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WILKES-BARRE — More than a dozen House Democrats this week began seeking support for bills to increase voter turnout, make it easier for citizens to register to vote and to cast a ballot, and restore peoples’ faith in their elections.

“American democracy started here in 1776, but in 2019 special interests have too much power that should belong to the voters,” House Democratic Leader Frank Dermody said. “We have a plan to take Pennsylvania from one of the toughest states in which to vote to one of the easiest for a voter to get registered, get informed and get heard.”

Your Vote Counts includes bills to make it easier to cast a ballot, including:

Election Day Starts NOW — four separate bills sponsored by Reps. Eddie Day Pashinski, Pam Snyder, Tony DeLuca and Jennifer O’Mara — ends the 19th century practice of having Election Day on one Tuesday and allow people to vote up to a month in advance of the scheduled Election Day at designated locations. This is already happening in 40 other states.

Your Mailbox is Your Ballot Box — sponsored by Rep. Rob Matzie — helps every voter, but especially police officers, firefighters, medical personnel and other voters who can’t find time to cast a ballot, by allowing everyone to submit their ballot by mail. It’s secure, safe and every registered voter gets a ballot sent to them so turnout will go up — like it already has in Oregon, Washington and Colorado.

The Ballot Comes to You — sponsored by Rep. Liz Hanbidge — requires poll workers to bring ballots to the vehicles of seniors, people with disabilities or temporary injuries who come to the polling place but cannot make it inside.

Cure For Cursive — sponsored by Rep. Mike Schlossberg — allows people whose signatures aren’t as crisp and precise as they once were to submit an updated signature for the voting book.

My Vote is My Business — two separate bills sponsored by Reps. Neal Goodman and Brian Sims — takes the burden of proof off the voter seeking an absentee ballot to provide a reason for needing one.

Your Vote Shouldn’t Cost Your Job — sponsored by Rep. Mary Isaacson — requires employers to offer paid or no-fault unpaid leave for workers to get to their polling place to cast a ballot.

More Time for Absentees — sponsored by Rep. Tina Davis — gives more time to submit absentee ballots to allow voters, like military voters overseas, to be heard.

Election Day is a Holiday — sponsored by Rep. Mary Jo Daley — helps increase turnout by making Primary Election Day and General Election Day a state holiday.

Your Vote Counts includes bills to make it easier to register to vote, including:

Show Up and Vote — sponsored by Rep. Ryan Bizzarro — increases voter turnout by allowing same-day registration. Voters can register and vote with a provisional ballot at their local polling place on election day, instead of requiring preregistration weeks in advance.

Future Voters — sponsored by Rep. Brandon Markosek — energizes young voters to take part by getting them preregistered at age 16 or 17 and reminding them about voting at age 18.

Click Here to Register — sponsored by Rep. Mary Jo Daley — turns Gov. Tom Wolf’s 2015 executive action allowing online voter registration into a law so no future governor beholden to special interests could take it away.

You’re Registered — sponsored by Rep. Sara Innamorato — automatically registers every qualified citizen interacting with Pennsylvania government to vote. Driver’s licenses, benefit applications, any interaction gets you registered to vote unless you say “no.”

You Move, Your Vote Moves With You — sponsored by Rep. Joe Webster — automatically moves a person’s registration with them if they move to a new house in Pennsylvania. Right now even if you move across the street you need to file new paperwork.

Your Vote Counts includes bills to end the influence of rich special interests on elections, including:

The People’s Voice — three separate bills sponsored by Reps. Gerald Mullery, Perry Warren and Kevin Boyle — require so-called “dark money” to be brought into the light to allow all people to see who’s behind those negative TV commercials, web ads and robocalls.

Protect America/Show Your Taxes — sponsored by Rep. Tim Briggs — requires all candidates for president of the United States and governor of Pennsylvania to release their tax returns so the people can know about any financial issues that might conflict with serving the people.

Corporations Aren’t People — sponsored by Rep. Frank Dermody — calls on Congress to change the law allowing special interests to bankroll elections in secret so the people know who’s paying to influence elections.

Government for the People — sponsored by Rep. Frank Dermody — puts limits on the money special interests can spend on Pennsylvania elections.

Fix Our Elections — sponsored by Rep. Chris Rabb — a single bill that brings all these ideas together.

Gov. Wolf makes nominations for

second-term cabinet appointments

Gov. Tom Wolf this week put forth the following cabinet nominations:

Jessica Altman – Commissioner, Pennsylvania Insurance Department

Kathy Boockvar – Secretary of the Commonwealth

Major General Anthony Carrelli – Adjutant General, Department of Military and Veterans Affairs

Dennis Davin – Secretary, Department of Community and Economic Development

Cynthia Dunn – Secretary, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

Lieutenant Colonel Robert Evanchick – Commissioner, Pennsylvania State Police

C. Daniel Hassell – Secretary, Department of Revenue

Dr. Rachel Levine – Secretary, Department of Health

Patrick McDonnell – Secretary, Department of Environmental Protection

Teresa D. Miller – Secretary, Department of Human Services

W. Gerard Oleksiak – Secretary, Department of Labor & Industry

Russel Redding – Secretary, Department of Agriculture

Leslie S. Richards – Secretary, Department of Transportation

Jennifer Smith – Secretary, Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs

Curt Topper – Secretary, Department of General Services

Robert Torres – Secretary, Department of Aging

John Wetzel – Secretary, Department of Corrections

Robin Wiessmann – Secretary, Department of Banking and Securities

The following appointments have already been made:

Michael Newsome – Secretary, Governor’s Office of Administration

Bruce Trego – State Fire Commissioner

Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera’s term will not expire until June 3, 2019.

Sen. Blake announces $175K in

PAsmart grants for 5 area schools

State Sen. John Blake, D-Archbald, this week announced that four school districts and one charter school in the 22nd Senatorial District have received $175,000 in targeted grants through the PAsmart Initiative.

The grant funding announced today was part of a $8.7 million investment to expand computer science classes and teacher training at schools across the Commonwealth. Each of the recipients received a $35,000 targeted grant.

The four school districts in the 22nd Senatorial District that received targeted grants were Mid Valley, Riverside, Pittston Area and Scranton. Fell Charter School was one of the 18 charter school recipients of funding.

The targeted grants represent the next phase of Gov. Wolf’s PAsmart initiative, which will provide $20 million to bring high-quality computer science and STEM education in elementary, middle, and high schools, and professional development for teachers.

Blake noted that additional PAsmart funding for science and technology education, apprenticeships and job training will be announced in the coming weeks.

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By Bill O’Boyle

[email protected]

Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.