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 26, 2021
Harrisburg, October 26, 2021 − The Pennsylvania Senate passed Officer John Wilding’s Law (Senate Bill 814) today, which creates a new offense of “evading arrest or detention on foot.”
Introduced by Senator Marty Flynn (D-Lackawanna/Luzerne/Monroe) and Senator John Yudichak (I-Luzerne/Carbon/Monroe), the bill was drafted in response to the tragic death of Officer John Wilding of the Scranton Police Department. In 2015, Officer Wilding lost his life from injuries sustained while chasing three armed robbery suspects in a West Scranton neighborhood.
“Every day, our police officers put their lives on the line for us. What’s at stake for them every time they go to work – we can’t imagine,” Senator Flynn said. “So it’s our job as lawmakers to look out for those who serve and uphold the law. We have to protect those who protect us.”
In a bipartisan vote of 36-14, the Senate voted affirmatively on the bill which makes evading arrest or detention on foot an offense if a person knowingly and intentionally flees on foot from a public servant attempting to lawfully arrest or detain that person.
“Officer Wilding gave his life in service to the citizens of Scranton and our great Commonwealth,” said Senator Yudichak. “Senate Bill 814 ensures that his life will forever be honored by protecting the men and women of law enforcement with the addition of a new offense, evading arrest on foot, as a felony offense in the crimes code.”
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 from an officer on foot and placing the officers or innocent bystanders at risk of injury.
In addition to establishing the offense, the bill sets the new offense grades as follows:
- A third-degree felony if a person flees or attempts to evade arrest or detention for an underlying offense that constitutes a felony or misdemeanor and another person suffers serious bodily injury as a result
- A second-degree felony if a person flees or attempts to evade arrest or detention for an underlying offense that constitutes a felony or misdemeanor and another person dies as a result
- A second-degree misdemeanor if a person flees or attempts to evade arrest or detention for an underlying offense that constitutes a felony or misdemeanor
The bill also creates a new offense of “harming a police animal while evading arrest or detention.”
“Unfortunately, we cannot change what happened to Officer Wilding,” said Senator Flynn. “But hopefully this law will provide a bit of peace for the Wilding family and will prevent something like this from happening again in the future.”
Senate Bill 814 will now be sent to the House of Representatives for its concurrence.
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.
August 5, 2021
Old Forge, PA – August 5, 2021 − Governor Tom Wolf today visited Cafe Rinaldi in Old Forge to highlight $2.3 million in state grants awarded to Lackawanna County restaurants adversely affected by the pandemic. The governor secured $145 million for the COVID-19 Hospitality Industry Recovery Program (CHIRP) last year to provide pandemic relief to the restaurant and hotel industry in Pennsylvania.
“Restaurants and bars are an important part of the Lackawanna County economy, and this funding is helping them to rebound from the difficult times caused by the pandemic,” said Gov. Wolf. “My administration is proud to have secured $145 million to support the industry statewide and I’m grateful to our local partners and the small businesses for their tremendous effort of the past year and a half.”
The governor was joined for a press conference in Old Forge by Sen. Marty Flynn, Rep. Bridget Kosierowski, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce President Bob Durkin, other local officials, and the owner of Café Rinaldi.
“These CHIRP grants helped the owners and employees of local businesses through very tough times,” said Sen. Marty Flynn. “These restaurants are vital to our area, allowing us to gather socially and making us a real community.”
“The COVID-19 Hospitality Industry Recovery Program was a great step forward to helping people, helping families and helping local businesses keep the doors open,” said Rep. Bridget Kosierowski. “It delivered nearly 150 million dollars to help our restaurants and hotels and theaters – and the people who work there. This was money for every single county across the commonwealth. This was real help for real people who had spent the last year fighting to survive. Governor Wolf made this funding possible because he recognized that this funding would help put us in position to bounce back faster and reach greater heights.”
The Wolf Administration worked with counties and economic development partners to quickly send assistance to the hospitality industry.
Counties administered the funding through one or more designated Community Economic Development Organizations (CEDO) or Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI), which began processing applications from businesses in each county on March 15. All funding was distributed to businesses as of last week.
“Throughout this pandemic we at the Chamber have been proud to partner with The Commonwealth and Lackawanna County to play our part in addressing the financial, operational and health needs of our small businesses,” said Robert Durkin, President of Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce. “These funds have helped hundreds of business owners and thousands of employees sustain their operations in the face of the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19.”
Lackawanna County received $2,374,844 in CHIRP funding from the state, which local officials supplemented with $141,406 for a total of $2,516,250. CHIRP grants were received by 171 businesses, including a $25,000 grant for Café Rinaldi.
