PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE

PAIDHARRISBURG, PA PERMIT NO. 603

STATE SENATOR

Michele BrooksSenate Box 203050

Harrisburg, PA 17120-3050

Printed on Recycled Paper

Dear Friends,

In my ongoing efforts to keep the lines of communication open with the citizens I am honored to represent in the stateSenate, this newsletter is designed to keep you informed of policy issues taking place in the state Capitol, as well as activities in the district.

As of this writing, the state budget for the 2017-2018 fiscal year is still being negotiated, and many bills affecting ourhealth, our economy, our region, and our hard-working citizens remain on the agenda.

Please know what a pleasure it is to work with you to make this area an even better place to live, work and raise a family for current and future generations. As always, I love meeting with local residents and discussing the topics at hand at thestate level, and I encourage you to share your thoughts, opinions and suggestions about state government with me. My door is always open to you. Respectfully,

State Senator Michele Brooks

Olympian Honored by Pennsylvania Senate

It was a humbling and inspiring experience for Senator Brooks to kick off the 2017-2018 session byintroducing Olympic gold medalist Trevon Jenifer on the

Senate floor. Trevon is a western Pennsylvanian whoexhibited the strength, grit and perseverance to become aninternational champion.

During the Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro this pastSeptember, Trevon and his fellow Team USA players defeat-ed Spain by a score of 68 to 52 to capture this nation’s firstgold medal in basketball since 1988 –almost 30 years ago.

Trevon graduated from Edinboro University in 2011, andthat following year, he and his fellow Team USA basketballplayers won a bronze medal at the 2012 Paralympics inLondon. Determined to turn bronze into gold, they contin-ued to work hard and came back four years later to capturethe gold in 2016.

In that fateful championship game in Brazil, the score-board became a seesaw affair as each team traded the lead.It was not until the seven-minute mark of the fourth quarterthat Team USA essentially clinched the game, fueled byTrevon’s execution of two bold back-to-back steals. With thatsuccessful maneuver, Team USA won the gold!

Trevon is the first Edinboro University graduate to earn a

gold medal. In trueOlympic spirit, hecontinues to giveback by teachingothers, as assistantcoach on EdinboroUniversity’s wheel-chair basketballteam.

Trevon is aglowing testamentto the values of astrong work ethic,sacrifice, passion,and love of familywhile serving as ashining example forthose who aspire togreatness.

Joining him on the Senate floor were Edinboro UniversityHead Coach Jim Glatch, Trevon’s fiancee Laura Klass, andtheir 15-month-old daughter.

Please join us on social media: www.facebook.com/senatormichelebrooks/

Senator Brooks and Representative Tedd Nesbit spoke at the annual 79-80Interstate Development Corporation meeting regarding economic develop-ment. She continues to work with local organizations to help expand jobgrowth opportunities.

Prison Closure Averted After Fight

In January, the governor proposed the closure of two state correctional facili-ties from a list of five, which included

SCI Mercer.Fortunately, after a passionate fight

from Senator Brooks, Senate and Housecolleagues, the community and area cor-rectional officers, SCI Mercer escaped thechopping block. Its record of cost-effec-tiveness and its success in rehabilitationwere among the factors that saved theprison from closure.

She is now taking steps to ensurethat sudden closure decisions do notoccur again, without proper notice, con-sideration, transparency and communityinput.

Senator Brooks has cosponsored anew bill with other Senate colleaguesthat would outline a clear process forpossible closure actions of law enforce-ment facilities, including state prisonsand state police barracks.

Representatives from Mercer County appeared at the Senate hearing, testi-fying before Senator Brooks and other committee members about theimpact of SCI Mercer on public safety and the economy.

Opioid Crisis Demands Community-Wide Response

Working together, we canaddress the opioid crisis. Oneof the important things we

need to do is identify changes inbehavior that reflect a need for treat-ment. If we see something thatdeparts from the norm, we cannotignore it. To help, the Good Samaritan lawnow ensures that those who give helpat the scene of a medical overdose nolonger have to worry about penalties. One of the other proactive thingswe are doing is partnering with ourcommunities to provide drop-offpoints for unused or outdated medica-tion.

In Crawford County, these sitesinclude: • Cambridge Springs Police Dept.

• Conneaut Lake Regional Police Dept. • Linesville Borough Police Dept. • Crawford Co. Sheriff’s Dept. • Meadville Medical Center • West Mead Twp. Police Dept. • Titusville Police Dept.

In Erie County: • Albion Borough Police Dept. • Corry City Police Dept. • Edinboro Borough Police Dept. • Edinboro University Campus Police

And in Mercer County: • Greenville-West Salem Police Dept. • Borough of Grove City Police Dept. • City of Hermitage Police Dept. • Mercer County Sheriff’s Office.

Measure to Help EMTs andFirefighters Approved

Our volunteer firefighters unselfishlydevote their time and energy to theprotection of property and lives, but

their ranks have dropped to dangerouslylow levels. Senator Brooks believes ourfirefighters have too many requirementsplaced on them while they balance familyand career.

A measure calling for a comprehensivereview of how we can assistPennsylvania’s volunteer fire departmentsand EMS organizations received final leg-islative approval recently.

SR 6, as amended, calls for a 39-member commission made up of legisla-tors, first responders and representativesfrom municipalities to study issues cur-rently affecting first responders. The commission would then provide its rec-ommendations to the Majority andMinority Chairmen of the Senate and

A complete list of take-back boxes across

the state can be found at:

https://apps.ddap.pa.gov/gethelpnow/PillDrop.aspx

More than two tons of unwanteddrugs have been collected for disposalin Pennsylvania since the programstarted in late 2014.

Disposing of excess medicationsafely can keep many dangerous pillsout of the wrong hands.

House Veterans Affairs & EmergencyPreparedness Committees by June 30,2018.

Thank you to the men and women whorespond day and night when we needthem. We thank their families as well.

Conneaut ValleyElementary Schoolwelcomed SenatorBrooks during its“Read AcrossAmerica” celebration. SenatorBrooks loved readingDr. Seuss’s “It’s NotEasy Being a Bunny”to first-graders.

Cub Scout JacobHackworth spentquality timechatting withSenator Brooksat the annual Blue and GoldBanquet at theKiononia Center.

New Oral Chemotherapy Law HelpsCancer Patients

Thanks to a new law, cancer patientswill now be able to access the formof chemotherapy drug that works

best for them without having to worryabout major discrepancies in insurancereimbursement rates.

The law, often referred to as the “oralchemo” bill, bars insurers from allowingpatients to be charged more for pill-based cancer treatments than traditionalchemotherapy.

Chemotherapy treatments are typical-ly covered as medical services. In con-trast, oral chemotherapy treatments,which are often far more expensive, aretypically covered as prescription drugs,for which patients can be charged 20percent or more out-of-pocket.

Since some oral medications can costas much as $10,000 a month, even a 20percent co-pay can cost a patient a for-midable $2,000 per month. An intra-venous chemotherapy treatment, bycontrast, may cost a patient $25 to $50per visit.

In addition, oral medications havebeen linked to a reduction of side effectssuch as nausea and hair loss.

Advocates for cancer patients fearedthat the high costs of the pills - whichare even required, not just preferred, insome instances – may force somepatients to abandon their treatments orcut their dose in half. They also notethat oral medications are considered thefuture for treatment of many types ofcancer.

Pennsylvania was the 41st state to

enact an oral chemotherapy parity law.This new law subjects the oral chemodrugs to the standard medical servicerates, in order to achieve price parity.

Brooks Resolution Introduced to Identify Over-Reaching Regulations that Stifle Growth

Senator Brooks introduced a reso-lution that will direct the JointState Government Commission to

conduct a study to analyze and identifywhich over-reaching laws and regula-tions in this Commonwealth have morestringent standards than federal law,which impact our families, farmers and

businesses. The findings will be present-ed to the General Assembly by November30, 2017. While Pennsylvanians understand theimportance of our environment, this res-olution is intended to balance practicallaws and regulations with economicgrowth, job creation and family living.

This resolution would be a first stepin pinpointing over-reaching currentlaws and regulations that impact hard-working citizens and businesses, in asweeping effort to make Pennsylvaniamore competitive in attracting newbusiness.

It is Senator Brooks’ sincere hope thatthis law helps give patients the option tochoose their best course of chemothera-py treatment.

Lyme Disease Cases on the Rise

Pennsylvania once again leads thenation in Lyme disease, with morethan 12,000 cases of the tick-borne

disease reported last year. Here are sev-eral key things you should know. 1. Although deer are often blamedas the primary Lyme disease carrier,published research has shown that miceand other rodents are far more effectivehosts for the tick, carrying the bacteriathat causes Lyme. 2. Scientists have developed ticktraps, now available from many pestcontrol companies, that are similar to“bait boxes” used by exterminators tocatch mice and other rodents. Miceenter these tick traps, come in contactwith an insecticide, and then become a

fatal weapon for ticks when a tick clingsto them. The insecticide is similar toanti-tick medications used for the familydog. 3. If you spot a tick on you, don’tpanic. Not all ticks are infected with thedisease, but removing a tick promptlycan reduce the odds that bacteria mayspread to you. Your risk of getting aninfection such as Lyme disease is lowerif you remove a tick within 36 hours. 4. The disease is very difficult todiagnose, and false negatives are com-mon. (You are told you do not haveLyme disease when, in fact, you do.)Lyme disease imitates many other ill-nesses, and many people do not seektreatment until symptoms surface.

Untreated Lyme disease can cause heart,liver, mobility issues and more. 5. Twisting or yanking a tick tooquickly can cause some of its mouthparts to remain in your skin. Fine-tippedtweezers are better than a match, nailpolish or Vaseline at making a tickdetach from your skin. Never crush thetick with your fingers after removing it,because this may transmit the disease.Saving the tick in a jar or plastic bag,soaked with rubbing alcohol, will help incase you need the tick later for testing. 6. Many insurance policies do notcover long-term antibiotic treatmentwhen recommended for Lyme disease.Senator Brooks is working to changethis.

Governor Proposes a $25 Fee for State Police Coverage

Our gratitude and respect for ourState Police protection runsdeep.To keep State Police funds

flowing, the governor, in his Februarybudget address, proposed a $25 percapita fee, to be levied in communi-ties without their own local policeforce. The fee, expected to raise $63 million, would affect 1,287 of2,560 municipalities, eight ruralcounties that rely entirely on statetroopers, and 2.5 million residentsrepresenting about 20 percent of thestate’s population.

In recent hearings, testifiers have point-ed out that this fee is a first-time-ever moveby the state to charge service fees to itsown municipalities. This State Police feewould be a breakthrough “double tax,” andmay be the start of a slippery slope. Itwould also not purchase any new addedprotection for these communities protectedby the State Police.

The residents of small municipalitieswithout local police already pay for theState Police through sales and incometaxes, gas taxes, licensing and registrationfees and more. Those who say these resi-

dents are getting “free” police servicedo not account for the many revenuesources that fund the State Police.

The proposed per capita fee wouldalso be levied on residents in long-termcare facilities and other facilities.

The State Police was formed in 1905 in the wake of the Great AnthraciteStrike to patrol farms, protect wildlife,track down criminals and control mobviolence. Highway patrol duties wereadded much later, ultimately becomingthe in-demand force that it is today.

Senator Michele Brooks50th District Legislative Officeswww.senatorbrooks.com

100 Hadley Road, Suite 9Greenville, PA 16125(724) 588-8911

16678 McMath AvenueMeadville, PA 16335(814) 337-8132

99 Erie Street, Suite 1Edinboro, PA 16412(814) 734-2783

Senate Box 203050Harrisburg, PA 17120-3050(717) 787-1322

Congratulations to the Reynolds High School Wrestling Team for winning thestate championship. Senator Brooks honored them on the Senate floor.

Senator Brooksand other arealegislatorshelped to cutthe ribbon onthe new locationof the LivingIndependencefor the Elderly(LIFE) NWPA indowntownSharon.

ABLE AccountsProtectPeople withDisabilitiesand theirFamilies

The Pennsylvania ABLE SavingsProgram is now open for enroll-ment. PA ABLE gives people with

disabilities and their families a way toplan for a more financially secure futurewithout affecting important programbenefits.

PA ABLE accounts provide peoplewith disabilities a way to be more finan-cially independent.

The accounts may be used to payfor a wide range of disability expenses,including basic living, housing, educa-tion, health, transportation, legalexpenses and more. Families can thensave on taxes, as accounts grow tax-free and, when used for qualified dis-ability expenses, are tax-exempt.

They also help people to remain eligi-ble for means-tested federal benefits andstate disability, medical assistance,health, and student aid benefits. Otherswho wish to give funds to the eligibleindividual, such as a grandparent oraunt, can also do so without adverselyimpacting benefits.

The PA ABLE Savings Program web-site (PAABLE.gov) is a great resourcewhere you can find more information andenroll in the program.

Extension of PropertyTax/Rent Rebate ProgramApplication Deadline

The deadline for the PropertyTax/Rent Rebate program, whichhelps many older adults and resi-

dents with permanent disabilities to paytheir rent and property taxes, has beenextended from June 30 to Dec. 31,2017.

Last year, nearly 600,000 seniorsand people with disabilities benefittedfrom this program.

With this six-month extension, it ishoped that more eligible senior citizens

and citizens with disabilities will apply.Applying is free, and assistance is avail-able for those who need help with theforms at Senator Brooks’ offices andmany local senior centers.

The application window applies totaxes and rent paid in 2016.

Claimants who have already applied forrebates may check the status of claimsonline at Senator Brooks’ office or atwww.revenue.pa.gov or by calling, toll-free, 1-888-PATAXES.