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In this Update:
Mastriano Votes to Ban “Zuck Bucks” and Ballot Drop BoxesHARRISBURG – In a significant victory for election integrity, two bills co-sponsored by Senator Doug Mastriano passed the full Senate today. The first bill, SB 982, prohibits the use of private funds for the administration of elections. During the 2020 election, partisan liberal groups funded by Mark Zuckerberg disproportionally awarded grants to influence turnout in left-leaning counties. The second bill, SB 1200, bans the use of drop boxes and clarifies that ballots may only be dropped off to an employee at a county board of elections office. Collecting and dropping off ballots on behalf of others is illegal in Pennsylvania. This violation, known as ballot harvesting, was proven to be prevalent in the 2020 and 2021 general elections. “We still have much work to do to restore trust in the electoral process in Pennsylvania, but the passage of this legislation is certainly a step in the right direction,” said Mastriano. “Right to Know” documents and video evidence has proven why these bills are necessary.” “Mark Zuckerberg and his liberal front groups claimed their grants were awarded equally for the “safe administration of elections” during COVID. But most of those funds went to things like drop boxes and satellite offices, not PPE. When adjusted for population, Democrat counties received more grant money from Zuckerberg to influence voter turnout than Republican counties received in the 2020 election. There are no public records showing the amounts that all counties requested and any conditions that Zuckerberg’s groups placed on the grants. It’s also important to note that the use of private funds for elections was never approved by the General Assembly.” “When it comes to drop boxes, there is now documented evidence that ballot harvesting occurred at drop box locations in Philadelphia, Montgomery, Lehigh, Luzerne, and Lackawanna counties. Like private funds, drop boxes were never approved by the General Assembly in the first place. They were unconstitutionally created by the State Supreme Court.” Mastriano has introduced a comprehensive package of election integrity bills this session. This package includes bills that would eliminate mass mail-in voting (SB 884), mandate voter ID for all forms of voting (SB 735), and expand and empower poll watchers (SB 573). Mastriano Introduces Remittance Fee on Illegal Immigrants to Provide Property Tax Relief for Legal CitizensHARRISBURG – As President Biden continues to neglect the porous southwest border and Governor Wolf continues to look the other way as illegal immigrants are transited into towns across Pennsylvania, Senator Doug Mastriano is taking acting at the state level. Mastriano officially introduced SB 1158 which will place a remittance fee on illegal immigrants residing in Pennsylvania. An international remittance is a sum of money that is electronically sent out of the Pennsylvania economy and into the economies of international destinations. Over $70 billion dollars is transferred out of the United States and into the economies of recipient countries on an annual basis. Oklahoma enacted a similar fee on remittances in 2014 and now receives over $13 million in annual revenue for the state. Because Pennsylvania’s estimated illegal immigrant workforce is significantly higher than Oklahoma, revenue generated from SB 1158 would likely result in at least eight times as much annual revenue. The annual revenue from the fee on illegal immigrants will be directed to the Property Tax/Rent Rebate program. That program has delivered more than $6.8 billion in relief to eligible Pennsylvanians since its inception in 1971. “If President Biden and Governor Wolf refuse to tackle the issue of illegal immigration, it’s time for the General Assembly to step in”, said Mastriano. Our economy loses out on millions of dollars earned by illegal immigrants here and then sent to help other countries. Meanwhile, legal citizens struggle with absurd property tax rates and skyrocketing rent costs. This bill will direct tens of millions of new dollars to the Property Tax/Rent Rebate program to give much needed relief to struggling families.” Mastriano is also a co-sponsor with Senator Mario Scavello on legislation that will initiate a transit program to send newly arriving illegal immigrants to the state of Delaware. SB 1158 has been referred to the Senate Committee on Banking and Insurance Mastriano and Robinson announce legislation for the establishment of the Law Enforcement Recovery Grant Program
Senate Boosts Crime Victim Protection and Support
The Senate approved a package of bills aiding crime victims by providing stronger protections, increasing support and improving access to services. The bills now advance to the House of Representatives for consideration. Senate Bill 1179 extends the Domestic and Sexual Violence Victim Address Confidentiality Act to give victims of child abduction and human trafficking access to substitute mailing addresses and allows applications for address confidentiality to be submitted electronically. Senate Bill 118 expands Megan’s Law to require offenders convicted of any sex trafficking-related offenses to register. Senate Bill 1040 requires law enforcement to make reasonable efforts to ensure a murder victim’s family has been notified before releasing the victim’s identity to the public and media. Senate Bill 1172 expands access to Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs) to better provide quality care for victims. SANEs have specialized training in trauma and forensic nursing and are vital to a complete care system for survivors of sexual assault. Legislation to Aid Rural Remote Working Passes Senate
Legislation to help more rural Pennsylvania communities establish remote workplace facilities was approved by the Senate. It now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration. Senate Bill 962 would create the Rural Co-Working and Innovation Centers Grant Program within the Department of Community and Economic Development to help rural communities create facilities equipped with high-speed broadband, furniture, and security systems for teleworkers. According to the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, 48 out of 67 counties and 1,592 municipalities are rural and could benefit from this program. Have a Happy and Blessed Easter
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