web1_Letter-to-the-editor2.jpg

Your view: Time for Trump, GOP to really put America first

web1_traffic-road-closed-3.jpg

Route 92 in Exeter closed due to water-main break that collapsed part of road

WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Gov. Tom Wolf this week joined Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding to unveil the PA Farm Bill &#8212; an historic proposal to provide support for and continued investments in the agriculture industry.The proposal has already gained bipartisan support.&#8220;Pennsylvania has a long, proud history of agriculture, and this comprehensive package of funding opportunities and resources will help expand this important industry,&#8221; Wolf said. &#8220;The PA Farm Bill allocates $24 million in additional funding to chart a real path for a dynamic and prosperous farming economy in Pennsylvania. It&#8217;s about providing more opportunities to our farmers by creating more jobs, more income, and more hope.&#8221;The bill will provide for business development and succession planning, create accommodations for a growing animal agriculture sector, remove regulatory burdens, strengthen the ag workforce, protect infrastructure, and make Pennsylvania the nation&#8217;s leading organic state.&#8220;Pennsylvania&#8217;s story can&#8217;t be told without agriculture, and the PA Farm Bill will help inspire all of the chapters yet to come,&#8221; said Secretary Redding. &#8220;By further supporting the agriculture industry and investing in business operations, infrastructure, education and the workforce, we are setting the course for a future filled with increased opportunities and prosperity.&#8221;Some highlights of the proposal:&#8226; Develop new resources for agriculture business development and succession planningBecause thoughtful planning is critical to the sustainability of farms, the bill proposes to establish a Pennsylvania Agricultural Business Development Center to serve as a resource for farmers to create business, transition, or succession plans to give them the best probability of success.&#8226; Create more processing capabilitiesThe bill would support the dairy industry by continuing to fund the Pennsylvania Dairy Investment Program, as well as the Center for Dairy Excellence, and will establish a Center for Animal Agriculture Excellence to assist poultry, swine, sheep, lamb, goat, and rabbit agriculture.&#8226; Remove regulatory burdens and strengthening the state&#8217;s agricultural business climateThe proposal continues cutting through the red tape by incentivizing best management practices to allow farmers to be more competitive while incorporating high-quality conservation practices on their operations via a mix of grants, low-interest loans, and tax credits.&#8226; Increase opportunities for Pennsylvania&#8217;s agricultural workforceThere will be nearly 75,000 job vacancies in the agriculture and food industries over the next 10 years. The bill provides funding to increase awareness of and exposure to agriculture.&#8226; Protecting agricultural infrastructureAn ongoing need for disaster response readiness has been evident most recently with the threats of spotted lanternfly infestation and highly pathogenic avian influenza. The bill creates a Rapid Response Disaster Readiness Account to allow for a quick response to agricultural disasters, including utilizing animal or plant health officials to contain an outbreak; or providing an immediate response to a food-borne illness.&#8226; Increasing market opportunities and making Pa. the nation&#8217;s leading organic stateThe proposal includes funding that will bolster Pennsylvania&#8217;s status as a leader in food and agriculture, through increased funding for the PA Preferred program. It would further enhance the growth of the organic industry by creating state-specific guidelines for marketing Pennsylvania&#8217;s products to a global marketplace. The proposal also includes support for urban agriculture initiatives, and a newly created specialty crop block-grant program to support growing industries like hemp, hops, and hardwoods.Thousands weighing inon recreational marijuanaWhen Gov. Tom Wolf announced that Lt. Governor John Fetterman would be embarking on a statewide listening tour on recreational marijuana, he told reporters, &#8220;We both want to make sure the voices of all Pennsylvanians are heard.&#8221;And it&#8217;s clear Pennsylvanians on all sides have a lot to say on this topic.The first listening session, held amid winter weather last week in Dauphin County, drew more than 250 &#8212; the second session was held this week in Cumberland County with a standing-room only crowd.An online feedback form was posted on governor.pa.gov and the lieutenant governor&#8217;s Facebook page &#8212; already there have been more than 12,000 form submissions.The lieutenant governor has committed to visiting all 67 counties on listening tours.Both Wolf and Fetterman said they believe it&#8217;s time for Pennsylvania to take a serious and honest look at legalizing recreational marijuana. Medical marijuana has been legal in Pennsylvania since 2016 and Gov. Wolf stressed that any proposal for legalizing recreational marijuana would need to be implemented after the medical marijuana program is fully implemented.Pa. Health Department stressesthe importance of vaccinationsThe Department of Health this week said it wants all Pennsylvanians to take steps to protect themselves by getting immunized against several serious illnesses that can be life-threatening, such as measles, hepatitis and whooping cough (pertussis).&#8220;It is essential that not only children are up-to-date on immunizations, but that adults are up-to-date on their immunizations as well,&#8221; Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said. &#8220;Vaccines are the best way to protect yourself from a number of serious diseases. Getting your vaccinations can help protect others, such as those with compromised immune systems, who cannot get vaccinated &#8220;Vaccines are necessary to protect infants, children and teens from serious childhood diseases. Even if you or your child have not previously been vaccinated, you can get vaccinated now. Vaccine-preventable diseases can be very dangerous, may require hospitalization and can even result in death. A discussion with your doctor or your child&#8217;s doctor can help determine which vaccines are needed.In 2017, the provisional period in which students could attend school without their vaccinations was reduced from eight months to five days. Staying up-to-date with immunizations provides the best protection against disease.Vaccines are recommended for adults to prevent serious diseases such as hepatitis, influenza (flu), pneumonia, shingles and whooping cough. Other vaccine recommendations vary based on age, lifestyle, medical conditions, occupation, past vaccinations and travel destinations.The Department of Health offers immunization clinics year-round across the state. Any child or adult who does not have insurance coverage, or their insurance does not cover the necessary vaccinations and meets the requirements, can get their vaccines at one of the state health centers or local health departments.Anyone looking to visit a local immunization clinic to receive vaccinations should call 1-877-PA-HEALTH (1-877-724-3258) to schedule an appointment. Pennsylvanians should have their vaccination records available when they call to make an appointment. A parent or legal guardian must accompany a child receiving vaccinations.<style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_Capitol-logo-4.jpg">
<div class="neCaption"></div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_Capitol-logo-4.jpg</photo0><caption0></caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Bill O&#8217;Boyleboboyle@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.</shirttailMeta></div>

Capitol Roundup: Wolf unveils historic funding proposal for Pa. agriculture