SPRING 2018

State Senator

KEEPING IN TOUCHAndy Dinniman

INSIDE:INSIDE:Fighting for Fair Districts • Pipeline Safety Bills • Transportation Projects

Reforming Harrisburg • Education Update • Protecting Our Pets

FORGING A STRONG FUTURE for Chester CountyFORGING A STRONG FUTURE for Chester County

Keeping in Touch—SENATOR ANDY DINNIMAN

Dear Friend,

Together, we’ve built Chester County on common ground and commonvalues. Values like . . . • Ensuring fair elections as the foundation of democracy. • Reforming government to cut wasteful spending and pass balanced budgets on time. • Protecting our natural resources, land, and water rights. • Putting the health, safety, and quality of life in our communities first. • Building a modern transportation infrastructure that drives economic growth. • Supporting strong schools that focus on teaching and learning.

Now, the question is: what are our government agencies in Harrisburg andWashington doing to support, promote, and embrace our Chester Countyvalues?

Unfortunately, not enough.

All too often, it seems like our government is putting itself and specialinterests before the people.

We see it when pipeline companies are permitted to steamroll through ourneighborhoods with little to no safety precautions, emergency responseplans, or environmental protections. We see it when lawmakers fail to pass acomplete budget on time and then rely on $1.5 billion in borrowing tosupport excessive spending. And we see it when our legislative districts areso blatantly gerrymandered our map looks like a piece of abstract art.

As both your state Senator and a fellow citizen, I cannot overlook the recentfailures of government to address some of the most pressing and importantissues of the day. And you shouldn’t either.

Here, I’ll discuss where our government is falling short and how we mustunite to enact real change.

At the end of the day, it’s important that we are fully informed and standtogether to successfully demand action on the issues that matter most to us,to our families, and to Chester County.

Sincerely,

ANDREW E. DINNIMAN State Senator – 19th District

DISTRICT OFFICEOne North Church StreetWest Chester, PA 19380(610) 692-2112Fax: (610) 436-1721 Hours: Mon. – Fri. 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

HARRISBURG OFFICESenate Box 203019182 Capitol BuildingHarrisburg, PA 17120-3019(717) 787-5709Fax: (717) 787-4384

www.senatordinniman.com

E-MAIL UPDATESSenator Dinniman issues regularlegislative e-mail updates on a varietyof issues. To sign up for electronicupdates, visitwww.senatordinniman.com/e-news

Senator Dinniman meets with students from Conestoga High School’s New Voters Club on the floor of the Pennsylvania Senate. The club was recently honored for registering more than 85 percent of their eligible classmates to vote – the first school in the Commonwealth to meet this milestone. Pictured (from left to right) Bryce Bundens,Jahnavi Rao, Senator Dinniman, and Grace Lanouette.

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Should they be able to do so in adensely populated area withoutconducting an independentassessment of the risks and potentialsafety issues at stake?

Senator Dinniman doesn’t thinkso. That is why he is calling for strongsafety measures on pipeline routesand during pipeline construction.

Dinniman has been a vocal criticof Sunoco’s Mariner East II pipelineproject from the beginning – a projectthat has been plagued by problemsincluding contaminated wells, drillingfluid spills, and an expanding sink-hole that threatens homes and is within100 feet of Amtrak’s Keystone Line.

Chester County may not be hometo Marcellus Shale drilling, but it isbeing crisscrossed by one of thehighest numbers of pipelines in theCommonwealth, some of which, likeMariner East II, are slated to carryhighly volatile natural gas derivativeslike liquid propane and butane. Moreand more of these pipelines are beingplanned every day.

“At the very least, we expect ourstate agencies to gather all neces-sary data, put in place a strongemergency response plan, thoroughlyreview geological research, andconduct an independent riskassessment,” Dinniman said.“Unfortunately, time and time againwe’ve learned that this is not thecase.”

After six months of Dinnimancalling for action, including bringingdozens of impacted residents toHarrisburg and helping circulate apetition signed by thousands ofcitizens, the Pennsylvania Depart-ment of Environmental Protection(DEP) ordered a temporary, partialsuspension of pipeline construction.

However, the order only related toenvironmental concerns and it waslifted after Sunoco paid a hefty fine.

In response, Dinniman hasbrought together a grassroots group

Dinniman stands with Chester County residents,children, and families in delivering a petition andletters to the governor’s office calling for a halt inthe construction of the Mariner East II pipelineuntil a risk assessment is done.

of residents impacted by Mariner EastII and members of local and regionalcitizens groups to obtain an indepen-dent risk assessment on their own.

“It’s hard to believe that anindependent risk and safety assess-ment was not required to begin with,but we’re not about to sit on ourhands and wait for our government to do its job. We’re going to moveforward. We’re going to do itourselves,” Dinniman said.

In addition, he said that therepeated failures of DEP, the PublicUtility Commission (PUC), and thegovernor’s office to address very realpipeline safety concerns highlight theneed for legislative changes in theprocess.

Dinniman, who serves on theSenate Environmental Resources andEnergy Committee, has introducedseveral bipartisan bills to improve thesafety of pipelines. They include:

� Senate Bill 928 requiring pipelinecompanies to apply for authorizationon the placement of pipelines to be

constructed under safety andenvironmental standards. Right now,Pennsylvania is one of the only statesthat does not regulate the placementof intrastate pipelines.

� Senate Bill 574 allowing localmunicipalities and school districts totax natural gas and hazardous liquidpipelines as real estate, as is done inother states, including New Jersey,Ohio and West Virginia.

� Senate Bill 931 calling for remoteshutoff valves on pipelines in high-consequence areas.

“Clearly, Pennsylvania’s currentprocess for permitting pipelines is atbest, falling woefully short and atworst, completely broken. We needcomprehensive pipeline reform andwe need it now,” Dinniman said.

� Pipeline Safety UpdateShould an energy company be permitted to install a pipelinecarrying highly combustible materials within a few dozen feetof homes, schools, playgrounds, or public libraries?

Senator Dinniman is a dogged fighter fortough animal cruelty laws in Pennsylvania whileworking to help keep pets out of animal shelters.

Dinniman has introduced Senate Bill 480,which calls for strengthening Pennsylvania’sAnimal Cruelty Law to increase the penalty whenanimal abuse happens in a domestic-violencesituation. This often occurs when an estrangedspouse or partner (who is under a protectionfrom abuse order) will try to inflict emotional harmon an individual by hurting or killing their pet.

Dinniman has also partnered with the Pennsylvania Veterinary MedicalFoundation and Meals on Wheels (MoW) of Chester County to launch Henry’sHelping Paws Fund, which delivers free pet food with MoW meals to disabledor homebound senior citizens who lack the financial resources to care for theirbeloved animal companions.

“Our mission is keeping people and their pets together in their homes andboth well fed,” Dinniman said.

The program is named for Henry, the Dinniman family’s late poodle whowas well-known throughout the Chester County region.

� Protecting Our Pets

Dinniman takes his rescuedog, Jagger, on a walk indowntown West Chester.

at the site of what is slated to be thenew Downingtown Train Station.The project will transform the

entrance to Downingtown, with plansto build 442 residential units atop14,200 square feet of retail space on68 acres at the intersection of BootRoad and Route 322. In addition, the development will feature apedestrian bridge connectingDowningtown’s Johnsontown Park to the east bank of the BrandywineCreek and a trail system that links to the proposed extension of theChester-Valley Trail. In Exton, work is underway to

significantly upgrade the Exton TrainStation. Already the parking lot has

In Coatesville, constructioncontinues to progress on the ThirdAvenue Streetscape Project, the firstphase of revitalization work relatedto the new Coatesville Train Station.The project aims to transform ThirdAve. as a gateway to the city fromthe new train station, and includesrepaving and the installation ofsidewalk improvements from LincolnHighway to Fleetwood Street. Thenext phase calls for the realignmentof Fleetwood St. The entire project isexpected to be completed by theend of the year. In Downingtown, the Hankin

Group recently demolished theabandoned Sonoco Paper Mill tomake way for Brandywine Station, atransit-oriented development located

Dinniman visits the site of work on the ThirdAvenue Streetscape project in Coatesville.

been expanded and reconfigured toaccommodate nearly 70 additionalvehicles. Currently, crews areworking on constructing new, 500-foot-long raised platforms to makethe train accessible for those withdisabilities. Once the platform workis completed, work will begin on theconstruction of a heated stationbuilding on the inbound (eastbound)side with a ticket office, waiting area,and restrooms, and a new canopyand glass shelter on the outbound(westbound) side. The project isexpected to be completed this fall.In Paoli, the first phase of work

continues on a project that willeventually replace the current trainstation building, which dates back to1953, with a modern intermodaltransportation center. Crews havealready made significant progress onconstructing a new high-levelplatform between the eastbound andwestbound tracks, to make that trainaccessible to those with disabilities. In addition, construction is in

progress to expand parking to thenorth side of the tracks to improvethe flow of traffic and add about 50new parking spaces. The first phase of the Paoli project

also calls for elevators and ramps, apedestrian overpass, and upgradesto the station’s rail infrastructure. It isexpected to be completed by mid-next year.Dinniman has also worked with

PennDOT to allocate $3.5 million infunding for preliminary work relatedto the major improvements slated for

�Transportation Projects

Dinniman (right) looks over plans for transit-orienteddevelopment in Downingtown with Mike Malloy (left),General Counsel for the Hankin Group.

the Parkesburg Train Station.“These new train stations and

related revitalization projects will notonly drive economic growth in ourregion, but they’ll also provide a safercommute for rail riders while helpingrelieve traffic congestion on some ofour busiest roadways,” Dinniman said.Dinniman, who serves on the Senate

Transportation Committee, is alsospearheading the effort to acceleratework on two vital intersections insouthern Chester County.He worked with colleagues from

across the aisle to secure crucialfunding to improve and realign theintersection of Route 796 and OldBaltimore Pike at the site of theformer Red Rose Inn in PennTownship. The project, which is nowunderway, aims to improve traffic flowand safety by adding additionalturning lanes. Dinniman has also secured

$600,000 in funding to reconstruct theintersection of Baltimore Pike andNewark Road in New Garden.Currently identified by planners as thetop intersection for improvement inChester County, its narrow layout,steep grade, and skewed alignmentlead to chronic safety issues andtraffic congestion.

Senator Dinniman continues to lead the chargeagainst expanding expensive and excessivestandardized testing in our schools. Between the stateand local school districts, Pennsylvania has either

already spent or contracted to spend more than $1 billion on standardizedtesting and related costs in the last nine years. Dinniman, who serves asminority chair of the Senate Education Committee, continues to work toreplace the Keystone Exams with the SAT, which most high school studentsalready take.

Work is now underway on significant upgrades and revitalizationprojects related to several train stations throughout Chester County.

� More Teaching, Less Testing

Senator Dinniman continues tolead the effort to end gerrymanderingby establishing a redistrictingprocess that is independent ofpolitics and the legislature.

“Several congressional districtsin our region have gained nationalnotoriety for how obviously they weredrawn to favor incumbents andmajority candidates,” Dinniman said.“Real redistricting reform is neededto protect the integrity ofgovernment. The voters not onlydeserve it, they demand it.”

Late last year, Dinnimanpresented testimony in two cases

challenging the congressional redistrict-ing process in both state and federalcourt. As of this writing, the stateSupreme Court ruled that Pennsyl-vania’s 2011 map of congressionaldistricts ‘plainly and palpably violatesthe Constitution of the Commonwealthof Pennsylvania’ and directed thelegislature to redraw the map andsubmit it to the governor and the courtfor approval. However, additional legalchallenges may occur.

“Gerrymandering is the wrong way for either party to go aboutredistricting and it must stop. The onlyway to do that is to change the

� Reforming Harrisburg Our government ought to runeffectively, efficiently, and with theleast cost to the taxpayers. SenatorDinniman is working to reformHarrisburg to ensure it does just that.He has introduced and supportsseveral bills to cut costs, end perks,reduce the size of government, andhold lawmakers accountable.

� Smaller Government: Pennsylvaniahas one of the largest full-timelegislatures in the nation. Dinniman isworking to reduce its size and stream-line operations to save taxpayer dollars.He voted for and continues to supportHouse Bill 153 to cut the size of theHouse by one-quarter. Since itrequires a constitutional change, thebill, which was passed last session,must be passed again this sessionbefore it goes to the people of Pennsyl-vania in a referendum vote. Dinnimanalso supports an amended version ofHouse Bill 153 and, a separate pieceof legislation, House Bill 253, both ofwhich call for cutting the size of theSenate by at least one-quarter.

� Eliminate Perks: Did you know thatstate lawmakers can automaticallycollect $175 for every day they are insession in Harrisburg – money thatcomes in addition to salary? Sincebeing elected, Dinniman has neveraccepted a single per diem, savingtaxpayers more than $125,000 in the

process. He has repeatedly called foran end to the system of automatic perdiems and is a co-sponsor of SenateBill 732 to terminate it once and forall. If lawmakers want to receive fundsfor job-related expenses, they need tosubmit receipts like everyone else.

� Holding Lawmakers Accountable:When budgets run late or areincomplete, it’s legislators and thegovernor who should pay, not thepeople. Dinniman introduced SenateBill 830 to impose real consequenceson them when budgets run late. It callsfor the legislature to remain incontinuous session, meeting every daywithout leave, without pay, withoutreimbursements, and without perdiems, if a complete budget is notpassed and signed by July 1. Thesame goes for the governor, his seniorstaff, and cabinet members.

� Balanced Budgets: In addition,Senate Bill 830 requires the legislatureto pass a complete budget – meaninga spending plan with sufficient revenueto fund it. It’s very simple: you can’tdecide what you’re going to spendbefore you know how much youhave. The legislature’s practice ofpassing a spending plan at theeleventh hour or later and putting offpassage of a revenue package forweeks or months at a time isunacceptable. Families and

� Fighting for Fair Districts

process. It’s high time that we removedthe influence of politics and politiciansfrom redistricting,” Dinniman said.

Dinniman remains a vocal andconsistent supporter of Senate Bill 22to establish an Independent Citizen’sRedistricting Commission to redrawlegislative districts. He also co-sponsored similar legislation in theprevious legislative session.

businesses across the Commonwealthface real consequences if they don’tbalance their checkbooks or pay theirbills on time. So should the legislature. “These are important common-sense reforms. Legislators should haveto prove job-related expenses beforegetting reimbursed, they shouldn’t getpaid if they don’t do their jobs, andwhen it comes to the size ofgovernment, sometimes smaller isbetter,” Dinniman, who serves on theSenate State Government Committee,said. “Let’s pass these measures tohelp restore trust, transparency, andfiscal responsibility in Harrisburg.” In addition, Dinniman emphasizedthat Pennsylvania cannot continue torely on borrow-and-spend budgetingto make up for late and unbalancedbudgets. “This year we borrowed $1.5 billionto make up for shortfalls from an un-balanced budget in 2016-17,” Dinnimansaid. “With interest, we’ll end up owing$2 billion. That is an outrageous andunconscionable burden to put onPennsylvania taxpayers and families.”

How can we have fair elections if we don’t have fair districts?

www.senatordinniman.com

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PAIDHARRISBURG, PAPERMIT NO. 603

STATE SENATOR

ANDY DINNIMANSenate Box 203019

Harrisburg, PA 17120-3019

MUNICIPALITIES:Atglen, Avondale, Coatesville, Charlestown,

Downingtown, East Bradford, East Caln, East Fallowfield, East Nottingham, East Whiteland,

Elk, Franklin, Highland, London Britain, London Grove,Londonderry, Lower Oxford, Malvern, Modena, New Garden, New London, Oxford, Parkesburg,

Penn, Phoenixville, Sadsbury, Schuylkill, South Coatesville, Tredyffrin, Upper Oxford,

Valley, West Bradford, West Chester, West Fallowfield, West Grove, West Marlborough,

West Nottingham, West Pikeland, West Sadsbury, and West Whiteland.

@Senator Andy Dinniman

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DISTRICT OFFICEOne North Church StreetWest Chester, PA 19380(610) 692-2112Fax: (610) 436-1721 Hours: Mon. – Fri. 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

HARRISBURG OFFICESenate Box 203019182 Capitol BuildingHarrisburg, PA 17120-3019(717) 787-5709Fax: (717) 787-4384

19th Senatorial District

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