‘Trees for Troops’ encourages donating Christmas trees to service members

WILKES-BARRE — Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and Col. Donald O’Shell, Director of Staff, Headquarters Pennsylvania Air National Guard, this week helped kick off the 2022 Trees for Troops donation weekend at Strathmeyer Christmas Trees in York, and encouraged Pennsylvanians to donate Christmas trees to active-duty military and their families.

“It’s prime holiday decorating time,” Redding said. “As you search for a tree that feels right for your home, think about the servicemen and women who would enjoy a donated Christmas tree to serve as a little reminder of home. This weekend, we invite you share your gratitude to members of the military and their families and spread the holiday spirit by donating a tree through Trees for Troops.”

Trees for Troops is a national program that provides free, farm-grown Christmas trees to armed forces members and their families each holiday season through donations, sponsorships, grants, and the work of volunteers. Since 2005, Trees for Troops has provided more than 277,001 Christmas trees to military families and troops in the United States and overseas.

Pennsylvanians can participate in the program by visiting a participating location to purchase a tree to donate to service members.

“At the DMVA, we work under the axiom of Together We Serve, which is exactly what we are all doing here today,” said Col. Donald O’Shell, director of staff, Headquarters/Pennsylvania Air National Guard. “Together, we are brightening the holiday season for service members and their families,” s “The DMVA is grateful to the Department of Agriculture, Strathmeyer Christmas Trees and everyone here today for taking the time to load and distribute these trees. These efforts will lift spirits, bring joy and remind our military members and their families that their service to our nation is appreciated.”

Trees for Troops program is part of the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation, a nonprofit branch of the National Christmas Tree Association, which represents more than 700 active member farms, 29 state and regional associations, and more than 4,000 affiliated businesses that grow and sell Christmas trees or provide related supplies and services.

Rep. Cartwright new legislation

would support student veterans

U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Moosic, this week introduced the VA Work-Study Improvement Act — bipartisan legislation that would modernize the existing Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Work-Study program, which allows veterans to earn money while enrolled in secondary education programs, including vocational or professional programs.

The current VA Work-Study program allows student veterans to gain paid work experience while furthering their education. However, the program has not been updated recently and has become outdated.

For example, the VA Work-Study program limits the types of positions a student veteran can hold which hampers professional development. Additionally, the existing program relies on a paper-based payment system; does not allow student veterans to be paid the local minimum wage if it is higher than the federal or state minimum wage; and only allows student veterans to work a maximum of 25 hours on average per week.

The VA Work-Study Improvement Act would require the VA to implement several reforms to the VA Work-Study program to maximize the positive impact on student veterans and improve program transparency.

“As the VA modernizes other education benefits, the VA Work-Study program can’t be left behind,” Cartwright said. “These commonsense improvements to the program would ensure that student veterans are best positioned for future employment. This bipartisan legislation is an opportunity to honor veterans’ sacrifices and set them up for success once they leave the classroom.”

Specifically, this legislation would:

• Expand eligible VA Work-Study activities to include jobs at nonprofit and state agencies that would either directly, or indirectly, benefit veterans or the U.S. military.

• Permit payment at local minimum wage rates, allowing student veterans to be paid whichever is higher of either the state, federal or local minimum wage.

• Increase allowable work hours to permit student veterans to work up to 40 hours on average per week.

• Enable electronic time-sheet recordation, in addition to the current paper-based system.

• Require the VA to publish certain VA Work-Study data annually, including participant demographics and counts, work-study activities, hours worked, wages paid, and participating institutions.

Meuser votes

for H.R. 8876

U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Dallas, this week voted in favor of H.R 8876 — the “Jackie Walorski Maternal and Child Home Visiting Reauthorization Act of 2022.”

The legislation reauthorizes the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting program (MIECHV), and passed in the House of Representatives this week.

The legislation, which does not increase the deficit, supports evidence-based home visiting for expectant mothers and parents of young children to improve maternal and child health outcomes.

The bill is also named in honor of the late Congresswoman Jackie Walorski, who was a member of the House of Representatives serving Indiana’s 2nd Congressional District and who was a longtime advocate of maternal health. Rep. Walorski and three others were killed in a car accident in her district in August.

“Jackie understood the importance of investing in a great foundation for mothers, children and families,” Meuser commented. “This legislation will provide a stable source of funding for an outcomes-based program that has given support and guidance in a much-needed way. These in home and virtual visits can offer much needed motivation, encouragement, and support for families.”

In Pennsylvania, there are 122,360 highest-priority families who are eligible to be served by MIECHV. However, due to limited funding, MIECHV is only able to serve 2.3% of these families. Last year alone, Pennsylvania received $11 million in from this program and the state will receive more funds thanks to this important legislation.

This legislation includes:

• A $100 million increase in base funding starting in fiscal year 2023, with the spending offset by shifting funds from the Medicare Improvement Fund.

• Phased in additional federal matching funding starting in fiscal year 2024 which requires a 25% state match (for every $3 federal contribution, a state must contribute $1).

• A requirement for HHS to work with states, beneficiary advocates, and home visiting models to reduce administrative burden by focusing data collection and monitoring on improving family outcomes, instead of details of local site financial stewardship.

New law increases penalties for

repeating certain DUI offenses

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) this week announced that a new Pennsylvania law has changed the grading of certain offenses for driving under the influence (DUI), adding more stringent penalties for these violations.

“This law makes significant changes to existing law that will ultimately increase the protection of all drivers by keeping repeat offenders from continuing to operate a vehicle while impaired by drugs or alcohol after being charged with a DUI,” said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian. “Repeating these offenses puts others at risk and these law changes reflect the severity of these acts to make our roads safer.”

The legislation created Act 59 of 2022 — referred to as “Deana’s Law” — which amends the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code by increasing the grading for certain DUI offenses, requiring consecutive sentencing for certain repeat DUI offenders, and imposing an 18-month driving privilege suspension for a DUI conviction graded as a felony of the second degree.

Under the new law, an individual charged with DUI (general impairment) who refuses a breath or chemical test or who is charged with DUI with a BAC of .16 or higher or a DUI involving controlled substances, and already has the following number of prior offenses, commits:

• A felony of the third-degree for two prior offenses (previously two or more prior offenses).

• A felony of the second-degree for three or more prior offenses (previously a third-degree felony).

The felonies mentioned above are classified as follows:

• A felony of the third degree is punishable by a maximum term of imprisonment of not more than seven years.

• A felony of the second degree is punishable by a maximum term of imprisonment of not more than 10 years.

Another change under this law is that a sentence imposed on an individual for a DUI offense who has two or more prior offenses shall be served consecutively to any other sentence the individual is serving or any other sentence imposed by the court, except for violations that are required to be merged.

In addition, the law provides for a sentencing enhancement in cases where an individual has four or more prior DUI offenses.

“Driving impaired puts everyone at risk, and repeat offenders disregard the risk they pose every time they get behind the wheel impaired,” said Major Robert Krol, director of the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Patrol.