November 22, 2021
I’m hosting a town hall at the Throop Community Civic Center on December 5th at 6pm where we’ll be joined by representatives from Pennie, the state’s official destination for quality health insurance.
Experts from Pennie will be on hand to discuss all things healthcare and answer questions from our audience. We’ll also have healthcare navigators available for one-on-one conversations about what options are available to you and your family.
Open enrollment ends January 15th, so now is a good time to get covered before the holiday season! Register to attend the town hall at www.senatorflynn.com/aca.
For more information on Pennie and how to sign up for health insurance, visit their website here: Welcome To Pennie & Open Enrollment 2021.
November 19, 2021
November 19, 2021 – Senator Marty Flynn secured a total of $2,547,418 in grants that were awarded to eleven projects across the 22nd District of Pennsylvania through the Multimodal Transportation Fund and the Act 13 Program. Both programs are administered through Pennsylvania’s Department of Community & Economic Development; Senator Flynn serves on the Senate Community, Economic, & Recreational Development Committee.
“This grant money will be used to improve the day-to-day lives of the people of Northeast Pennsylvania,” Senator Flynn said. “Better roads, better flood control, better parks for our children – I’m proud that these funds will go towards projects that set out to make NEPA a better place to live.”
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 Pennsylvania. The five district projects that received grants through this fund are:
- West Scranton Streetscape Project (Scranton) – $779,483
- Dickson City Main Avenue Streetscape Phase 2 – Jackson St. to Dundaff St. (Dickson City) – $700,000
- Lackawanna River Heritage Trail – Hull Creek Bridge (Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority) – $71,998
- Chapel Road & Ridge Road Roadway Infrastructure Enhancement Project (Pittston Township) – $150,000
- Aston Mt. Road Paving Project Phase 3 (Spring Brook Township) – $500,000
The total amount awarded to District 22 through the Multimodal Transportation Fund is $2,201,481.
The Act 13 Program assists statewide initiatives that seek to improve abandoned mine drainage abatement, abandoned well plugging, sewage treatment, greenways, trails and recreation, baseline water quality data, watershed restoration, and flood control. The six projects that were awarded funding through this program are:
- Blakely Borough Watershed Flood Control & Protection Project (Blakely) – $75,500
- Archbald Borough Flood Mitigation Project (Archbald) – $62,500
- S. Webster Avenue Flood Mitigation Project (Scranton) – $71,825
- Hillside Park – AAJRB Pole Building Construction (Abington Area Joint Recreation Board) – $55,000
- Jefferson Street Park – Park Enhancement (Fell Township) – $40,890
- Urban Greenpeace Development (The Garden of Cedar, Scranton) – $40,222
The total amount granted to District 22 through the Act 13 Program is $345,937. Both the Multimodal Transportation Fund and the Act 13 grants are a product of the Commonwealth Financing Authority, an independent agency of the Department of Community and Economic Development established in 2004.
October 29, 2021
Nacero Inc. announced plans today to build a $6 billion manufacturing facility in Luzerne County, making it the single biggest economic investment in the county’s history.
The production plant will be used to take natural gas and renewable natural gas and convert it into gasoline. The massive facility is to be located in Newport Township and Nanticoke on the site of a former coal mine, and will bring thousands of jobs to the area. Upon completion, the plant will produce tens of thousands of barrels of low- and zero-lifecycle carbon footprint gasoline every day.
Based in Houston, Texas, Nacero Inc. specializes in taking natural and renewable natural gas and converting it to new gasoline, eschewing the use of crude oil, which has been used in the past and which produces more harm to the environment than the method that will be used in Luzerne County.
Of the plans to build the facility, Senator Marty Flynn (D-Lackawanna/Luzerne/Monroe) said:
“This is exactly the kind of economic boost Northeast Pennsylvania needs. A plant like this just makes sense in our area, given our storied history of industry, energy, and production. It’s appropriate that it will be located on the site of an old coal mine – that’s where this area gained its hard-working, blue-collar reputation, and it’s what made us a prosperous city in the past. I’m happy that we can do all of this – providing jobs for thousands of people, giving a nice economic boost for our local businesses – while looking to the future, too, as this new method of producing gasoline is much better for the environment than how it was done in the past.”
October 27, 2021
The Scranton Federation of Teachers announced yesterday that it will strike beginning November 3, after failing to come to an agreement with the Scranton School Board regarding health care provisions in their new contract.
“This strike is the result of years of systematic underfunding of the Scranton School District by the state, and now the school board is left with zero good options,” Senator Marty Flynn said of the pending strike. “All the board is doing now is cutting resources, but they can’t cut their way to prosperity, it’s not possible.”
The strike comes after more than four years of teachers working on an expired contract, and more than five years without a pay increase. Tensions reached a boiling point this week over what the Scranton Federation of Teachers feel is inadequate health care coverage in the board’s proposed plan.
Regarding the state of the Scranton School District, Senator Flynn said, “108 teachers wouldn’t have left if it was a great place to work, if things were running smoothly, if the district was doing a good job.”
Pennsylvania’s Public School Code authorizes the Secretary of the Department of Education to initiate injunctive proceedings when the length of a strike would prohibit a school district from completing 180 days of instruction by June 15.
October 19, 2021
Harrisburg, October 19, 2021 – Legislation introduced in honor of a fallen Scranton police officer, John Wilding, received bipartisan support today from the Senate Judiciary Committee chaired by Senator Lisa Baker.
Introduced by Senator John Yudichak (I-Luzerne/Carbon) and Senator Marty Flynn (D-Lackawanna/Luzerne/Monroe), Senate Bill 814 would strengthen the crimes code by adding penalties for fleeing an officer by foot to evade arrest.
Six years ago, Scranton Police Officer John Wilding lost his life in pursuit of suspects who fled the crime scene to evade arrest.
“Officer Wilding dedicated his life to upholding the law and protecting the citizens of Scranton, it’s time for lawmakers to honor Officer Wilding’s service by ensuring no police officer’s life is ever put in danger by criminals who try to evade arrest,” said State Senator Yudichak.
Officer Wilding died on July 12, 2015 as a result of injuries he sustained in the line of duty.
When individuals flee from police officers attempting to lawfully place them under arrest, they create a risk of harm not just to police, but to innocent bystanders and themselves.
Existing statute currently prohibits fleeing from an officer in a vehicle and struggling with an officer attempting to place an individual under lawful arrest, however the statute is silent with respect to fleeing an officer on foot and placing the officers or innocent bystanders at risk of injury. This bill will create a new offense of “Evading Arrest or Detention by Foot.” It’s modeled after a similar statute in the state of Texas.
Officer Wilding was a 2004 graduate of Mid Valley Secondary Center in Throop and attended Pennsylvania State University. He was a 2012 graduate of the Act 120 Municipal Police Officers Training Program at Lackawanna College before joining the Scranton Police Department in April 2014.
“I am pleased that the Senate Judiciary Committee voted today to pass Senate Bill 814, which was drafted in response to the tragic death of Officer John Wilding of the Scranton Police Department,” said State Senator Flynn. “This measure will put some teeth into the law and hold those who harm police, while fleeing on foot accountable for their actions.”
“Just days ago, we had a very moving memorial ceremony for police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty,” said State Senator Baker. “With this bill, we are seeking to clarify a potential gap in current law, and once again take a step to further protect law enforcement and punish lawbreakers whose reckless actions cost the lives of police officers.”
During the 2019-2020 legislative session, the previous version of the legislation unanimously passed the Senate Judiciary Committee. After receiving feedback from advocates and officers around the state, language was included to further provide for the protection of police animals in the event an individual is evading arrest.
September 17, 2021
Our Student Ambassador Program begins later this year, and applications are now open! We’ll be selecting one high school senior from each school in District 22 to participate in the program, which will give students a first-hand look at how the law-making process works in the Pennsylvania State Senate. From attending legislative meetings to touring the Capitol building in Harrisburg, these students will be given wonderful opportunities to learn about our state government and spend time with fellow dedicated, motived students from across our district. You can apply here on the website or ask your school’s guidance department; the deadline to apply is October 8th.
