March 16, 2023
Scranton, PA – March 16, 2023 – Senator Marty Flynn (D-Lackawanna/Luzerne) has announced a total of $9,132,280 in grants awarded to 36 projects in the 22nd Senatorial District through both the Local Share Account and the Multimodal Transportation Fund.
The Local Share Account was developed through the PA Race Horse Development and Gaming Act, which provides for the distribution of gaming revenues through the Commonwealth Financing Authority to support statewide projects in the public interest.
The following grants, totaling $7,782,280, were awarded through the Local Share Account:
- $1,000,000 awarded to the City of Scranton for Nay Aug Waterplay Complex
- $972,420 awarded to Wyoming Borough for 2022 Street Reconstruction Project
- $505,782 awarded to the Greenfield Township Sewer Authority for the Pump Station Replacement Project
- $500,000 awarded to Lackawanna County for Lackawanna County Pool Improvements
- $500,000 awarded to Lackawanna County Transit Authority for Building and Maintenance Facility Construction
- $500,000 awarded to the City of Pittston for Blight Remediation
- $500,000 awarded to the City of Scranton for Adams Avenue Streetscape, Gateway, and Corridor Project
- $400,000 awarded to Plains Township for a new fire truck pumper
- $396,239 awarded to the City of Scranton for Grace Street Park
- $300,000 awarded to Dunmore Borough for Dunmore Green Ridge Soccer Fields Renovation and Expansion Project
- $250,000 awarded to the City of Wilkes-Barre for Hazle Street and Madison Street Retaining Walls Repair Project
- $221,600 awarded to Avoca Borough for VFW Renovations and Building Addition
- $175,000 awarded to Lackawanna County for Lackawanna Arts and Culture Vendor Huts Fabrication Project
- $150,000 awarded to Throop Borough for Borough Building Roof Replacement
- $150,000 awarded to West Pittston Borough for Municipal Building Renovations Project
- $150,000 awarded to the City of Wilkes-Barre for Wyoming Valley Art League Building Capital Improvements
- $130,000 awarded to Avoca Borough for Community Center Improvements
- $126,604 awarded to Plains Township for Department of Public Works pickup and dump truck
- $105,000 awarded to Dalton Borough to purchase a backhoe loader
- $102,757 awarded to Dickson City Recreation Authority for Civic Center Improvements
- $100,000 awarded to Dupont Borough for Public Park Enhancement Project
- $100,000 awarded to Moosic Borough for Moosic Youth Center Roof Project
- $100,000 awarded to Wyoming Borough for Municipal Equipment Project
- $90,990 awarded to Old Forge Borough for Borough Safety Project
- $57,882 awarded to South Abington Township for the purchase of a police vehicle
- $50,532 awarded to Avoca Borough for the purchase of a new police interceptor vehicle
- $50,000 awarded to Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority for rehabilitation of Scranton Trolley #505
- $38,427 awarded to Dalton Borough for the purchase of police camera equipment
- $33,847 awarded to Dalton Borough for the purchase of a Kubota tractor
- $25,200 awarded to Duryea Borough for the Duryea Wildcats Storage Facility
The Multimodal Transportation Fund provides grants to encourage economic development and ensure that a safe and reliable system of transportation is available to residents of the commonwealth. Funds may be used for the development, rehabilitation, and enhancement of transportation assets to existing communities, streetscape, lighting, sidewalk enhancement, pedestrian safety, connectivity of transportation assets, and transit-oriented development.
The following grants, totaling $1,350,000, were awarded through the Multimodal Transportation Fund:
- $200,000 awarded to Dunmore Borough for rehabilitation to Industrial Park Road
- $250,000 awarded to Lackawanna County for preliminary engineering of the Lackawanna River Pedestrian Bridge
- $100,000 awarded to Old Forge School District for improvements to internal site traffic flow
- $200,000 awarded to Pittston Township for roadway infrastructure improvements roadway infrastructure improvements on Armstrong Road
- $200,000 awarded to West Pittston Borough for neighborhood accessibility improvements
- $400,000 awarded to Wilkes University for sidewalk and streetscape improvements
“I’m proud to support so many projects across all parts of my Senate District,” said Senator Flynn. “This funding will be directed to diverse sources – improving roadways, eliminating blight, supporting law enforcement and first responders, and encouraging recreation – all to make the 22nd District a safer, cleaner, greener, and more inviting place to live.”
For a complete description of all of the projects awarded funding, visit here.
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January 30, 2023
HARRISBURG, PA – January 30, 2023 – Senator Marty Flynn (D-Lackawanna/Luzerne) has introduced a co-sponsorship memorandum for legislation that would require automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to be present at any sporting event hosted by a school district. The proposal also mandates that all coaches complete training on the proper use of AEDs.
Named “Damar’s Law,” after Buffalo Bills safety and Pittsburgh native Damar Hamlin, this legislation was inspired as a response to the harrowing occurrence of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) that Hamlin experienced during a recent NFL game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
“The incident has highlighted the need to proactively prepare and equip staff, as time is a critical variable when it comes to survivability,” said Flynn.
While the overwhelming majority of school districts in Pennsylvania have AEDs present in classrooms and school buildings, this bill recognizes the value of AEDs and the increased risk of SCA amongst students participating in athletic events.
“Damar’s outcome is promising, and I believe if schools follow the protocols I’m suggesting, others impacted by sudden cardiac arrest would have an improved chance at survival,” said Flynn, “It’s all about saving lives.”
The proposal has bipartisan co-sponsorship, with Senators Bartolotta, Fontana, Haywood, Hughes, Langerholc, and Pennycuick already supporting the legislation. Senator Flynn plans to formally introduce the language of the bill within a month.
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October 16, 2022
HARRISBURG, PA – October 15, 2022 – Mother Against Drunk Driving (MADD) has named Senator Marty Flynn (D-Lackawanna/Luzerne) as one of its “2022 Legislators of the Year” for authoring Senate Bill 1088, which would require impaired drivers to pay child support when they cause a crash that kills a parent or guardian.
Senate Bill 1088 was first introduced in Missouri as “Bentley’s Law.” Spearheaded by Missouri resident Cecilia Williams and named for her grandson, Bentley, whose parents and infant brother were killed in a drunk driving crash in April 2021, this legislation requires individuals who are convicted of killing a parent in a drunk driving accident to pay child support to surviving minor children as a form of restitution.
“I am pleased that Senate Bill 1088 has received strong bipartisan support in Pennsylvania and that iterations of this legislation have been introduced in more than a dozen states,” said Senator Flynn. “I support any efforts that deter drunk driving and ensure that those who suffer the tragedy of losing a family member are given the justice they deserve.”
Founded in 1980, Mothers Against Drunk Driving is the nation’s largest nonprofit working to end drunk driving, help fight drugged driving, support the victims of these violent crimes, and prevent underage drinking. In all, MADD recognized 65 state lawmakers for their commitment to saving lives and their tireless efforts to eliminate the 100% preventable act of drunk driving. For the full list of award recipients, visit madd.org.
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July 20, 2021
OpEd by Senator Marty Flynn
I must address the call for an investigation into the results of the 2020 Election made by Pennsylvania Senate Republicans. To be honest, folks, I had a hard time deciding if I should even write this. It’s frustrating to have to respond to claims so absurd. The Republicans are living in a fantasy world, and they want us to pay for their room and board. This is beneath us. It should be beneath them, too.
They claim that they are calling for this audit to “restore trust in our system,” while they are the ones actively trying to sow distrust. It’s like burning a house to the ground to restore trust in the fire department. They’re the ones destroying it! The amount of evidence the Republicans are clinging to is precisely zero – it simply does not exist. All of the facts clearly show that the election results were fair and valid. Over 50 courts across the country, independently of one another, have examined these claims and found them to be completely baseless. You may remember Rudy Giuliani leading the charge against the election results. You may also remember that, as a result, his legal license was suspended in his home state of New York. His claims were found to be so patently untrue that he is no longer allowed to practice law. Over a dozen Republican state senators won re-election in 2020, and not one of them questioned the integrity of those results. The exact same people who had no issue accepting the results of races they won are disingenuously crying foul at the outcomes of the races they lost. They are claiming that when they win, it’s fair, and when they lose, it’s rigged, ignoring the fact it’s all the same election, the same ballots, the same machines.
In my time as a boxer, there were fights I was certain I’d won only to be dealt a crushing and surprising decision. To accept a loss after preparing yourself for victory is no easy task, but it’s an essential lesson in humility and maturity. I believe that you learn more about yourself in defeat than in victory. We’re certainly learning a lot about the senators right now. Instead of focusing on moving forward, helping their constituents bounce back and even thrive as our nation recovers from this pandemic, their attention is on some delusional version of the past. Our job as senators, fundamentally, is to help those we were elected to represent. The Republicans are clearly not concerned with actually helping anyone.
Let’s be blunt about their motives here. First, they’re trying to indulge our previous president in his attempt to undermine President Biden. This is unseemly, sure, but sadly it’s what we’ve come to expect. It’s the second motive, though, that could have real consequences should this audit proceed. Suddenly, there will be a precedent set where the results of every single election could be disputed or outright ignored by anybody who doesn’t like how the vote turned out. This, it should not need to be said, runs completely counter to the foundations and ideals upon which this country was founded.
So please, senators, come to your senses, accept reality, move on, and put an end to this farce. The rest of us are trying to have a democracy here.
July 20, 2021
Luzerne County – July 20, 2021– State Senator Marty Flynn today announced Luzerne County will receive $2,673,188 in state grants to support community projects and equipment purchases across the region. The grants were awarded through the Commonwealth Financing Authority’s (CFA) Local Share Account (LSA) program.
“These grants are a great example of what we can achieve at a state and local level. Almost three million dollars for projects and equipment across Luzerne will go a long way to improve local infrastructure, making our county safer, more efficient, and overall a better place to live,” said Sen. Flynn.
The following projects have been approved to receive LSA program funds:
- Luzerne County 911 Tower Construction – $246,300 for the construction of a radio tower to be located at 283 Campbell’s Ledge Road in Duryea Borough to increase the county’s communications infrastructure.
- North East Pennsylvania Land Bank – $250,000 to assist with the Land Bank’s operational costs and the acquisition, demolition, and rehabilitation of blighted properties within the Land Bank’s participating municipalities.
- Avoca Fire and Ambulance Renovations – $336,160 for site improvements and renovations to expand the current Avoca Hose Company No.1 building. Building renovations will include new overhead doors, entry doors, windows, and metal sliding; electrical upgrades; and site improvements.
- Dupont DPW Equipment – $317,058 to purchase a CNG refuse packer, a 6500 dump truck and an asphalt roller.
- Duryea Police Vehicle – $55,768 to purchase a new police vehicle.
- Pittston Police and Road Equipment – $166,700 to purchase equipment and vehicles for township police and public works departments.
- Germania SCUBA Team Equipment – $90,195 for the purchase of a truck and double stack boat trailer.
- Compost Equipment Repair – $50,258 to rehabilitate the Bandit Beast 2460 Grinder being operated at the Greater Pittston Regional Compost Facility.
- New Compost Equipment – $128,050 to purchase a Caterpillar 914 14A Wheel Loader for the Greater Pittston Regional Compost Facility.
- Duryea Main Street Sidewalk Project – $314,375 to assist with infrastructure improvements to Main Street’s streetscape.
- 630 Main Street Parking Lot Improvements Project – $14,355 for parking lot improvements at 630 Main Street.
- Public Works Equipment – $347,558 for the purchase of a CNG refuse packer, a 6500 dump truck, an asphalt roller and 3-ton hot box.
- Pittston Township Equipment – $230,200 to purchase vehicles and equipment for use by the township’s road, public works, and emergency management departments.
- West Side Social Club Parking Lot – $79,970 for parking lot improvements at the West Side Social Club.
- West Side Social Club Roof Replacement – $46,241 for a roof replacement at the West Side Social Club.
Under Act 71 (the Gaming Act), Luzerne County is eligible for LSA grant funding for projects that improve the quality of life of citizens in the community. Funding is supported by 2% of gross terminal revenues of certain licensed gaming facilities and administered by the CFA to support and enhance community and economic well-being and mitigate the impact of gaming and related activities.
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