State representative

ryan P. aument

AUGUST 2011

Serving the people of the 41st Legislative District

e Final State Budg e About T et essag M

As the previous fiscal year came to a close at the end of June, our state Legislature was faced with making some of the most important and difficult decisions in the recent history of our Commonwealth. passing a responsible and balanced state budget for the 2011-12 fiscal year was a top priority for the citizens of pennsylvania. Over the past eight years, our state spending levels have increased at a 2-to-1 ratio vs. the rate of inflation which has resulted in our state debts and obligations totaling more than $50 billion dollars. This is why i and many other members of the General Assembly felt it was essential that we put an end to the excessive state government overspending and live within our means. As your state representative, i tried my best to hear all the concerns that you voiced about important topics that require state funding such as education, human services and health care services. i can assure you that we took your concerns into deep consideration when deciding on the final allocations within the budget. Education funding received 34 percent of the overall budget while funding for hospitals and human services was restored by more than $55 million. We, as your state Legislature, also felt that there should be a shared sacrifice when making the determination to reduce spending levels. Therefore, the House and Senate returned $50 million of our legislative reserves to fund accountability block grants for school districts statewide. in addition to increased funds for education and human services, decreasing the number of pennsylvanians who are currently without jobs was also a top priority in this years budget. The final budget will give job creators approximately $70 million in needed relief to help stimulate our economy and create more jobs.

Dear Friends,

This graph depicts the total spend numbers for state budgets from 2002-03 through this year. Over the past eight years, spending has increased by $8 billion, a 2-to-1 ratio over the rate of inflation.

i am pleased to have voted for a final, on-time budget that cuts the size and scope of state government while keeping in place a safety net for those who truly need it. As my first journey through the state budget process comes to an end, i am confident that producing a budget that reduced government spending levels and did not raise taxes was a tremendous accomplishment for the citizens of pennsylvania. However, i know that our job is not done. i would still like to hear concerns about topics that matter to you and am hopeful that you will continue to move through this learning process with me as we go forward, shifting our legislative focus to address many other key issues. Warmest Regards,

Ryan p. Aument State Representative 41st Legislative District

Legislative Wrap-Up
Since the beginning of January, the House has passed 136 substantive bills of which approximately 89 have been signed into law by Gov. Tom Corbett. Many of these bills will translate into necessary reforms and regulations that will enhance our freedoms and protect the citizens of our Commonwealth. Below is a brief summary of some of the important legislation that passed the House and has been signed into law by the governor. Building Code Relief- repeal of the Sprinkler Mandate removes the requirement that automatic sprinkler systems be included in new home construction. Castle Doctrine- permits the use of force, including deadly force as self-defense against an attacker or intruder inside your home or occupied vehicle with specific protection offered against civil lawsuits. Fair Share Act- restores fairness when assessing penalties in liability lawsuits. Defendants would only be held responsible for his or her proportionate share of total damages awarded to compensate a plaintiff. Welfare Reform Package- includes measures that require the Department of public Welfare to use an electronic cross-reference system to provide a 19-point check on an applicants eligibility, creates a standard fraud detection system and subjects drug felons applying for benefits or already receiving them to random drug testing. PennWATCH Reform- creates a public online database of all state government expenditures to promote greater openness and transparency of state government to pennsylvania taxpayers. Unemployment Compensation Reform- includes measures to improve and offer cost-savings to the unemployment compensation system such as requiring those receiving benefits to actively search for work and creating a severance pay offset. Controlled Substance Legislation- reforms pennsylvanias Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act to include street drugs commonly referred to as bath salts as well as synthetic marijuana and Salvia Divinorum. Capitol Office: PO Box 202041 Harrisburg, PA 17120-2041 Phone (717) 705-7161 Fax (717) 705-1946

STATE REpRESEnTATivE ryan P. aUMEnT

41st Legislative District www.RepAument.com E-mail: raument@pahousegop.com

District Office: Manor West Commons, Suite 501 2938 Columbia Avenue Lancaster, PA 17603 Phone (717) 295-5050 Fax (717) 295-5053

Facebook.com/RepAument

Twitter.com/RepAument

YouTube.com/RepAument

Upcoming Events
aUGUST 2011 Senior Expo Thursday, Aug. 11 8 a.m. noon Hempfield High School, 200 Stanley Ave., Landisville Marcellus Shale Community Forum Tuesday, Aug. 23 7 p.m. Centerville Middle School, 865 Centerville Rd., Lancaster SEPTEMBEr West Hempfield/Mountville Borough Social Thursday, Sept. 8 6:30 p.m. I look Mountville Community park forw

Returning Heroes Program Honors Veterans

Recently, i had the chance to work with a fellow veteran and resident of Lancaster County, Bill Schulz, to get his vision of welcoming home military personnel after a tour of duty overseas recognized at a statewide level. He came to me with the idea of designating several days as the Returning Heroes v.i.p. Weeks program. During this time, special discounts and offers from hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions in Lancaster County and the surrounding regions would be offered to military personnel and their families in order to ensure a relaxing and enjoyable return home. Being a veteran of war myself, i also felt it was important to welcome back our soldiers with an opportunity to enjoy time with their families in their hometowns. i was inspired and honored to help him further his visions for this program. On June 28, the House passed a resolution which designated Sept. 5-15, as Returning Heroes v.i.p. (vacation in pA) Weeks. Schulz, with the help of the pennsylvania Dutch Convention and visitors Bureau, plans to extend thanks to our returning military veterans with several special offers that can be obtained by presenting a military identification and proof of overseas combat deployment within the past year. Some of the participating businesses will include the Lancaster Barnstormers, Hersheys Chocolate World and Hersheypark, the Turkey Hill Experience, the Rockvale Outlets, the Strasburg Railroad and several local hotels and restaurants. if your family is interested in finding out more information about the program or obtaining special offers, please visit Padutchcountry.com.

OCTOBEr Lancaster Township Social Thursday, Oct. 6 6:30 p.m. Maple Grove Community Building, 1420 Columbia Ave., Lancaster nOVEMBEr East Hempfield/East Petersburg Borough Breakfast Friday, nov. 4 7-8:30 a.m. Apple Tree Family Restaurant, 100 South Centerville Rd., Lancaster More information about future events can be found on my website at RepAument.com and on my Facebook page at Facebook.com/RepAument.

ard to seeing you at these events!

Calling All Veterans!

in celebration of veterans Day in november, i will be hosting a special event with Reps. Boyd and Cutler, to honor and recognize the dedicated service of all veterans. if you are a military veteran or know a veteran who would like to register to receive an invitation to this event, please contact my district office at (717) 295-5050, or visit my website at RepAument.com, and click on veterans of pennsylvania.

pictured from left to right: House Speaker, Rep. Sam Smith; vietnam War veteran, Bill Schulz; Rep. Aument; and president and CEO of the pennsylvania Dutch Convention and visitors Bureau, Chris Barrett, on the House floor.

Share Your Thoughts on Important Issues

in my last issue, i requested assistance from any resident who shares my vision of making our district the best it can be by joining me at quarterly Citizen Advisory Board meetings to discuss issues impacting our community. i am pleased to say that the first meeting of the Citizen Advisory Board took place and was helpful for me to learn what matters most to my constituents. i plan to hold another meeting in the near future and want to invite more residents to join in helping to make a positive difference in our community! if you are interested in participating, please contact my office at (717) 295-5050. i look forward to working with you to ensure growth and progress in our district!

Serving the people of the 41st Legislative District

Ryan P. Aument
State Representative

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID HARRISBURG, PA PERMIT NO.432