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In this Update:
Update on Election Integrity in Lancaster County
Last week, the Lancaster County Board of Elections announced that approximately 2,500 voter registrations submitted close to the deadline had troubling irregularities. This week, the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that hundreds of these applications are suspected of being fraudulent. I am very grateful, but not surprised, that the Lancaster County Board of Elections workers and the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office did a great job of identifying these fraudulent registrations and preserved the integrity of our election system. I called on Secretary Al Schmidt and the Department of State to provide all necessary resources and support to boards of elections across Pennsylvania to ensure this hasn’t been perpetuated in any other counties. My full statement on the investigation is available here. In recent years, Senate Republicans have led efforts to protect election integrity statewide by passing one of the strongest election laws in the country. Act 88 of 2022 prohibited outside money from funding election operations; required voter rolls to be cleaned up; ensured counties count ballots continuously on election day without interruption; and required counties to announce the number of mail-in and absentee ballots received by the end of the day on election day. We also passed a bill that would have allowed voters to decide whether to amend the state constitution to implement voter ID requirements statewide. However, Democrats who control the House of Representatives have blocked the bill and refused to give voters a voice on that issue. Voters who encounter problems at their polling place or have other election-related concerns are encouraged to report those issues to your county board of elections or the Department of State by calling 1-877-868-3772. New Law Combats AI-Generated Deepfake Images of Minors
A new state law will help combat “deepfake” images of minors and child sexual abuse materials generated by artificial intelligence (AI). Act 125 of 2024 addresses the alarming rise in AI-generated deepfake sexual images of children and non-consenting adults. Currently, Pennsylvania law makes it illegal to share intimate images without consent but does not clearly address the use of AI deepfake technology for this purpose. This gap in our law leaves many vulnerable to a new form of digital abuse. The new law also prohibits AI from being utilized to generate child sexual abuse material, previously referred to as “child pornography,” which is not currently prohibited under law. In August, police in Lancaster County launched an investigation into a case of artificially generated nude photos that use the faces of more than 20 female teenage students. The district attorney said that in some cases charges can’t be filed because the images don’t involve actual children. The new law seeks to close that loophole. PA Families to Receive More Support Saving for the Future
Because of a bill Senate Republicans passed, families saving for educational expenses and costs for those with disabilities could soon have more support from their employers. A tax credit will encourage employers to contribute to their employees’ PA 529 College and Career Savings Program accounts and PA ABLE accounts. Beginning January 2025, employers will receive a 25% tax credit on matching employer contributions of up to $500 per employee per year. The law helps employers offer their employees a significant benefit so they can attract the best workers while receiving a financial incentive themselves. It supports Senate Republicans’ priorities of empowering Pennsylvania families and protecting Pennsylvania jobs. New Law Creates Rape Kit Tracking System
Having received unanimous support from the General Assembly, a bill to establish a statewide rape kit evidence tracking system is now law. Act 122 of 2024 allows survivors to track the status of their rape kits throughout the testing process, from collection to destruction. With this legislation, Pennsylvania joins 35 states and the District of Columbia that have already implemented rape kit tracking systems. It brings Pennsylvania into compliance with the Fairness for Rape Kit Backlog Survivors provision of the recent Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) reauthorization. To comply with VAWA, the law provides a waiver for survivors who file untimely claims for compensation due to delays in rape kit testing. Survivors would not need to undergo an appeal process for consideration of this waiver. Bill Giving Parents Info About Student Tick Removal Now Law
Legislation giving parents the opportunity to access important information about their child’s health was approved by the Senate and is now law. It requires schools to notify a parent or guardian if a tick is removed from a student and provide the tick to them for testing. When discovering a tick on yourself, a family member or a pet, it’s important to send it to the Pennsylvania Tick Research Lab at East Stroudsburg University. For free, the tick can be tested for common illnesses to provide you and your health care provider with valuable information about potential exposure. For more than a decade, Pennsylvania has had more cases of Lyme disease than any other state in the nation. While Lyme disease is reason enough to take precautions, ticks also carry a host of other illnesses with undesirable symptoms. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5
Election Day is on Tuesday, Nov. 5, and polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. If you are in line by 8 p.m., you will be able to vote. If you would like to vote with a mail-in or absentee ballot, your county election office must receive it by Tuesday, Nov. 5, at 8 p.m. Track your ballot to confirm it was received. Any voter who requested to vote using a mail-in or absentee ballot but would prefer to vote in person may do so. Bring the ballot and the envelope to surrender at the polls. If you don’t have those materials, you may vote using a provisional ballot. Time to Turn Clocks Back This Weekend
Daylight saving time will end at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3, so Pennsylvania residents should turn their clocks back one hour before going to bed on Saturday night. Because these twice-yearly time changes often lead to more accidents and loss of productivity, I’ve authored a resolution calling on Congress to end this archaic practice once and for all.
If you have a question about the information in this e-newsletter or other state related matters that you would like a response to, please click HERE to submit your inquiry through my website. This will help to ensure that we are able to respond to your question in a timely fashion due to the high volume of emails and the ever growing amount of computer generated spam mail we receive daily. |
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