HARRISBURG, April 25 – A $1.5 million grant will be earmarked for the construction of a shared use path in College Township, state Rep. Paul Takac, D-Centre, announced today. College Township was awarded the grant that will be utilized to construct a 10-foot shared use path running from the new sidewalk at Puddintown Road to an existing 8-foot path near Hastings Road in State College Borough on the property of Penn State University. This funding is in addition to the $500,000 recently awarded for the project from the Multimodal Transportation Fund administered by the Commonwealth Financing Authority, bringing a total of $2 million in state funding for the project. This approximately 1-mile path will fill a critical gap in the regional bicycle and pedestrian network, and will provide a safe, offset and continuous connection along East College Avenue, linking the existing College Township Bike Path, which parallels the Mount Nittany Expressway, with the existing paths and bike lanes on campus and in State College Borough. “This College Avenue project was originally conceived when I was still a member of College Township Council, so I am thrilled about this very substantial grant award to help make it a reality,” Takac said. “Enhancing the ability of pedestrians and bicyclists to navigate this very busy corridor in order to access the University Park campus and State College Borough will have a profound impact on Read more
HARRISBURG, April 10 – In a move that would help ensure a key piece of Centre County’s history is preserved, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives approved a bill yesterday that would transfer the Eagle Iron Works and Curtin Village from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission to the Roland Curtin Foundation, according to the legislation’s sponsor, state Rep. Paul Takac. Takac said the bill, which passed the House unanimously, would help to promote and educate the public about a key time period in not only the history of Centre County, but also the history of Pennsylvania. “For over 100 years, the Eagle Iron Works served as a hub of the thriving nineteenth century iron production industry in central Pennsylvania as part of the famed Juniata Iron District. In the early 1800s this five-county region supplied over half of all the iron produced in Pennsylvania and nearly 20% in the entire United States,” Takac said. “This transfer will enable the Roland Curtin Foundation to invest in additional restoration work and to expand programming, especially as we approach the 250th anniversary of the founding of our nation.” In 1974, the restored 1850’s era mansion was opened to the public for tours under the direction of the non-profit Roland Curtin Foundation. Since that time, the foundation has welcomed thousands of visitors and hosted countless educational events. Read more
Grant Funding for College Twp Bike Path, PSU Advocacy Day, Supporting Veterans Read more
HARRISBURG, March 27 – Today, a bipartisan group of state lawmakers held a news conference at the Capitol touting legislation they’ve introduced to support Pennsylvania veterans exposed to the dangerous herbicide “Agent Orange” and other toxic chemicals during their service, and make March 29 Vietnam Veterans Day in Pennsylvania . This group of lawmakers includes state Reps. Paul Takac, D-Centre; Mike Cabell, R-Luzerne; Brian Munroe, D-Bucks; Dane Watro, R-Schuylkill/Luzerne; Tarik Khan, D-Phila.; Zachary Mako, R-Northampton/Lehigh; Chris Pielli, D-Chester; and Abby Major, R-Armstrong/Westmoreland. Both bills were introduced earlier this year. “We owe all those who have served our country, especially those who have been harmed as a result of their service, not only our profound respect and gratitude but an enduring commitment to serve and support them and their families. That, of course, includes Vietnam-era veterans who were exposed to -- and at the time, unknowingly harmed by -- Agent Orange. As our understanding of the extent of the damage caused by that chemical exposure has grown and evolved, so have the programs and benefits available to those affected,” Takac said. “Since taking office, one of my areas of focus has been ensuring that veterans and their families are aware of and can more easily access all of the benefits and support available to them,” he said. Read more
HARRISBURG, March 26 – Two grant awards totaling $618,686 will help an ongoing road improvement project in Snow Shoe Township as well as the construction of a shared-use path in College Township, state Rep. Paul Takac, D-Centre, announced today. College Township was awarded a $500,000 grant that will be utilized to construct a shared-use path along East College Avenue from Puddintown Road to Hastings Road. In addition, Snow Shoe Township received a $118,688 grant for ongoing rehabilitation to Kato Road. “This much-needed influx in funding is threefold as it aims to improve roadways and shared-use paths to improve safety and access for vehicular, pedestrian and bike traffic along heavily used routes,” Takac said. “Proactive, strategic investments that strengthen Centre County’s infrastructure is a good-government initiative that appeals to everyone. I applaud this funding and look forward to seeing these projects become a reality. The East College Avenue project in particular is something that I was involved in as a member of College Township Council, and I am excited about much-needed improvements along this vital corridor to campus and the downtown area,” he added. Dustin Best, College Township Council chair, weighed in on the half million-dollar award for the township. “College Township is very pleased to be receiving this $500,000 Multimodal Transportation Fund grant award, which Read more
HARRISBURG, March 14 – State Rep. Tarik Khan, D-Phila., today announced that he plans to introduce two bills to help address shortages of healthcare workers so that all Pennsylvanians can receive high-quality medical care. These bills would provide for the recruitment and retainment of nursing faculty members and health care preceptors. The first bill would establish the New Nursing Faculty Grant Program to provide grants of up to $10,000 per year for newly employed, full-time nursing faculty members. The second bill would establish the Pennsylvania Health Care Preceptor Deduction to incentivize qualified individuals to serve as preceptors for advanced practice nurses, physicians, physician assistants and registered nurses by providing a $1,000 tax deduction for doing do. “As a nurse practitioner, I know how important it is to keep our healthcare workforce supply strong,” Khan said. “Recruiting nursing faculty is often difficult, and healthcare preceptors are often hard to find. Our bill will help ensure critical support for both nursing faculty and healthcare professional preceptors.” The nursing faculty grant program is modeled after a Maryland program that was highly successful. The second bill would make Pennsylvania the sixth state to take action to incentivize medical professionals to enter preceptorships. Nearly 80,000 applicants across the nation were not Read more
HARRISBURG, March 8 – The availability of affordable housing in Centre County will receive a big boost thanks to grant awards totaling $827,476, state Rep. Paul Takac, D-Centre, announced today. The grants were awarded through the Pennsylvania Home Investment Partnerships Program, which is a federally funded program that provides municipalities with grant and loan assistance to expand and preserve the supply of decent and affordable housing for low- and very low-income Pennsylvanians. “The issue of safe and affordable housing has far-reaching implications and requires a strategic, pragmatic approach with the goal of ensuring that all residents have access to sustainable housing,” Takac said. “However, too many Centre County residents face being priced out of the local housing market or forced to live further away. This funding will support efforts to expand affordable housing options for those who need it.” The full list of recipients through this round of funding is available here. More information about the HOME program is available here. Read more
Protecting Consumers from Misleading Contracts, Boggs Twp PTRR Clinic a Success, Establishing Agent Orange Bipartisan Task Force Read more
The House Majority Policy Committee met Monday morning to gather testimony on what can be done to better protect Pennsylvanians from entering misleading, confusing contracts. Read more
$1.24M in Grants Awarded, Grant Writing Workshop Successful, District Office Open House Recap Read more
HARRISBURG, Feb. 21 – Today, state lawmakers introduced legislation that would create a task force on Agent Orange -- a blend of herbicides used during the Vietnam War. Agent Orange was banned when evidence of the harmful and sometimes deadly results of exposure to it began to emerge. Those who were exposed to Agent Orange are at risk of developing cancers, neurological and psychological conditions, and other long-term effects to the skin and heart. Exposure to Agent Orange can also cause reproductive health problems and birth defects in the children of veterans, including spina bifida, hip dysplasia, and congenital heart disease. The task force would comprise several members of military organizations and members of the PA House and PA Senate to investigate and form recommendations on how best to communicate with veterans affected by Agent Orange concerning the treatment options available to them. This bipartisan legislation was introduced by state Reps. Paul Takac, D-Centre; Mike Cabell, R-Luzerne; Brian Munroe, D-Bucks; Dane Watro, R-Schuylkill/Luzerne; Tarik Khan, D-Phila.; Zachary Mako, R-Northampton/Lehigh; Chris Pielli, D-Chester; and Abby Major, R-Armstrong/Westmoreland. “We owe all those who have served our country, especially those who have been harmed as a result of their service, not only our profound respect and gratitude but an enduring commitment to serve and support them and their families. That, Read more
“Effective workforce training is critical to ensuring businesses have a qualified and diverse pool of applicants, but many businesses in our region face challenges when it comes to recruiting and training the workers they need to operate and expand their business,” Takac said. “With this new funding, our regional workforce development board will have additional resources to help area employers to identify and overcome those challenges.” Read more
“With tight budgets and limited resources, fire and EMS companies face a constant challenge keeping first responders properly equipped and trained,” Takac said. “Securing this new funding will help ensure that these frontline heroes have the equipment and training they deserve and that departments have the funding they need for facility repairs, recruitment and retention and other expenses.” Read more
“Penn State’s Agricultural Sciences department has been a leader in research to strengthen biodiversity of plants and wildlife, and that work is key to ensuring that our native species are able to adapt, withstand climate change and remain hearty in the face of threats like disease and invasive species," Takac said. "This new funding will help advance research to ensure that our native species continue to thrive into the future.” Read more
HARRISBURG, Feb. 8 – Two Centre County school districts were awarded grants totaling $130,323, state Rep. Paul Takac, D-Centre, announced today. The announcement is part of the $4 million statewide investment for schools and technical centers to purchase new equipment for use in training students for in-demand occupations. The grants announced today include: $84,217 for Keystone Central Career and Technical School $46,106 for State College Area School District “Time and again, I’ve heard from businesses and investors that a serious workforce shortage is holding our Commonwealth back.,” Takac said. “The well-trained, highly skilled workers needed to help drive Pennsylvania’s current and future prosperity must be trained on and experienced using the latest technology. “We are fortunate to have two outstanding career and technical education programs housed here in our local school districts. Therefore, I’m excited to announce these grants to help them to better prepare students for the good-paying, high demand jobs we need.” Pennsylvania has more than 80 career and technical centers that offer a combination of classes approved by the Department of Education. Thousands of students earn industry credentials for local jobs in high demand. More information about this funding is available here. Read more
HARRISBURG, Feb. 7 – State Rep. Paul Takac, D-Centre, released the following statement today in response to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s 2024-25 proposed state budget: “Governor Shapiro’s proposed 2024-25 state budget is an exciting and forward-looking first step in crafting a budget that tackles many of the most urgent and important issues facing our commonwealth,” Takac said. “As the governor emphasized, budgets reflect our values, vision, and commitments. This proposal, which reflects many of the key priorities of House Democrats, delivers for every Pennsylvanian. “The proposed budget includes historic and long overdue investments in education at all levels. It includes over $1.5 billion in new funding for K-12 school districts, along with hundreds of millions in projected savings to local taxpayers by reforming overpayments to cyber charters. These increases, modeled on the recent report from the Basic Education Funding Commission, begin to close the adequacy gap and fulfill our constitutional and moral responsibility to ensure that every child, regardless of their ZIP code, has a real chance to succeed.? “The governor also proposes development of a blueprint for reform and reinvestment in higher education. After decades of stagnant funding, today Pennsylvania ranks almost dead last in the entire nation in terms of college affordability (48 th ), with the result that far too many students either Read more
HARRISBURG, Feb. 5 – A key regional agency committed to protecting and enhancing Centre County’s natural resources was awarded a grant totaling $510,000, state Rep. Paul Takac, D-Centre, announced today. The grant was awarded by the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission through the Conservation Excellence Grant Program. The award to the Centre County Conservation District will be earmarked toward two projects within Centre County designed to mitigate runoff of nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment that impact the Chesapeake Bay. The Smith Farm, near Julian, will build a waste storage facility, reducing nutrient runoff into Bald Eagle Creek. The Weaver Farm, near Port Matilda, will implement measures to control barnyard runoff, enhancing water quality in the Halfmoon Creek Watershed. “Protecting the health of our environment and ensuring continued access to clean air and water for all Pennsylvanians will always remain of the upmost importance to me,” Takac said. “This award showcases the importance of collaboration between local, state, and private entities for the benefit of Centre County and the entire Chesapeake Bay watershed.” This grant will deliver funds to implement two agricultural best management practice projects within the Bald Eagle Creek watershed and the Halfmoon Creek Watershed. The Halfmoon Creek watershed partnership has been in place for over 15 years. The partnership has worked to Read more
$1 million+ in Grants Awarded, Rural Healthcare Roundtable, Climate Talk at Foxdale Village Read more
HARRISBURG, Jan. 30 – Multiple projects geared toward enhancing traffic safety in both College and Harris townships received two grant awards totaling $444,669, state Rep. Paul Takac, D-Centre, announced today. The grants are funded by the Automated Red Light Enforcement program. $298,349 was awarded to Harris Township to designate, design and install a bike/pedestrian crossing point on Boal Avenue and the intersection of the Pennsylvania Military Museum entrance and Old Boalsburg Road. $146,320 was awarded to College Township for signal upgrades on the Route 26 corridor, including advanced radar units, new signal heads with reflective back plates, and new pavement markings and alignment at the Route 26 and U.S. 322 ramps. “Pedestrian and traffic safety is one of the most basic, and critical, responsibilities of state and local governments,” Takac said. “Therefore, I am delighted that these significant ARLE grants will be directed toward projects along two of the most important and well-traveled thoroughfares in our region. “The Route 26 and 322 interchange sees some of the highest volume of traffic in our region and the enhanced visibility and signage funded by this grant will be a huge benefit for both local residents as well as those visiting State College and Penn State. “Likewise, the grounds of the Pennsylvania Military Museum and the Boal Mansion, Boal City Brewing, and Read more
HARRISBURG, Jan. 30 – State Rep. Paul Takac, D-Centre, released the following statement today in response to Gov. Shapiro’s proposed economic development plan: “I applaud Governor Shapiro and his team for proposing a comprehensive economic development plan to help propel Pennsylvania forward into a future of innovation, growth, and prosperity. I look forward to working with the administration, my colleagues in the General Assembly, and both public and private stakeholders to ensure that everyone and every community benefits from this vision and commitment to the future of our Commonwealth. “My previous experience in business and technology has taught me very clearly that timing is everything, and that strategic investments can and will pay dividends for a very, very long time. Now is the time to invest in Pennsylvania and to not only meet the challenges we face, but to seize the opportunity at hand and to lead the nation and the world.” Read more
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