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Burns: Patton water quality on agenda for May 12 borough meeting

(May 09, 2016) Rep. Frank Burns

PATTON, May 9 – Patton residents upset with a rotten egg smell and other water quality issues can address state Department of Environmental Protection Safe Drinking Water staff at the 7 p.m. Thursday, May 12 borough meeting, said state Rep. Frank Burns. Burns, D-Cambria, said borough water customers began complaining to his office a few months ago, after the water source switched from Chest Creek to three wells drilled at the behest of DEP, which said the creek as an open water source carried a threat of contamination and could no longer be used. “The main issue is the smell and despite attempts to adjust chemicals in the water treatment process, many people remain upset,” Burns said. “Anyone with questions or comments on this problem should attend the meeting to address the DEP experts.” Burns said despite DEP assurances that the water is not detrimental to health, residents are unhappy with the taste and smell of their water since the DEP-mandated switch. “Responsive government is all about listening to the people, which is why I commend Patton Borough officials for hosting this meeting and urge anyone who has this problem to attend,” Burns said. The meeting will be held in the Patton Borough Building, 800 Fourth Ave. Read more

 

Officials release plans for former prison -- WTAJ news

(May 05, 2016) Rep. Frank Burns

Rep. Burns speaks at the press conference announcing a new purpose for the SCI-Cresson site, the first step toward restoring 500 jobs. Read more

 

Burns votes against incurring $1.29 billion more in state debt

(May 05, 2016) Rep. Frank Burns

HARRISBURG, May 5 – Leery of saddling taxpayers with additional massive debt, state Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria, voted this week against a bill authorizing an extra $1.29 billion in state spending for capital projects in the current fiscal year. "We just can’t afford such gargantuan new spending," said Burns, one of two House Democrats to oppose the measure. "All we heard about during the recent budget impasse is how Pennsylvania has a huge structural budget deficit. I don’t think adding a billion-plus dollars to the debt side of the equation helps solve that problem." Burns said that as a fiscally conservative Democrat who is well aware that his constituents detest tax increases, he had to oppose S.B. 811 , even though it passed the Republican-dominated House 181-18 and garnered unanimous approval in the Republican-controlled Senate. "Sooner or later, somebody’s going to have to repay that $1.29 billion – and that somebody will be the taxpayers of the 72nd Legislative District and across Pennsylvania," Burns said. "The need to repay this money will be used as further justification for why we must have higher taxes." Burns said his vote was consistent with a position he staked out in 2014, when he voted for a bill that would limit state government spending by placing limits on debt. That bill, H.B. 2420 , sought to reduce the commonwealth’s $3.45 billion debt ceiling on the Redevelopment Read more

 

Burns lauds sale of 93 acres of former SCI-Cresson property

(May 04, 2016) Rep. Frank Burns

CRESSON, May 4 – Hundreds of construction jobs will result from today’s announcement that an energy production facility will utilize 93 acres of the former SCI-Cresson property, said state Rep. Frank Burns, who pledged to seek tax-free Keystone Opportunity Zone status to further develop the site. Burns, D-Cambria, said the 93 acres are being sold to the Cambria County Redevelopment Authority, which in turn intends to lease the parcel to a company that will construct a power plant that will convert natural gas to electricity. “This is great news, in that it puts to use a big chunk of a 425-acre property that became dormant when the state announced the closing of SCI-Cresson in January 2013,” said Burns, who spoke at this morning’s press conference at the site. “But we still have about 330 acres to develop, and I intend to push for KOZ status to make the entire tract more appealing to potential developers.” Burns said the state Department of General Services will launch a solicitation for the sale of the remainder of the property on Pennsylvania’s eMarketplace website on June 1. Burns also said he will lead the charge in the House for passage of state Sen. John Wozniak’s S.B. 1192, which would provide a 3.3-acre right-of-way for construction of a public road to the new facility. Read more

 

Burns announces $200,000 state loan to Portage Volunteer Fire Co.

(May 03, 2016) Rep. Frank Burns

PORTAGE, May 3 – State Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria, has notified the Portage Volunteer Fire Co. that it is receiving a low-interest, $200,000 loan from the Office of State Fire Commissioner to purchase a new pumper truck. Burns said the state funds will enable the fire company to obtain the 2016 Sutphen Monarch Pumper, which is equipped with a 500-gallon tank and 2,000-gallons-per-minute pump. “I am proud to represent you in the 72 nd Legislative District,” Burns wrote to Portage Volunteer Fire Co. Chief Jeremy Shuniak, in a letter notifying him of the award. “I know how important this grant is to you, and I wish you the best of luck with this and all future projects.” Burns also told Shuniak that the fire company will be receiving a packet of information regarding the loan finalization procedure, including a settlement date and time. Read more

 

Burns announces nearly $322,000 in state grants to 28 fire companies, EMS providers

(Apr 21, 2016) Rep. Frank Burns

EBENSBURG, April 21 – State Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria, announced that 28 fire and ambulance companies in the 72nd Legislative District are receiving nearly $322,000 in state grants to aid their operations. “As someone who suited up to personally sample first responder training at the Cambria County Fire School, I can attest to the hard, dangerous and precise work our firefighters and EMS providers engage in every day,” Burns said. “These state grants will help them to continue to provide the high-level services that benefit our communities.” The grants are made possible by the Fire Company and Volunteer Ambulance Service Grant Program, which is funded by gaming revenue. With the grant program set to expire on June 30, the House recently voted unanimously for H.B. 1877, which would extend the program for four years. The bill passed the House and is awaiting action in the Senate. Grants can be used toward repairing, building or renovating facilities. The money also can be applied toward purchasing equipment, training and certification of staff, or it may go to repay debt related to equipment purchases or facility building and maintenance. Organizations in the 72nd Legislative District receiving grants are: Portage Area Ambulance Association, $4,097; Ebensburg Area Ambulance Association, $7,201; Forest Hills Area Ambulance Association Inc., $7,201; Jackson Township Volunteer Fire Co., $7,201; John Carroll Area Ambulance Service, Read more

 

Burns announces $3.5 million Pennvest loan for water plant upgrade

(Apr 20, 2016) Rep. Frank Burns

EBENSBURG, April 20 – An Ebensburg water treatment plant operated by the Nanty Glo Water Authority is receiving a $3.5 million, low-interest state loan for significant upgrades, state Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria, announced today. Burns said the plant is at the end of its useful life and the 20-year loan, awarded by the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority, will help lower maintenance costs and improve water quality. “This Pennvest project will bring the plant into compliance with Safe Drinking Water Act regulations, which is of utmost importance to the health and safety of residents, as well as create 10 construction-related jobs,” Burns said. “As the national controversy over lead in the water of Flint, Michigan demonstrates, we can never take safe drinking water for granted.” Technically speaking, Burns said the plant will benefit from a new, dual-unit, 800-gallons-per-minute upflow clarifier/filtration system; a backwash water supply pump station, waste equalization tank and plate settler; a reclaim water meter and pit; an on-site shallow injection well/absorption bed; a plate settler overflow; and minor repairs and maintenance to Williams Run Dam. The water system serves 1,604 medium- and low-income households, and is the bulk water supplier for Jackson Township. The interest rate on the loan is 1 percent for the first five years, rising to 1.72 percent for the remaining 15. Read more

 

Pet Food Drive underway through May 15

(Apr 15, 2016) Rep. Frank Burns

My annual Pet Food Drive kicks off today, running from April 15 to May 15. Please consider making a donation at one of my district offices. Local schools are a big part of this effort, too. Here are the flyers. Read more

 

Burns says vital constituent service conduit restored by governor

(Apr 14, 2016) Rep. Frank Burns

EBENSBURG, April 14 – Within days of going public with the plight of Lilly resident Chuck Onder, state Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria, said the governor’s office has reversed field and silently restored a group of House Democrats’ ability to use legislative liaisons to tackle constituent service issues. Onder had gone 10 days without hearing from the Department of Environmental Protection on a creek flooding issue after Burns’ office forwarded Onder’s request for help March 28. Burns felt the delay proved the group’s contention that instructions to route such requests through the governor’s office was punitive, as all 11 affected legislators voted last month for a Republican bill to end the months-long 2015-16 budget impasse. "We found out Tuesday that DEP is interested in holding a conference call with Mr. Onder, which my office is in the process of arranging," Burns said. "While I do not like what happened and firmly believe we deserve an explanation and apology – our assertions were not ‘ridiculous’ as repeatedly claimed by the governor’s press secretary – it does not look like anyone in the administration is willing to ‘man up’ and admit making a mistake. "However, I think anyone who reads between the lines will be able to figure out who was telling the truth and who wasn’t. The governor’s office mysteriously instituted a change – then, after it Read more

 

Editorial: Talk of party retaliation over budget troubling

(Apr 14, 2016) Rep. Frank Burns

This editorial concludes, "We urge Burns to continue to vote his conscience and to work with those who reside in his district, although we know that pressure from above can be suffocating." Rest assured that I will ALWAYS stand with the constituents. Read more

 

Burns votes to restore full 2015-16 funding to Cambria County schools

(Apr 13, 2016) Rep. Frank Burns

HARRISBURG, April 13 – In a vote to ensure that Cambria County school districts get nearly $600,000 due them under budget legislation passed in March , state Rep. Frank Burns sided with the majority in today’s passage of H.B. 1589 by 149-45. Burns said he supported the fiscal code do-over so that schools in his 72 nd Legislative District and across Pennsylvania get the money that was siphoned off from them when Gov. Tom Wolf redirected funds to urban school districts in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Chester-Upland. With Wolf’s action, those three school districts received the lion’s share, $101 million, of the extra $200 million included for public education in the 2015-16 state budget. “It’s untenable that public school districts are receiving less than called for in the budget bill that I and a majority of legislators supported,” said Burns, D-Cambria. “I will fight for proper dispersal of these funds, for however long it takes. It’s just not right.” The percentage losses of new money to Cambria County schools mostly fell in the 20- to 30-percent range, but ran as high as 71 percent in Richland School District and 91 percent in Westmont Hilltop School District. “We need to make sure that all school districts in Pennsylvania are treated as called for in duly-approved legislation – not at a level based on one person’s whim,” Burns said. “My vote today was, once again, a vote Read more

 

Burns: We Want Justice

(Apr 13, 2016) Rep. Frank Burns

Pa. state Rep. Frank Burns speaks on the House floor about legislation that would dramatically alter Pennsylvania's outdated statute of limitations in cases of child sex abuse. Burns called on his colleagues to give victims the chance at justice and to hold individuals and institutions accountable for these terrible crimes and cover-ups. The bill passed overwhelmingly shortly thereafter. Read more

 

Burns Honors Occupational Therapy Month

(Apr 12, 2016) Rep. Frank Burns

Pa. state Rep. Frank Burns thanks the House of Representatives for their unanimous support of his House Resolution designating April 2016 as Occupational Therapy Month in Pennsylvania and honors the healthcare professionals who provide those services across the Commonwealth. Read more

 

Pa. House Dems who signed letter to Gov. Wolf about retaliation note possible reversal

(Apr 12, 2016) Rep. Frank Burns

It's good to see the governor's office apparently reversing course, because this change never should have been imposed in the first place. I hope that now, Chuck Onder of Lilly, who's been waiting for state guidance since March 28, will at least get a phone call. You can bet I'll be following up with him. Read more

 

Burns challenges governor’s assertion on constituent service

(Apr 08, 2016) Rep. Frank Burns

EBENSBURG, April 8 – On the same day the governor’s spokesman was reiterating that "nothing has changed" regarding how he and other Democrats obtain constituent service, state Rep. Frank Burns was surveying the property of Chuck Onder, whose request for help had gone unheeded 10 days after being forwarded to the governor’s office. Unsurprising to Burns, he discovered that Ondery had a separate state-related problem resolved in just two days a year ago, when Burns and 10 other Democrats who voted with Republicans to end the 2015-16 budget impasse were permitted to deal directly with state agencies. Burns visited Ondery’s property Thursday, largely because his March 28 request for direction from the Department of Environmental Protection regarding his options to remedy a creek that floods his property was among the first impacted by the selective change imposed by Gov. Tom Wolf. "The governor and his press secretary keep saying ‘nothing has changed,’ but I’d like them to explain that to Mr. Ondery," Burns said. "He’s the guy being hurt by this childish political gamesmanship. It’s been 10 days and he hasn’t even received a courtesy call acknowledging receipt of his request." Burns said that since the Wolf administration changed the system after the budget vote – mandating that Burns’ constituent inquiries of this nature go through the governor’s office, Read more

 

Burns calls on governor to fund Cambria schools

(Apr 07, 2016) Rep. Frank Burns

EBENSBURG, April 7 – State Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria, today called on Gov. Tom Wolf to fund all school districts at levels called for in 2015-16 state budget legislation, instead of shepherding the lion’s share of $200 million in new funds to Philadelphia. Burns said Wolf, in doling out state basic education subsidy and Ready to Learn Block grant money, shortchanged 11 Cambria County school districts by nearly $600,000, ignoring levels called for by the legislation. The average cut among the county’s 12 school districts is over 30 percent. It’s a pattern that played out and has angered lawmakers in other parts of Pennsylvania as well, Burns said, as Wolf directed $76.8 million – a full 38 percent of the new funds – to Philadelphia. The governor is sending another $16.3 million to the Chester-Upland School District and $7.5 million to Pittsburgh. “The governor has unilaterally decided to send a little more than half of that $200 million in new education funding to those three urban school districts,” Burns said. “They’re getting that money at the expense of school districts like those in Cambria County and elsewhere, which the governor has decided will get less than spelled out in House Bills 1801 and 1327.” Only the Penn Cambria School District, which is getting 2 percent more money under the governor’s distribution plan, escaped the new-money decreases dictated by Wolf that range from a Read more

 

Pa. Democrats: Governor punishing us for supporting GOP budget

(Apr 07, 2016) Rep. Frank Burns

I was one of 13 House Democrats who voted to end the 2015-16 budget impasse so our schools wouldn't close and human service providers would get paid. Apparently, the governor didn't like what we did. Read more

 

As Pennsylvania confronts clergy sex abuse, victims and lawmakers act

(Apr 04, 2016) Rep. Frank Burns

Rep. Burns was interviewed at length by a reporter from the New York Times, which produced this story about clergy sex abuse and the quest to change Pennsylvania's statute of limitations law regarding those crimes. Read more

 

Burns hosts annual Pet Food Drive in conjunction with ‘Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month’

(Apr 04, 2016) Rep. Frank Burns

EBENSBURG, April 4 – Seizing the opportunity to remind folks that he favors stiffer animal abuse penalties, state Rep. Frank Burns will host his annual Pet Food Drive from April 15 to May 15 at his four offices and in participating 72 nd Legislative District schools. Burns, D-Cambria, noted that April is an opportune time to start the drive, as it is “Prevention of Cruelty to Animals” month. He is asking residents to donate non-perishable pet food items, either in the classrooms of participating schools or at one of these constituent service offices: 535 Fairfield Ave., Lower Yoder Township, 15906; 119 S. Center St., Ebensburg, 15931; 112-A Munster Road, Portage, 15946; or Patton Senior Center, 405 Park Ave., 16668 (9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays). In addition to schools, Burns is coordinating this drive with a local animal protection organization. “Unfortunately, many animals in Pennsylvania wind up in shelters because of abuse or neglect, or because they simply don’t have a home,” Burns said. “In turn, these shelters can become cash-strapped when tasked with feeding and caring for such animals. In the past, citizens of the 72 nd Legislative District have shown their generosity for this cause – and we’re counting on them to show it again.” Burns also noted he remains strongly in favor of toughening the commonwealth’s animal abuse penalties, which currently stand at up to two Read more

 

Burns reveals release of $250,000 to Cambria County Solid Waste Authority

(Apr 01, 2016) Rep. Frank Burns

EBENSBURG, April 1 – As the final portion of a state grant, state Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria, said the Cambria County Solid Waste Authority will receive $250,000 toward purchase of two CNG recycling trucks in the next four to six weeks. Burns said the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has notified the authority that the final invoice is being processed for the $750,000 project, two-thirds of which is DEP-financed. "These new trucks will replace seven old trucks that had gone beyond their useful lives," Burns said. "The reason that two trucks can replace seven is that they are larger and have compacting capabilities. They are also less expensive to operate, and they run on a fuel that’s produced and in abundant supply in Pennsylvania." Earlier this week, Burns attended the unveiling of the locations of two CNG fueling stations announced by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. One will be in Ebensburg and the other at the CamTran main building in Johnstown. Read more

 

Burns: Patton water quality on agenda for May 12 borough meeting
May 09, 2016

Officials release plans for former prison -- WTAJ news
May 05, 2016

Burns votes against incurring $1.29 billion more in state debt
May 05, 2016

Burns lauds sale of 93 acres of former SCI-Cresson property
May 04, 2016

Burns announces $200,000 state loan to Portage Volunteer Fire Co.
May 03, 2016

Burns announces nearly $322,000 in state grants to 28 fire companies, EMS providers
Apr 21, 2016

Burns announces $3.5 million Pennvest loan for water plant upgrade
Apr 20, 2016

Pet Food Drive underway through May 15
Apr 15, 2016

Burns says vital constituent service conduit restored by governor
Apr 14, 2016

Editorial: Talk of party retaliation over budget troubling
Apr 14, 2016

Burns votes to restore full 2015-16 funding to Cambria County schools
Apr 13, 2016

Burns: We Want Justice
Apr 13, 2016

Burns Honors Occupational Therapy Month
Apr 12, 2016

Pa. House Dems who signed letter to Gov. Wolf about retaliation note possible reversal
Apr 12, 2016

Burns challenges governor’s assertion on constituent service
Apr 08, 2016

Burns calls on governor to fund Cambria schools
Apr 07, 2016

Pa. Democrats: Governor punishing us for supporting GOP budget
Apr 07, 2016

As Pennsylvania confronts clergy sex abuse, victims and lawmakers act
Apr 04, 2016

Burns hosts annual Pet Food Drive in conjunction with ‘Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month’
Apr 04, 2016

Burns reveals release of $250,000 to Cambria County Solid Waste Authority
Apr 01, 2016