Greetings and Happy New Year!

Senator Kim Ward

Responsible Budget starts with Responsible Spending…
NOT HIGHER TAXES

I want to update you on what I have been doing in Harrisburg. As you know, the budget impasse has been the main focal point of state government since last June. It is finally to a point where funding has been released to schools and agencies, but the work still isn’t completed because only 6 months’ worth of funding has been released. I have been in the Senate for 7 years and have never witnessed anything quite like what has happened this year, and in the process I have seen some things that definitely need changed. So in response I am sponsoring a series of bills that will cut spending and put a fire under the Governor and the Legislature to finish the budget work on time.

1 – Prohibit Per Diems and freeze Expense Reimbursement and Salaries during a budget impasse: My bill will freeze all salaries and expense reimbursements during a budget impasse for legislators, the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Cabinet Secretaries, including the Governor’s Budget Secretary. It also will go further to prohibit any per diems during a budget impasse. Per diems are a set amount of money given to public officials for food and lodging reimbursement when they travel, regardless of how much is actually spent and without the need to provide receipts. I don’t like per diems anytime because there is a lack of accountability. Just to be clear, I do not and have never accepted per diems.

2 – Senate Resolution to immediately prohibit the Senators from taking Per Diems at any time: There is already a bill that proposes this, sponsored by Senator Vulakovich R-Allegheny and Senator Pat Stefano R-Fayette, of which I am a co-sponsor. The difference between that bill and the resolution I am introducing is that the resolution doesn’t need to go through the process of agreement between the Senate, the House and the Governor because it will only apply to the Senate. It will immediately end the acceptance of per diems by Senators. I will be calling on the House of Representatives and the Governor’s Administration to do the same.

3 – ACCESS Card Accountability Legislation: I am introducing a bill aimed at curtailing the growing amount of welfare fraud cases committed by the trafficking of ACCESS cards. ACCESS cards are used to distribute both food and cash welfare benefits much like a debit card. The trafficking of ACCESS cards is a big and growing problem due to drug dealers and unscrupulous retailers buying them from recipients for less than face value. Drug dealers accept the ACCESS cards as payment for drugs then use them to make food purchases or draws for cash through ATMs. Unscrupulous retailers exchange cash for the card’s food stamp credits, typically paying half the value of the ACCESS benefits in cash. Fraud costs taxpayers money. My bill would make it a crime for a person to be caught with three or more ACCESS cards or the numbers to them, if they belong to other people. While selling ACCESS cards for cash or drugs is a crime now, the local law enforcement in Westmoreland County as well as investigators from the state’s Office of Inspector General have said making it a crime to possess the cards would be a great tool in fighting welfare fraud and deterring the use of them for as payment for drugs.

4 – Budget Impasse Transparency Bill: My bill will make all negotiations between the Governor’s office, Senate and House public if the budget isn’t agreed upon by the June 30th deadline. This will bring transparency and accountability as well as putting a halt to the finger pointing.

This year’s budget process has been disheartening. The government of our Commonwealth is a great example of divided government. At times divided government is good for the citizenry, but not this time.

As always, it’s an honor to serve you.
 

Harrisburg Office
Senate Box 203039
Harrisburg, PA 17120
(717) 787-6063
Fax (717) 772-0580

District Office
1075 South Main St.
Suite 116
(Westmoreland Crossroads Plaza)
Greensburg, PA 15601
(724) 600-7002
Fax (724) 600-7008
Toll Free (877) 390-WARD