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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Bryan Barbin |
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Barbin’s bill to protect Scotland School voted out of the House veterans' committee
HARRISBURG, June 22 – State Rep. Bryan Barbin, D-Cambria, today said he is working to get prompt consideration by the full House of his legislation (H.B. 1713) that would keep funding for the Scotland School for Veterans Children and other veterans' facilities from being eliminated in the pending state budget.
The measure was unanimously voted out of the House Veterans and Emergency Preparedness Committee last week.
"While we remain at war, it is critical that we protect the morale of our soldiers by keeping the promises we have made to our veterans. Anything less demeans their sacrifice," said Barbin. "By shutting down this school and other veterans' facilities, what are we telling them? We must keep these places running."
During the committee meeting, Barbin addressed the controversy over the school's closure, which began in February when the governor in his budget address proposed closing down the school as a way to save the state money. The Republican-controlled Senate, in its version of the budget (S.B. 850) cut $15 million for veterans' facilities and eliminated all of the funding for the school.
Barbin noted the necessity for legislators from both parties to come together to pass his bill and support it as it moves through the legislative process.
"This is not a partisan issue. We need to come together to make sure these institutions remain open and available to our veterans," Barbin said.
Founded in 1895 near Chambersburg, The Scotland School for Veterans Children currently educates 231 students in grades three through 12. Of those students, the majority have not found replacement schools to attend in the fall.
Many Scotland graduates go on to enlist in the Pennsylvania National Guard or Reserves, and the majority of them go on to enroll in two- or four-year colleges.
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