EBENSBURG, March 30 – As special needs children were presented adaptive bikes, strollers and communications devices during a Monday event at St. Francis University in Loretto, state Rep. Frank Burns spoke of his role in securing $245,762 for the Ebensburg Regional Inclusive Playground. Opened in 2015 at Cambria Elementary School, the regional playground features special equipment designed to give children with physical and cognitive disabilities the chance to play alongside other children. It was built with a Burns-secured grant from the Commonwealth Financing Agency to the Central Cambria Education Foundation. “Just as I said then that all children should be included on the playground and be able to play together, today I say that all children should be able to enjoy riding a bike, participating in daily activities and using their voice,” Burns said, assessing the purpose of “ An Event to Change Kids’ Lives.” Burns said the purpose of both initiatives is to enable special needs children to fully participate in all the daily activities available to their peers without special needs. He commended the effort, noting, “Many of these adaptive devices are quite expensive, but their value goes beyond a dollar sign. They are helping kids lead more normal lives, and it’s hard to put a price tag on that.” In addition to St. Francis University, the Mainline Area Special Needs Advocacy Group, AFSCME District Council 83 Read more
EBENSBURG, March 29 – State Rep. Frank Burns lauded the positive impact of public-private partnerships like the one responsible for bringing two compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling stations to Cambria County, including one in Ebensburg for the CamTran fleet. Burns joined PennDOT Secretary Leslie S. Richards and CamTran President Ed Cernic Jr. in making the announcement Monday in Johnstown, where the other CNG fueling station at the main CamTran building will be accessible to the public. "This $84.5 million project will construct and improve 29 public transit agency sites across Pennsylvania over the next five years," Burns said. "The state, our transit agencies and the public are the big winners." Burns said the Trillium CNG team – which will design, build, finance, operate and maintain the fueling stations – will also pay a 15 percent royalty to PennDOT, excluding taxes, for each gallon of fuel sold to the public. The team has guaranteed at least $2.1 million in royalties, which will be used to support the project. Burns said PennDOT expects the project to greatly reduce transit agencies’ dependence on state subsidy, and will help them achieve at least $10 million per year in savings. Read more
EBENSBURG, March 23 – Gov. Tom Wolf’s announcement today that he will let the final piece of 2015-16 state budget legislation become law prompted the following response from state Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria: “It’s a relief to us all that instead of closing their doors, our public schools will get a total $200 million more in state subsidy – and that they, our human service providers and county governments won’t have to continue borrowing money to perform core functions. “While this spending plan might not be perfect, it delivers 5 percent more for state-subsidized universities and increases spending 3 percent overall, while not raising taxes. Now we can put this protracted impasse behind us, focusing our full energies on developing the consensus needed to pass the 2016-17 state budget by the June 30 deadline.” Burns was one of 13 House Democrats who voted March 16 in favor of this latest attempt to wrap up the 2015-16 budget, which was nine months overdue. Read more
My work on behalf of our very valuable fire and EMS workers is highlighted in this newsletter dedicated to first responders. Please take a look for updates on issues that affect them. Read more
My latest newsletter is now available online. Please take a look to learn more about my positions, including my vote against raising state taxes. Read more
The Altoona-Johnstown Roman Catholic Diocese, which a grand jury determined shielded priests who sexually abused children for decades, should make amends by supporting legislation to lengthen the statute of limitations for such crimes, state Rep. Frank Burns said at a news conference today. Burns, D-Cambria, organized the noon event at the Cambria County Courthouse to showcase his and others’ support for changing Pennsylvania laws so adult victims of child sexual abuse, currently time-barred by the statute of limitations, will have a limited, two-year opportunity to bring a civil suit. They also support complete elimination of civil and criminal statutes of limitations for future victims of child sex abuse. Read more
Saying it confirms the suspicions that cemented his support for abolishing the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse, state Rep. Frank Burns said criminal charges announced today against three Franciscan friars stemmed from a teacher’s assaults on students reported at his former Johnstown high school. The charges filed by the state attorney general center on the molestation of over 80 children by the late Brother Stephen Baker at Bishop McCort High School and elsewhere between 1992 and 2010. Burns, who graduated from McCort in 1994, was never victimized by Baker, but knew him and is certain his friends and classmates were. Read more
Stressing the need for everyone to come to grips with political and economic reality, state Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria, today was one of 13 Democrats who cast a yes vote on a 2015-16 state budget bill put forth by Republicans who dominate both Houses of the legislature. The measure was approved, 128-63. Burns said with last year’s unfinished budget bleeding into preparations for the upcoming 2016-17 budget, and with his constituents adamant about not wanting any new taxes, his vote was about ending the political gamesmanship between House Republican leaders and Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf. Read more
Reiterating a pledge made in the wake of a grand jury report documenting rampant child sexual abuse in the Altoona-Johnstown diocese, state Rep. Frank Burns today joined a cadre of lawmakers who implored their peers to change the state’s outmoded statute of limitations laws for such crimes. On the heels of a similar event he organized at the Cambria County Courthouse, Burns, D-Cambria, participated in a Capitol news conference centered on building support for passage of legislation that would provide a retroactive two-year window for victims to file a civil suit, and would eliminate the criminal and civil statutes of limitations completely for future cases. Read more
Pa. state Rep. Frank Burns attended a rally and news conference at the state Capitol to demonstrate public support of efforts to get bills that would remove the statute of limitations on sexual abuse cases moved to the full House for a vote. Read more
Saying the move reflects well on the ability and stability of the Cambria County workforce, state Rep. Frank Burns today hailed the state-approved relocation of 50 administrative human services jobs to the Hiram G. Andrews Center from Dauphin County. Burns, who helped lobby to obtain the jobs, said the Dauphin County Assistance Office has had trouble keeping the customer service positions filled, battling a nearly 100-percent annual employee turnover. Even though the 50 employees will still report to the Dauphin County assistance office executive director, Burns said his home county will benefit from the addition of good-paying jobs. Read more
Shaken by a grand jury report that 50 priests molested and raped children in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown over decades, state Rep. Frank Burns today condemned the mass cover-up and vowed to support legislation that would repeal the statute of limitations for such crimes. Burns said it’s unfathomable that despite "staggering" abuse as reported by the state Office of Attorney General, no one can be criminally charged because they are either dead or too much time has passed. Read more
Noting it corrects an oversight that occurred five years ago, state Rep. Frank Burns is pleased to announce that active-duty service members are now exempt from the local Earned Income Tax in Pennsylvania. Burns voted in favor of H.B. 561 when it came before the House last year; it was recently signed into law by the governor as Act 16 of 2016. The new law exempts military personnel from the EIT on military pay, regardless of where it is earned. Read more
Standing with representatives of more than a dozen law enforcement agencies as well as the Cambria County district attorney, state Rep. Frank Burns today helped kick off a ramped-up effort to eradicate illegal drugs. As part of the "Push out the Pusher" campaign involving Cambria County Crime Stoppers, which Burns has helped sponsor since its inception, the renewed effort to combat heroin and other drug use in the area includes a maximum tip line reward increase from $5,000 to $8,000. Read more
Forms for Pennsylvania’s Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program for the 2015 tax year are available at my district office – and my staff is ready to help you file yours for free ! The rebate program benefits eligible Pennsylvanians 65 or older, widows and widowers 50 or older, and people with disabilities 18 or older. The income limit is $35,000 a year for homeowners and $15,000 annually for renters. Half of Social Security income is excluded and the maximum standard rebate is $650. Claimants must reapply for rebates every year because they are based on annual income and property taxes or rent paid each year. Spouses, personal representatives or estates may file rebate claims on behalf of deceased claimants who lived at least one day in 2015 and meet all other eligibility criteria. The oft-extended deadline to apply for a rebate on property taxes or rent paid in 2015 is June 30, 2016, and the rebates normally are distributed by the Deparment of Revenue beginning July 1. So, the sooner you file, the sooner you will receive your money. Read more
Demonstrating his willingness to cross party lines, state Rep. Frank Burns was among a handful of House Democrats who voted with the Republican majority this week to restore state funding for child advocacy centers, prisons and burn centers. Burns said the votes, undertaken to counteract line items vetoed by Gov. Tom Wolf in the 2015-16 state budget, gained his support because they represented the right moves for Pennsylvania, especially regarding child advocacy centers. Read more
Bills to name separate Cambria County bridges after a World War II soldier killed in action and a state trooper who died in the line of duty unanimously passed the House this week, said state Rep. Frank Burns, their prime sponsor. “It is gratifying to see full support in the House for these bills, which would honor the memories of two brave men – one a soldier, the other a state trooper – who died in the performance of their duties,” said Burns, D-Cambria. Read more
PACE, PACENET and PACE plus Medicare are Pennsylvania's prescription assistance programs for older adults, offering low-cost prescription medication to qualified residents, age 65 and older. As of this year, the legislature passed a law excluding Social Security Medicare Part B premiums from being counted towards income levels. Read more
Pennsylvania has a Children's Health Insurance Program that provides free and low-cost health insurance to children. CHIP is not welfare – it covers children of working parents whose employers don't offer coverage and who can't afford private insurance. If you can't afford health insurance for your children, chances are they are eligible for CHIP. Read more
Applications for two scholarships offered through the Pennsylvania House of Representatives are now being accepted online, according to state Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria, who urges interested students to apply before the March 1 deadline. Although it may seem like a long shot, Burns said that Brea Neri, a graduate of Windber Area High School and resident of the 72nd Legislative District, was awarded one of the 2011 scholarships. Read more
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