Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

HARRISBURG – State Senators Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery/Delaware) and Mike Folmer (R-Dauphin/Lebanon/York) today announced the reintroduction of their medical cannabis legislation. The new bill, Senate Bill 3, is nearly identical to Senate Bill 1182 of the 2013-2014 Session, which passed the Senate on September 24, 2014, by a vote of 43-7. Senate Bill 3 has 25 cosponsors, including 11 Republicans and 14 Democrats. It has been referred to the Senate State Government Committee. Senators Leach and Folmer are both members of the committee. Senator Folmer is also the Majority Chairperson of the committee. Senate Bill 3 would allow patients who have a recommendation from their physician to purchase and use medical cannabis from centers licensed by a to-be-created State Board of Medical Cannabis Licensing. The growth, processing, and dispensing of medical cannabis would be regulated by the licensing board. Senator Leach released the following statement upon the introduction of Senat...

Two state senators are planning to introduce a bipartisan bill that would legalize marijuana for medical use in Pennsylvania. Senate Bill 1182 – the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Act – would legalize the use of medical cannabis by patients as prescribed by attending physicians. The introduction of this bill marks the first time in PA Senate history that a medical cannabis bill has been drafted with bipartisan support. In a statement released to the media today, Republican Senator Mike Folmer said other highly addictive drugs are prescribed to help with pain and suffering and he believes the use of medical cannabis is another good option. Democratic Senator Daylin Leach has previously introduced leglislation that would regulate the sale and use of marijuana in the Commonwealth, and has proposed a medical marijuana bill each session for the past three years, according to a news releases. The Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Act is still being drafted but Leach said the...

HARRISBURG - A Senate proposal to increase post-secondary educational opportunities to underserved counties in the Commonwealth through the creation of a Rural Community College Initiative will receive an in-depth review by the Senate Education Committee, senators Mike Folmer and Joe Scarnati announced today. The committee hearing will focus on understanding the need for rural regional community colleges and how to best support and implement these institutions. The measure to be examined is Senate Bill 1000, which was introduced by Scarnati earlier this year. SB 1000 would help to create a public community college initiative in rural Pennsylvania. “Education is a vital component of providing for Pennsylvania’s future,” Scarnati stated. “We want to help provide cost effective educational opportunities to students so that they have the necessary skills to meet the demand for new jobs.” Scarnati explained that Senate Bill 1000 is a bi-partisan measure which is based largel...

Scarnati proposal to be discussed School emergency plans and security measures designed to ensure student safety and increase school-to-parent communication during an emergency will receive an in-depth review by two key Senate committees Senators Lisa Baker (R-20), Mike Folmer (R-48), and Joe Scarnati (R-25) announced Thursday. The Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, chaired by Sen. Baker, and the Education Committee, chaired by Sen. Folmer, will hold the hearing from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 13 in the North Office Building, Hearing Room 1, Harrisburg. Among the strategies to be discussed is a proposal by Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati to give grants to schools to train and hire armed guards to provide security. “Every day care, school, college and university must have an emergency plan in place and they need to be able to carry it out,” Baker said. “Law enforcement and other emergency personnel need the training and cap...