HARRISBURG, April 8 – The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry will be launching a new, streamlined unemployment compensation system on June 8, according to state Rep. Gerald Mullery, D-Luzerne. “Our current decades-old system caused unnecessary and consistent frustration for thousands of Pennsylvanians this past year. Through no fault of their own, people struggled to pay their bills and provide for their families because of our antiquated unemployment compensation system,” Mullery said. “Modernizing our system will streamline the process and ensure the efficient and prompt payment of benefits. “ The Department of Labor & Industry said the programs that will transition to the new system include: Unemployment Compensation. Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation. Extended Benefits. Shared Work or Short-Time Compensation. Trade Readjustment Allowances. The new UC system will have a different look and feel than the current system and is better aligned with the user interface of modern websites, making it more intuitive to use. It will also provide access to more information and self-serve options and reduce the need for claimants to contact the UC service center. Mullery added, “This is a significant step to updating our unemployment compensation system, but Read more
HARRISBURG, April 1 – Under legislation introduced this week by state Rep. Gerald Mullery, D-Luzerne, public utilities and municipal authorities would be required to repair and restore roadways to the same or better condition as when they started underground work. “Every day, Pennsylvania drivers are traveling on roads that remain unpaved or in desperate need of repairs, which can cause serious and dangerous damage to their vehicles,” Mullery said. “If a public utility or municipal authority conducts underground work under roadways, they should have the responsibility to repair the road when the underground work is complete.” Mullery said currently there are no established criteria regarding repaving or repairing road surfaces and once underground work is completed, roads often remain unpaved or in disrepair for extended periods of time. “Under my bill, Pennsylvania neighborhoods and drivers would avoid any unnecessary costs for road repair work and preventable damage to their vehicles,” he said. To help alleviate the problem, Mullery’s legislation would create the Utility Fair Share Roadway Repair Act and require contractors to restore a roadway to the same or better condition as when the work started. Any work would have to meet the satisfaction of either the secretary of Transportation or the municipal public works director, depending if the work was completed on a state or municipal road. Mullery’s bill, Read more
WHITE HAVEN, March 31 – Following media reports of Luzerne County Council considering relocation of the county tourism and visitors’ bureau to Wilkes-Barre city’s yet developed Central Railroad Station, state Rep. Gerald Mullery, D-Luzerne, today sent the councilmembers a letter recommending the White Haven Community Library & Visitor Center as an alternate option. Mullery noted the White Haven property, originally constructed in 1889 as an engine repair shop for the former Lehigh Valley Railroad, has been deemed eligible for inclusion in the National Registry of Historic Buildings and has been dramatically transformed into a viable multi-purpose library and heritage visitor center. “Additionally, not only does the White Haven Area Community Library and Visitor Center have the space needed for this essential county service, but it is ideally located. The site is two miles from I-80; nine miles from I-81; and five miles from the Pennsylvania Turnpike. All 3 highways have available signage to attract motorists,” he wrote. Mullery cited commonwealth data indicating nearly 1 million people visited Hickory Run, Lehigh Gorge, and Nescopeck State Parks over the past two years and said White Haven Borough is considered the entrance community for all three parks. “The Luzerne County tourism and visitors’ bureau should be where tourists and visitors are, and I Read more
A letter to the Wilkes-Barre City Council requesting they consider White Haven as the new location for the county tourism and visitor bureau. Read more
HARRISBURG, March 29 – Responding to the Capitol insurrection in January and the signing of new restrictions on voting rights last week in Georgia, House Democrats are taking action to protect American democracy. Today, a website was launched that summarizes policy proposals to defend democracy as well as links to more information and the ability for people to quickly email their elected officials, noting their support of the bills. The House Democratic Caucus has been working on these proposals since a House Democratic Policy Committee Hearing in January, when members were briefed by legal scholars, hate crimes experts and members of Congress on the language of false conspiracy and election fraud being used to undermine democracy. That same language has shifted from encouraging outright attack to what many perceive as insidiously undermining basic voting rights. “We cannot allow the outrage and disgust of the American people watching an armed invasion of our government to be subverted by a slick rebranding into attacks on our right to fair and free elections” Policy Committee Chairman Ryan Bizzarro said. Members of the House Democratic Caucus have introduced dozens of measures to expand voting rights, preserve election security, protect access to mail-in ballots and polling places, and to clarify and consolidate the often-outdated Election Code. Bizzarro said the site – www.pahouse.com/policy/defendingdemocracy -- will serve as a great Read more
On this episode of 119 Seconds with Jerry, Pa. state Rep. Gerald Mullery discusses Gov. Wolf's new COVID-19 guidelines for business and events, the opening of trout season in Pennsylvania and his upcoming shredding event. Read more
HARRISBURG, March 15 – The State Facility Closure Transition Program, a measure designed to support communities and mitigate significant economic impact, authorized by Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration is being scrutinized by state Rep. Gerald Mullery, D-Luzerne, for its lack of recurring funding and failure to adequately protect those areas most affected by the governor’s decisions. “Despite our initial satisfaction with this program’s inclusion in the 2020 budget, it was devastating to learn the administration had zero interest in a recurring funding program for these communities,” Mullery said. Luzerne County is eligible for $2.1 million given the prorated number of employees residing in the county at the time of the facility closures. It is estimated Luzerne County, which lost over 800 jobs with the closures of SCI Retreat and White Haven Center, will suffer over $100 million in direct, annual economic impact. “ What is equally important to note has been this administration’s failure to adequately protect the communities directly impacted by the closures of SCI Retreat and the White Haven Center. Despite countless meetings with the administration, they have refused to incorporate language in this program guaranteeing money to the host communities. Instead, the fate of these communities now lies at the mercy of Luzerne County officials. Read more
HARRISBURG, March 9 – State Rep. Gerald Mullery, D-Luzerne, today introduced two bills which would make critical changes to Pennsylvania’s Election Code to expand background checks and campaign donation disclosures. “Throughout our state, school board members interact with students but are not held to the same level of accountability as teachers and administrators,” Mullery said. “As a matter of safety, my bill would require anyone running to serve on a school board to undergo background checks before initiating their campaign.” House Bill 851 would change Pennsylvania’s Election Code by adding a new section for school board candidates to submit state and federal criminal history reports, a certificate from the Department of Health clarifying whether the candidate is a perpetrator in a child abuse investigation, and a full set of fingerprints. If a candidate does not obtain these clearances, they would be ineligible to run for school board. Additionally, Mullery said, “Nonprofit organizations have become more active in making campaign donations for candidates and, in most cases, they can remain anonymous. People have a right to know who’s making political contributions and under my bill, these loopholes would be closed so those donations can be made public.” House Bill 852 would require a nonprofit organization that has the expectation of making contributions or expenditures of $25,000 or more in a Read more
On this episode of 119 Seconds with Jerry, Pa. state Rep. Gerald Mullery discusses his committee assignments for the 2021-22 legislative session and shares some updates to constituent services in his Harrisburg and district offices. Read more
HARRISBURG, Feb. 24 – State Rep. Gerald Mullery, D-Luzerne, today announced two pieces of employee protection legislation have been re-introduced in the new legislative session. “Right now, there are serious loopholes in our laws that could have potentially devastating impacts on our workers,” Mullery said. “My bills would ensure every working Pennsylvanian would not have to worry about retaliation for doing the right thing or having their rights stripped away because of dishonest employers.” House Bill 660 would increase the penalties for employers who knowingly misclassify their employees to levels which would deter those employers from doing so. Misclassification is a recurring problem which robs employees of their rights while giving dishonest employers an unfair advantage over them. House Bill 661 would expand the Whistleblower Protection Act to ensure all employees of the Judicial Branch are covered. This expansion would cover Supreme, Superior, and Commonwealth Courts, courts of common pleas, minor judiciary, and all other bodies in the judicial branch of state government. Mullery, who serves as Democratic chairman of the House Labor & Industry Committee, said both bills are currently awaiting committee assignments for consideration. Read more
HARRISBURG, Feb. 17 -- In response to numerous Pennsylvanians reporting difficulties applying for and receiving unemployment benefits amid the COVID-19 pandemic, state Rep. Gerald Mullery, D-Luzerne, and state Rep. Liz Hanbidge, D-Montgomery, have introduced a bill to make critical improvements to PA’s Unemployment Compensation system. “There is no question that the COVID-19 pandemic has overburdened our UC system; however, that is unacceptable for the thousands of Pennsylvanians trying to make ends meet and put food on their tables,” Mullery said. “Our proposal would simplify some of the most common roadblocks folks applying for benefits say they are running into.” House Bill 549 would make the following changes to the UC Law: Permanently eliminate the “waiting week” that makes claimants ineligible for benefits during the first week of unemployment. Eliminate credit weeks from the process of verifying income, which too regularly causes delays in benefits and confusion amongst employers and claimants. Eliminate severance pay requirements to minimize the occurrence of claims being sent to UC examiners for review, which further delays claims processing. Streamline the Shared Work Program to help claimants access benefits in a timelier manner. Said Hanbidge: “This past year has created numerous, insurmountable challenges for families and the time for action is now to get people paid Read more
HARRISBURG, Feb. 3 – State Rep. Gerald Mullery, D-Luzerne, offered the following statement in response to Gov. Tom Wolf’s 2021-22 budget plan, which was unveiled today: “Understanding the governor’s budget plan is simply the first step of a long process, I was satisfied to see his desire to reform Pennsylvania charter schools, while increasing the basic and special education subsidies. This should allow our local school districts to operate without the need for additional property tax increases. Following a year of historic unemployment and pandemic related business closures, this is vitally important to my constituents. “That said, the total property tax relief available to homeowners has remained stagnant for more than a decade and this budget fails to increase that assistance. I will continue to advocate for expansion of our Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program to provide necessary support to those most in need,” Mullery said. Read more
HARRISBURG, Jan. 28 – State Rep. Gerald Mullery, D-Luzerne, this week was named the Democratic chairman of the House Committee on Ethics. This assignment is Mullery’s second time serving as this committee’s Democratic chairman. “I am honored to be named the Democratic chair of this committee again and to continue the efforts of transparency and holding all representatives accountable,” Mullery said. “We are living in very polarized and divisive times and it is important that this committee be able to do its part to restore the people’s trust in state government.” The House Committee on Ethics has the responsibility to investigate and deal with violations of House rules, the legislative code of ethics and the Lobbying Disclosure Act. The committee also is responsible for planning and conducting ethics education courses as required by House rules. Mullery was previously named the Democratic chairman of the Ethics committee in September for the remainder of the 2019-20 legislative session. In addition to this posting, Mullery is also the Democratic chairman of the House Labor and Industry Committee. Read more
HARRISBURG, Jan. 22 – State Rep. Gerald Mullery, D-Luzerne, introduced two pieces of legislation seeking to amend the Pennsylvania Game and Wildlife Code. House Bill 207 would allow hunters to apply for doe licenses online. “It’s time to upgrade our antiquated system and provide sports enthusiasts with a more convenient and efficient way of applying for and receiving hunting licenses,” said Mullery. Currently, hunters apply for antlerless deer licenses by sending an application to a county treasurer or similar official. Mullery said many counties do not have the financial resources or staff to process license applications in a timely manner. “In this day and age, there is no reason why a Pennsylvania resident should not be able to get an antlerless license online,” Mullery added. The Luzerne County lawmaker said the current system is managed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission. That state agency is responsible for determining the number of antlerless licenses to be given out, while the actual distribution of permits is the responsibility of each county Treasurer’s office. While applying for a doe license, hunters across the state fill out a form, write a check and submit it to the county treasurer in their hometown. “We have a lot of hunters out there who were excluded from participating in hunting in the past because of the antiquated and understaffed application process and I don’t want to see Read more
HARRISBURG, Jan. 18 – State Rep. Gerald Mullery, D-Luzerne, recently introduced legislation that would hold hospitals and nursing homes to higher standards for providing care to our loved ones. “While our state contains many of the finest healthcare facilities in the world, sometimes things still manage to go very wrong. It is especially troubling when it’s discovered the hospital or nursing home had notice from an inspection or survey that the tragedy was preventable had they taken the correct steps to prevent it,” Mullery said. “My legislation would allow the PA Department of Health’s inspections to be used when someone files a civil action against a hospital or nursing home where the patient’s care is alleged to be substandard in order to show a pattern of conduct,” he said. Mullery had previously proposed similar legislation in the last session. House Bill 161 is currently awaiting a committee assignment for further consideration. Read more
HARRISBURG, Jan. 13 – Legislation that would give municipalities an additional tool to fight absentee landlords and crack down on blighted properties was reintroduced today by state Rep. Gerald Mullery. “Right now, under Pennsylvania law, a loophole exists where applicants who are delinquent on taxes, have outstanding municipal fees or have building code violations in the municipality can reapply for permits and receive them if the applicant has formed a limited liability corporation,” Mullery said. “By closing this loophole, we would not only help our municipal governments, but also hold these landlords to high standards. My legislation would give municipalities the power to deny permits to an LLC not only if they have delinquencies, but also if one of its principals has any delinquencies in the municipality,” he said. The measure had bipartisan co-sponsors when it was introduced in the last session. The current bill (H.B. 160) is currently awaiting committee assignment for further consideration. Read more
HARRISBURG, Jan. 5 – State Rep. Gerald J. Mullery, D-Luzerne, took the oath of office at the state Capitol today to begin his sixth term representing the 119 th Legislative District. The noon swearing-in ceremony marked the beginning of the 2021-22 session of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, for which Mullery will also be serving as Democratic chairman of the House Labor & Industry Committee. “I’m honored the people of the 119 th District have trusted me to return to Harrisburg to be their representative,” Mullery said. “This legislative term starts as many of us continue struggling and facing immense challenges, and I will ensure our communities get the support they need, and our voices are heard.” The priorities Mullery said he will focus on include relief for struggling small businesses and their employees; the creation and maintenance of local, family sustaining jobs; safe neighborhoods; good schools; low taxes; and environmental protection. Mullery said his Nanticoke office will continue to help with all state-related services including PennDOT services, property tax and rent rebates, home heating assistance and prescription drug assistance to name a few. The office phone number is 570-740-7031 and the email address is RepMullery@pahouse.net . Residents also can learn more about Mullery’s legislative priorities and the services his office provides by Read more
HARRISBURG, Jan. 4 – State Rep. Gerald Mullery, D-Luzerne, announced today that he has been appointed the Democratic chairman of the House Labor and Industry Committee. Mullery, who has been a longtime advocate for workers’ rights, said this will give him the opportunity to provide a bigger role in the crafting of meaningful and beneficial legislation for Pennsylvania workers. “I am truly honored and excited because this gives me a greater voice for each and every one of our hard workers from Luzerne County and all across the commonwealth,” Mullery said. “Our workers provide the backbone of our local and state economies and it is critical that they have fair wages, benefits and safe work environments. Mullery was named the Democratic chair by House Democratic Leader Joanna McClinton, D-Phila. The Labor and Industry Committee reviews legislation on issues such as the state’s minimum wage, unemployment compensation, workers’ compensation, building and construction codes, and workplace health and safety. The committee is responsible for oversight of the Department of Labor and Industry, State Civil Service Commission, Labor Relations Board, Unemployment Compensation Appeals Board of Review, Industrial Board, Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board, and the Office for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired. Read more
HANOVER TWP., Dec. 30 – State Reps. Gerald Mullery, D-Newport Township, and Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Luzerne, have been instrumental in bringing home a $433,000 environmental grant that will be used for a Hanover Township wastewater project. The grant is administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The project is expected to reduce sediment pollutants in Warrior Creek Stream, which is a tributary of the Susquehanna River in Luzerne County. “Protecting our watershed and addressing wastewater and nutrient and sediment reduction is vitally important in Luzerne County,” Mullery said. “We must continue to improve and protect our watersheds from pollution associated with abandoned mine drainage, stormwater runoff and other legacy mine impacts. This grant provides much needed funds to assist in protecting our environment.” Pashinski said every Pennsylvanian has the right to clean air, to pure water and to preserve our natural land. “Congratulations and thank you to the Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority for successfully working to obtain this Growing Greener funding to improve the health and quality of Warrior Creek in Hanover Township,” Pashinski said. “Together with Governor Wolf, DEP, Representative Jerry Mullery, and other state officials, we’ll continue working to ensure our local communities can safely enjoy the water and land around Read more
NEWPORT TOWNSHIP, Dec. 23 – State Rep. Gerald Mullery, D-Luzerne, announced today a state grant totaling $1.5 million has been awarded for the redevelopment of the South Valley Energy & Manufacturing Park at Whitney Pointe. “This is a major redevelopment project which will improve Luzerne County’s quality of life by creating new opportunities to keep Northeastern PA a competitive place to live and work,” Mullery said. “I look forward to seeing the benefits to our community when this project is finished.” Mullery added the grant will be used for redeveloping approximately 20 acres on the 400 acres of Whitney Pointe. The land is comprised of mined land which must be reclaimed and graded, as well as connected to utility and transit infrastructures before redeveloping could begin. The Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, from which this grant was awarded, is a state grant program overseen by the Governor’s Office of the Budget to assist with regional cultural, economic, civic and historical projects that improve a community’s economic growth by creating jobs. RACP projects are state-funded projects that cannot obtain primary funding under other state programs. Read more
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