohelped make Project Naloxone a reality,said his next goal is to get Naloxoneinto the hands of school nurses. Dinniman is also working toensure local police and law enforce-ment have the tools they need to keepour communities safe. He helpedspearhead the effort to pass Act 105of 2014, Pennsylvania’s first anti-human trafficking law. The law providesa comprehensive legal definition ofhuman trafficking, strengthensprotections for victims, and offersother new tools to combat this crime. In addition, Dinniman is a strongsupporter of legislation to crack downon drunk drivers and prevent DUIs, suchas Senate Bill 290, which would requireignition interlocks for first-time DUIoffenders with high blood alcohol levels. Dinniman also continues to workto find new and innovative ways toboost recruitment and retention forvolunteer fire companies, which haveexperienced a downturn in member-ship in recent years. And this year heplans to launch a new initiative tobetter educate students and allcitizens about the dangers of carbonmonoxide in their vehicles and homes.

ollowing the release of the Pennsylvania Lyme Disease Task Force Report,Senator Dinniman organized apanel discussion on Lymedisease as it impacts ChesterCounty. The discussion, held inNew Garden Township, includedPhysician General Dr. Levine,local health officials, and Lymedisease advocates.

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The discussion centered on theneed for:� More advanced research. � More accurate testing.� Increased access to treatment.� Increased public awareness of the dangers of Lyme and Lyme prevention.� A variety of medical approaches to treating long-term or chronic Lyme disease.

“We are simply on the cusp ofunderstanding the many types oftick-borne disease and how theyaffect the human system,”Dinniman said. “And the numberof people who have Lyme inChester County is staggering.”

For more information, visitwww.senatordinniman.com/lyme.

Lyme Disease

Senator Dinniman is recognized for his work to get Naloxone into the hands ofemergency first responders. Pictured (from left to right): Good FellowshipAmbulance Board President Kimberly Holman, Senator Dinniman, former CountyCommissioner Pat O’Donnell, and Ethan Healey, Manager of Chester CountyProject Naloxone.

Safe and Healthy Communities

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enator Dinniman succeeded in blocking the implementation of the graduation test requirement

tied to the high school CommonCore curriculum. Through hisleadership in the legislature, both theHouse and Senate passed legislationthat calls for a two-year delay of theKeystone Exams being used as agraduation requirement. “The Keystone Exams, as thesole determinate of graduation areneither educationally sound norfiscally responsible,” Dinniman, whoserves as minority chair of theSenate Education Committee, said.“Standards without the resources tosupport them are not only unfair tostudents but also put anunmanageable financial burden onschool districts and taxpayers. Infact, the Keystone Exams graduationrequirement amounts to anestimated $300 million unfundedmandate on schools and takes upvaluable classroom teaching time.” Under previous regulations, highschool students, beginning with theclass of 2017 (current juniors), would

unintended consequences and,ultimately come up with more effectivemeans of assessment. Most ChesterCounty school districts already spend26 days or more on test preparation ortest taking. In addition, the OmnibusEducation Act includes the provisionsof Senator Dinniman’s Senate Bill 731,which calls for the State Board ofEducation to require comprehensivefinancial reporting and a fiscal noteduring the regulatory process.Currently, new regulations can beapproved without detailed analysis orconsideration of potential costs. Themajority of unfunded mandates onschools come not from the legislature,but from the State Board of Education,which must be held more financiallyresponsible. “Pennsylvania now has a goldenopportunity to return the focus ofeducation to teaching instead oftesting while ensuring that the stateboard considers the financial impactson school districts in enacting newregulations,” Dinniman said.

have had to pass Keystone Exams in three subject areas (Algebra I,Biology and Literature) to earn a diploma. Thanks to this newlegislation, the exams as graduationrequirements will be delayed for twoyears. Dinniman, who has been a vocalopponent against the make-or-breakgraduation exams since they werefirst proposed in 2012, said the delaywould provide a much-neededopportunity to review the exams,address lingering questions and

Keeping in Touch—SENATOR ANDY DINNIMAN

� Education Update: More Teaching, Less Testing

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Senator Dinniman discusses his concernsabout the Keystone Graduation Exams ata Senate Education Committee hearing.

enator Dinniman vowed to continue the fight to reduce or eliminate property taxes after a

historic piece of legislation tooverhaul the current system wasnarrowly defeated in the legislature. “Without question, high propertytaxes are the leading concern I hearfrom constituents on a regular basis.This past year, the legislature had anopportunity to approve no less thanfour different property tax reform orelimination plans. Unfortunately andsadly, none of them were approved,”Dinniman said. “Still, I will continueto do all I can to pass legislation totackle the problem of rising propertytaxes. The legislature has promisedaction on property taxes, and we mustensure that that the promise is kept.” In November, Dinniman joined

mandates and shoring up a dedicatedstream of education funding that istied to economic growth and residents’ability to pay, we can substantiallyreduce or eliminate property taxeswhile providing more stable financialfooting for our schools.” Furthermore, Dinniman continuesto support a Marcellus Shale severancetax and a fee on pipelines going throughour area to fund education and emer-gency services and thus decrease thetax burden on individual citizens.

Senators from both sides of the aisleto support Senate Bill 76, theProperty Tax Independence Act,legislation that would completelyeliminate the property tax for homesand businesses by shifting theburden to the sales and use tax andpersonal income tax. The bill wasdefeated by one vote. “Property tax reform must gohand in hand with school districtseliminating any frivolous and wastefulspending,” Dinniman said. Dinniman also addressed thecommon misconception thatproperty tax reform runs contrary to a strong system of public education. “Residents can no longer affordthe cycle by which they see theirproperty taxes climb year after year,”he said. “By removing unnecessary

� Taking Action on Property Taxes

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STATE SENATOR

ANDY DINNIMANSenate Box 203019

Harrisburg, PA 17120-3019

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ore than two decades ago Senator Dinniman was the driving force in establishing

two important initiatives (describedbelow) to feed the hungry and shelterthe homeless in Chester County – in-itiatives that continue their work today. This year marks the 20thanniversary of the Chester CountyGleaning Program (now known as theChester County Food Bank), whichhas grown exponentially to distributemore than 2 million pounds of foodeach year to hungry individuals andfamilies. Last year marked the 20thanniversary of Safe Harbor of ChesterCounty, an organization whichprovides housing, meals, andservices to hundreds of homelessmen and women each year. Most recently, Dinniman joined inthe opening of Family Promise ofSouthern Chester County, a partner-ship between local churches to providesupport and shelter for homelessfamilies and children. Dinnimanpointed out that Chester County,though known as a region of wealthand resources, ranks as one of thetop five counties in Pennsylvania for

care information technology companyin Malvern, to donate two laptopcomputers and a large flat-screenmonitor to the Divine Sent FoodCupboard in Oxford after its computerand other items were stolen during aburglary last summer.

child homelessness. Dinniman thanked the many staffand volunteers who support theseefforts and called on local companiesto get involved in giving back to thecommunity. He recently arranged forCerner Corporation, a new health

� Spotlight on Hunger and Homelessness

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Senator Dinniman joins a representative from Cerner Corporation, a new health careinformation technology company in Malvern, in donating computers to the DivineSent Food Cupboard in Oxford. Pictured (from left to right): Food Cupboard volunteerMorgan Westwood holding her daughter Evie Westwood; Donna Moore, Director ofDivine Sent Food Cupboard; Trinity Westwood, daughter of Morgan Westwood;Senator Dinniman; and Melissa Freeman, Government Strategist for Cerner.