Gov. Wolf: Rainy Day Fund reaches record high of nearly $5 billion

WILKES-BARRE — Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf this week announced that Pennsylvania’s Rainy Day Fund has reached a record high of nearly $5 billion.

The Wolf Administration oversaw a $2.1 billion deposit into the Rainy Day Fund, nearly doubling the size of Pennsylvania’s emergency preparedness fund with a single deposit.

This investment in the Rainy Day Fund was the second largest in Pennsylvania history. Gov. Wolf oversaw the largest deposit ever just last year — a historic $2.6 billion dollars.

When Gov. Wolf took office, the Rainy Day Fund had fallen to a mere $231,800 and could only fund a few minutes’ worth of Pennsylvania’s operating budget in an emergency.

“Over the past seven years, my administration has righted Pennsylvania’s shaky finances through sound fiscal management,” said Gov. Wolf. “When I took office, Pennsylvania was operating with a $2-3 billion budget deficit, and the Rainy Day Fund had fallen to a mere $231,800.

“Today, Pennsylvania has nearly $5 billion in emergency savings, a growing economy and a strong fiscal foundation for the future. My administration made historic investments in the people of Pennsylvania in this budget, and even after all of those investments were accounted for, we ended the fiscal year with $5.537 billion in the General Fund — that’s above and beyond the money in our Rainy Day Fund.

“By getting Pennsylvania’s finances in order and investing in the things that make a difference to Pennsylvanians — including higher-quality education, better-paying jobs and safer communities — my administration is putting our commonwealth on the path to a brighter future.”

In his final budget, Gov. Wolf oversaw several historic investments that are already making a difference for the people of Pennsylvania. Since Gov. Wolf signed the 2022-23 budget in July, in addition to nearly doubling the Rainy Day Fund the Wolf Administration has:

• Made a historic $1.8 billion increase in education funding.

• Created 3 new state parks.

• Rolled out bonus rebates through the Property Tax Rent Rebate Program for this year.

• Created a child care tax credit to help make child care more affordable for Pennsylvania families.

• Invested $100.5 million in gun violence prevention programs.

Up to $800,000 available to increase

veterans employment across Pa.

Department of Labor and Industry (L&I) Secretary Jennifer Berrier this week announced $800,000 in available grant funding for local organizations committed to connecting Pennsylvania veterans with family-sustaining jobs.

The Wolf Administration has designed Veterans Employment Program (VEP) grants to eliminate barriers to employment that veterans face across the commonwealth.

“Through their service, Pennsylvania’s veterans develop unique skill sets and perspectives that enhance the workforce of every industry in the commonwealth,” Berrier said. “The Wolf Administration is committed to using VEP grants to connect veterans with employers who offer family-sustaining wages and opportunity for career advancement. Veterans deserve pathways to employment without barriers, and we are eager to continue collaborating with the employer community to make this a reality for the hundreds of thousands of veterans who call Pennsylvania home.”

Pennsylvania is home to nearly 800,000 veterans — roughly 7.5% of the commonwealth’s population.

In March, the Wolf Administration announced an earlier round of $800,000 in VEP funding to four workforce development projects.

“VEP grants are critical to assisting veterans with their credentials and placing them on the right path to good paying jobs that offer career growth,” said Maj. Gen. Mark Schindler, Pennsylvania’s adjutant general and head of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. “Veterans bring strong skills like leadership, organization and discipline to the job market. Sometimes all they need is a pathway to the right employers. Thanks to the VEP, veterans will have a supportive field of advocates helping to enrich their career skills and connect them to the right employers.”

The $800,000 of available funding will be awarded in increments of $200,000 to be used for new and innovative projects to identify veteran employment opportunities, close funding gaps or supplement existing initiatives for more comprehensive services for veterans.

Successful applications should identify a problem, or an opportunity related to veterans’ employment and must be capable of bringing together business, education, workforce, community, and other partners to achieve employment support for veterans.

Eligible applicants include local workforce development boards, non-profit and non-governmental entities, community-based organizations, education and post-secondary organizations, labor organizations, business associations, and economic development entities.

Applications and additional details can be found on L&I’s website. Applications are due by 4 p.m. on November 21, 2022. L&I anticipates VEP funding to be used for grant-related activities from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024.

Meuser supports bill that helps

small businesses stay innovative

U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Dallas, recently voted to approve S. 4900 — “The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBTT) Extension Act of 2022.”

The bi-partisan legislation authorizations are approved through the 2025 fiscal year. The bill supports small business and entrepreneurial endeavors across the country, as well as enables research that can help American businesses compete in the global market. The legislation strengthens security measures to prevent the influence of the Chinese Communist party and other foreign entities, protecting intellectual property.

“These programs have the potential to help American small businesses engage in the research and development that can lead to bold, new outcomes and fuel innovation,” Meuser said. “As a member of the House Small Business Committee, I support funding for programs that can help companies get off the ground and increase private investment in their endeavors.”

The bill contains points that Meuser and Republicans support including:

• Bolstering Research Security: The bill mandates that each agency conducting an SBIR & STTR program must implement strong due diligence measures to prevent the influence of the People’s Republic of China, or other foreign actors.

• Increasing Transparency and Oversight: The bill includes additional reporting requirements conducted by SBIR/STTR awarding agencies and the General Accounting O. This will strengthen Congressional oversight, increase public transparency, and safeguard taxpayer dollars.

• Focusing on Commercialization: The bill includes additional enhanced performance benchmarks that small businesses who have won multiple awards through the SBIR & STTR programs are required to meet. This will ensure that the programs are focused on commercializing projects and leveraging federal grant money to increase private capital investments.

Legislators demand answers for

ongoing Postal Service issues in Pa.

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, and U.S. Reps. Dwight Evans, D-PA, and Matt Cartwright, D-Moosic, sent a letter urging United States Postal Service (USPS) Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to address the ongoing mail service issues for Pennsylvanians.

The letter comes on the heels of a Congressional oversight hearing on USPS service issues in the Commonwealth that took place in Philadelphia last month.

Casey, Evans and Cartwright demanded that the Postal Service develop and share a plan to improve mail service throughout Pennsylvania.

“We write today to express our deep concerns about the persistent service issues at post offices throughout the state of Pennsylvania,” the members of Congress wrote. “While we recognize the extraordinary circumstances the Postal Service has experienced in recent years and are grateful for the front-line postal workers who served our communities under difficult circumstances, we cannot ignore the reports of systemic problems with the quality of mail service. Quality service — timely, secure, and responsive service — is not optional.”

While Pennsylvanians across the Commonwealth have experienced mail service issues, the members of Congress highlighted two post offices where there have been a number of issues: the Germantown post office in Northwest Philadelphia and the White Haven post office in Luzerne County.

In their letter, Casey, Evans and Cartwright outlined specific complaints from constituents such as late and inconsistent deliveries, wrongfully delivered mail, lost packages, as well as opened and stolen mail.

“This legislation extended a financial lifeline to the Postal Service, helping reduce the agency’s financial burdens and creating additional accountability mechanisms,” they wrote. “We will continue to be supportive of the Postal Service in hopes that Pennsylvanians will receive this critical service for years to come. We believe the Postal Service can provide the quality of service the American public deserves, and we look forward to the opportunity to support the Postal Service as it seeks to improve service quality and restore the public’s trust.”