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In this Update:

• June 6 is the Anniversary of D-Day
• Rally Against Tolling Interstate Bridges Set for June 8
• Senate Committee Acts to Protect Women’s Sports
• Preparing for America’s Semiquincentennial
• Scammers are Targeting Student Loan Borrowers
• Grants Available to Improve Traffic Safety

June 6 is the Anniversary of D-Day 

“You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months.” — Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, on the eve of the D-Day invasion, June 6, 1944

More than 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily fortified French coastline, to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France.

More than 9,000 Allied soldiers were killed or wounded, but their sacrifice allowed more than 100,000 soldiers to begin the slow, hard march across Europe, to defeat occupying German troops. We must never forget the brave, young men who confronted a danger few can imagine in the name of liberty.

Rally Against Tolling Interstate Bridges Set for June 8

Lawmakers and representatives of local communities will take part in a rally on June 8 at the Capitol Building in Harrisburg to oppose the Wolf Administration’s plan to add tolls to nine interstate bridges.

The bridge tolling initiative will cost the average commuter an additional $1,000 per year and was moved through the process without legislative input or approval. Commonwealth Court recently halted the plan, siding with a county and several municipalities that challenged the plan as unconstitutional. The administration has appealed the ruling to the state Supreme Court.

The administration’s plan would add tolls to the following bridges:

• I-78 Lenhartsville Bridge Replacement Project (Berks County)
• I-79 Widening, Bridges and Bridgeville Interchange Reconfiguration (Allegheny County)
• I-80 Canoe Creek Bridges (Clarion County)
• I-80 North Fork Bridges Project (Jefferson County)
• I-80 Nescopeck Creek Bridges (Luzerne County)
• I-80 Over Lehigh River Bridge Project (Luzerne and Carbon counties)
• I-81 Susquehanna Project (Susquehanna County)
• I-83 South Bridge Project (Dauphin County)
• I-95 Girard Point Improvement Bridge Project (Philadelphia County)

The Senate approved Senate Bill 382 to halt the tolling and require more transparency in the Public-Private Partnership process, which produced the tolling plan. Gov. Tom Wolf has threatened to veto the measure. The rally will be held June 8 at 10 a.m. and streamed live at PASenateGOP.com and Facebook.com/PASenateGOP.

As working families struggle with skyrocketing inflation and fuel costs, the last thing the state should be doing is adding new costs on Pennsylvania motorists in the form of new tolls.

Senate Committee Acts to Protect Women’s Sports

Legislation to protect women’s sports in Pennsylvania was approved by the Senate Education Committee and sent to the full Senate for consideration.

Under House Bill 972, an athletic team or sport designated for females, women or girls may not be open to biological males. In addition, a student deprived of an athletic opportunity would be able to file a lawsuit against the offending college or high school.

More than a dozen states passed similar legislation after women’s sports organizations were pressured to allow biological males to compete on their teams.

The Senate Education Committee previously approved similar legislation – Senator Judy Ward’s Senate Bill 1191 – in April.

Preparing for America’s Semiquincentennial

Planning for America’s 250th birthday in 2026 would be aided by legislation approved by the Senate to help fund Pennsylvania’s celebratory efforts.

Senate Bill 1186 would allocate a portion of the fee from the sale of the special USA semiquincentennial registration plate to the Pennsylvania Commission for the U.S. Semiquincentennial.
  
America250 is the largest celebration in our nation’s history. Congress established the nonpartisan U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission, which has been working with state affiliates to engage public and private entities across the country to make America250 a momentous event.

Scammers are Targeting Student Loan Borrowers

The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency warns that recent reports about potential broad-based federal loan forgiveness and other changes to student loan programs are creating opportunities for scammers to target student loan borrowers.

One of the recent scams attempts to convince borrowers that there are new student loan rules in place that require immediate action. Scammers typically promise unrealistic amounts of loan forgiveness, offer short cuts to loan forgiveness, or try to get a borrower’s Federal Student Aid ID or other personal information and then rush them into paying immediately.  

Scammers will often use the U.S. Department of Education’s name and seal to give it legitimacy.

Here are some tips to avoid being scammed:

• Don’t pay upfront fees for free programs or services.
• Don’t feel pressured to decide quickly.
• Never share personal information.
• Don’t cut off communication with your loan provider/servicer.
• Keep track of your loans.

More from the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency

Grants Available to Improve Traffic Safety

County and municipal governments can apply now through June 30 for funding to improve traffic safety through the Automated Red Light Enforcement (ARLE) grant program.

ARLE funding is available for projects improving safety, enhancing mobility, and reducing congestion. Municipalities can learn more or apply at http://www.dot.state.pa.us/signals.

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