By Sen. Dan Laughlin
As the calendar year comes to a close and our thoughts turn to the holiday season, it’s also the time of year when we look back at what we did, and maybe didn’t, do with our time during the past year.
The Pennsylvania General Assembly’s most recent two-year legislative session ended with the start of December, which also makes it a good time to take stock of some legislative accomplishments.
Some posit that the best government is that which governs least. While, in many respects, I would agree, government still serves an important role. I am thankful to the people of Erie County for choosing to return me to the Pennsylvania Senate for another four years so I can keep working for every resident of our great county.
There’s plenty of work still to be done, but I’m proud to have championed and supported several policies that have become state law this past session.
A signature achievement for me is securing for Erie the ability to apply for participation in Pennsylvania’s City Revitalization and Improvement Zone (CRIZ) program. Former Gov. Tom Wolf had placed a moratorium on new CRIZ designations and never rescinded it; that changed with the completion of the 2024-25 state budget. A CRIZ designation for Erie would allow the city to redevelop old, abandoned properties while creating jobs and generating millions of dollars in local revenue. After nearly eight years of advocacy and working toward the goal, I’m proud this catalyst for economic and community resurgence is within Erie’s grasp.
The most recent bill to become law mirrors legislation I sponsored in the Senate to protect animals in domestic violence situations. The new law gives judges the ability to include pets in protection from abuse orders, preventing offenders from using animals as tools in their abuse. This change may seem small, but it’s transformative because abusers won’t be able to exploit the close bond victims have with their companion animals. We are saying no one should have to choose between their own safety and the well-being of their companion animals.
Also signed into law this past year was my legislation to codify Pennsylvania case law to establish more certainty for homeowners, landlords and law enforcement who encounter squatters. The escalating problem of squatters unlawfully occupying properties is more than a legal challenge; it strikes at the heart of justice and fairness for property owners across our great state – we even saw how destructive squatters could be earlier this year in Erie. This new law restores a sense of security and justice for those who have invested their dreams, savings and emotions into their properties. It’s a balanced approach that respects the rights of all parties involved, ensuring legitimate tenants are protected while closing the door to those who exploit our system to occupy homes illegally.
I also joined with my Republican colleagues in reining in the excessive spending plans of the governor and the Democrat-controlled state House of Representatives; our prudent budgeting and bolstering our commonwealth’s Rainy Day Fund have substantially improved Pennsylvania’s long-term economic outlook. Without those efforts, our state is only a few years away from sizable deficits that would require a larger tax burden on Pennsylvanians. We’ve also done much to improve our state’s workforce, protecting existing jobs and creating opportunities for new ones; promote education and safe, healthy communities; and keep government out of citizens’ lives and pockets as much as possible.
Not everything I proposed or for which I advocated became law.
We made great strides with one of my long-term causes to allow hunting on every Sunday in Pennsylvania, but my legislation ran into one-too-many obstacles in the state House of Representatives and ran out of time. I will reintroduce that legislation in the new year once our new legislative session has started and continue my push to give the needed latitude to the Pennsylvania Game Commission to increase hunting and trapping opportunities in our state, which will rebuild interest in hunting and benefit all of Pennsylvania.
Also coming up a bit short were efforts to require immediate notification of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement by the registered prosecutor in any case in which charges are filed against an illegal immigrant; limit the financial burden placed on private individuals helping to minimize coastal erosion on Lake Erie; and modernize the management of Pennsylvania’s public transportation systems.
And though the proposals haven’t gained enough traction yet in the legislature, I’m not going to abandon my efforts to legalize adult-use marijuana; allow registered independent voters who have checked “no affiliation” or “none” on their voter registration form to vote in primary elections; expand access to solar power through a voluntary PA Local Solar program; update Pennsylvania’s “safe harbor laws” to change how the law treats children who have been sexually exploited; create a process to help individuals regain control of their lives following a drug overdose in which a life-sustaining medication was administered; and bring back the Flagship Niagara license plate.
There’s still plenty of work to be done, and I’ve been given four more years to build on the accomplishments of last session and my eight years as your state senator. Again, thank you for confidence.
Since this will be my last column of 2024, I’d also like to wish everyone happy holidays and a bright, safe and healthy new year.
Sen. Dan Laughlin represents the 49th Senatorial District, covering nearly all of Erie County.