Message from Sen. Solobay: Redistricting was Politics Over Process

After months of backroom dealing, Republican-controlled redistricting plans were pushed through the legislature without any input or support from Democrats. 

The plans are bad; the process was worse. Despite heavy criticism from newspapers, government groups and political scientists, the maps sailed through and are set to take effect next year.

The new Senate map will make radical changes to my district, removing Greene County for the first time in modern history—much to my disappointment after having developed many relationships and special friendships over the years.    

I’m sure that I will be able to reorganize and adapt to my new district, but the process and the result offer little to combat the growing sentiment that partisanship is drowning out common sense in Harrisburg.

Click here to see the statewide plan.

Marcellus Shale Regulation Unfinished

The effort to pass a fair and balanced plan to regulate Marcellus Shale drilling remains a work in progress, but we still haven’t achieved a balance between creating a uniform set of rules for drillers and giving local communities authority to preserve their quality of life.  

I also believe that we need stronger environmental protections and an impact fee that puts Pennsylvania on par with other major gas drilling states.

We should have had this done a long time ago, but a too-long summer recess and the focus on the redistricting effort got in the way. 

More Help for Military Families

The state Senate has unanimously passed my bill that will allow spouses of deployed soldiers to put their education on hold without a loss of benefits or status.

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have taken a toll on our nation, particularly on military families. Longer and more frequent deployments have disrupted their lives and we have an obligation to do what we can to help them restore their plans and dreams as quickly as possible.

Since 1990, active-duty soldiers have been able to put their post-secondary education on hold while on active duty. Educational institutions are required to refund tuition or fees for soldiers called to duty, or to credit the tuition and fees to them when they return.

Senate Bill 707 extends that right to their spouses.

Pennsylvania’s National Guard has seen more than 25,000 overseas deployments since the 2001 terrorist attacks. The bill now goes to the House of Representatives.

Community Honors Local Hero on Pearl Harbor Day

Alan Sanford, of , who served on the destroyer USS Ward during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, was honored by the community on the 70th anniversary of the attack, and I was proud to sponsor a Senate citation in his honor.   

The USS Ward is widely recognized as the first ship to engage the Japanese, and Sanford, of North Strabane Township, was one of the first Americans to fire a shot in World War II.

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