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June 19, 2020: A Message from State Representative Steve McCarter: ”Celebrate Freedom on Juneteenth” as well as the Latest COVID 19 Updates and More

Jenkintown Borough continues to update the opens in a new windowBorough website with the latest COVID-19 information and community resources that have been provided by County, State and Federal agencies.

State Representative Steve McCarter  acknowledges another important Independence Day “Juneteenth Freedom Day” as well as  provides the latest COVID 19 updates as well as helpful community news and resources below:

Dear Friends,

While July 4 is just around the corner, today we celebrate another independence day –  opens in a new windowJuneteenth.

On June 19, 1865, Union troops under the command of Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, where they announced the end of the Civil War and issued General Order No. 3:

“The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor.”

Although President Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation fully two years earlier, on January 1, 1863, the news hadn’t reached Texas and other southwestern states until that day. Since then, June 19 has become a day of celebration in recognition of the end of slavery in all regions of the United States.

Please join me in honoring the resilience, courage and determination of the enslaved and their descendants and all Americans who seek to learn about the past and better understand the institutions and experiences that shape our nation.

opens in a new windowIn celebration of Juneteenth, my office will be closed today. We will reopen Monday morning. Montgomery County also  opens in a new windowdeclared it an official holiday this week.

I continue to work from home, and so does my staff. My plans are to reopen the office soon, following guidance by the CDC and the Pennsylvania Department of Health, as the safety of you and my staff is the priority. As soon as plans have been set, I will let you know.

In the meantime, my staff and I are always available to answer questions and help to ease, as best we can, the many hardships the pandemic has wrought. Please don’t hesitate to reach out via phone at (215) 572-5210 and/or email at  opens in a new windowRepMcCarter@pahouse.netcreate new email. We will get through this together.

LATEST ON COVID-19

Though our commonwealth  opens in a new windowsurpassed 80,000 COVID-19 cases yesterday, we did so during a  opens in a new windownationally recognized reduction rate.

Here in Montgomery County, our  opens in a new windownumbers continue to drop, and we’re moving closer to entering “green phase” of the measured reopening plan.

A reminder that this does NOT mean we’re free to return to a pre-pandemic normal. We must  opens in a new windowcontinue to be diligent in our activities. We should continue to wear masks in public, maintain physical distance from those outside your household, be especially cautious if you’re frequently in contact with older and immunocompromised individuals, and do our best to avoid large gatherings, particularly indoors.

Fortunately, early indications are the recent outdoor  opens in a new windowprotests have not resulted in a spike in coronavirus cases. But, if you participate in protests, you should do so with physical distance in mind and while wearing a mask.

A reminder that drive-through  opens in a new windowCOVID-19 testing is available on the central campus of Montgomery County Community College, open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. by appointment only. To register, visit www.montcopa.org/COVID-19 or call 610-631-3000.

Walk-up testing is available at Delaware Valley Community Health Center – Norristown Regional Health Center, 1401 Dekalb St., Norristown, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday by appointment only. Call 610-591-0680. Or try the Montgomery County Office of Public Health Center at 364 King St., Pottstown, also Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and by appointment only. Call 610-970-2937.

And, remember, the  opens in a new windowCDC continues to update its guidance for a wide variety of topics related to COVID-19

A GRADUAL REOPENING

Pennsylvania continues to implement Governor Tom Wolf’s opens in a new windowProcess to Reopen PA. As mentioned above, I expect our region will soon be moving into the “green phase.” We will be able to do so because our state has seen  opens in a new windowa sustained decline in coronavirus cases.

My office has received a number of phone calls about what this means for all types of industries, but one in particular that’s generated a lot of interest is libraries. Fortunately,  opens in a new windowKYW Newsradio recently covered the topic of public libraries, which have also instituted a three-phase reopening plan. The first phase is currently underway, Regina Vesely of Horsham Township Library told KYW. Keep in mind, things will look different, and extra precautions will be necessary everywhere you go.

While we  opens in a new windowkeep an eye on the trends both statewide and county-by-county, know that we remain committed to making sure all  opens in a new windowPennsylvanians embrace a path forward that ensures our economic recovery – not just for the well-connected, but for all. We’re also focusing squarely on equality, justice, health care, housing and, of course, education.

SPEAKING OF EQUALITY AND JUSTICE…

The breaking news out of the Supreme Court this week was plentiful and uplifting.

It started when the Supreme Court  opens in a new windowgranted federal job protections to gay, lesbian and transgender workers. Then, just yesterday, it  opens in a new windowblocked President Trump’s bid to end DACA.

These are positive steps, but we all know plenty of work remains, whether at the federal, state or local level. And, in my role as a state representative, I will continue to fight for fairness for all Pennsylvanians.

Specifically, the House Judiciary Committee early this week unanimously passed two important pieces of legislation so we can finally address  opens in a new windowlaw enforcement reform and accountability.

House Bills opens in a new window1841 and  opens in a new window1910 address the creation of a database of previous disciplinary actions for use in the hiring process for law enforcement officers and the need for mental health evaluations for law enforcement officers, respectively. And I look forward to voting on them in the near future.

If we all work together and strive for equality and justice for all, the benefit opens in a new windows for our great nation are limitless.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL

I wanted to make sure you were aware of some available opportunities.

Treasurer Joe Torsella announced this week that the PA ABLE Savings program surpassed $30 million in assets. This is a program that benefits nearly 3,500 account owners and is the largest program in the National ABLE Alliance. It offers Pennsylvanians with disabilities access to seven different savings and investment options.  opens in a new windowFind out more about this program here. Meanwhile, Governor Wolf announced $260 million in federal CARES Act  opens in a new windowfunding for support services for those with intellectual disabilities and autism.

The Pennsylvania Department of Aging recently released a survey for the general public and community stakeholders to provide input on its  opens in a new windowstrategies and priorities for 2020-2024. It’s a brief survey asking respondents to prioritize services and quality-of-life issues that are most meaningful to them in ensuring age-friendly communities across the commonwealth. Anybody aged 60+ is strongly encouraged to  opens in a new windowtake the survey.

Governor Wolf announced this week that schools across the state can begin to apply for a combined $150 million in  opens in a new windowSchool Health and Safety Grants, which can be used for a  opens in a new windowvariety of costs. That includes purchase of cleaning supplies and PPE, providing mental health services and professional development to students and staff, and retrofitting school buildings for better physical distancing.

Our state will also soon  opens in a new windowdistribute $175 million to health systems across the state to assist COVID-19 response in nursing and personal care homes. This will happen next month after bipartisan legislation was passed in May. It is supported by federal stimulus funding.

As always, please use and trust the following links for direct information on COVID-19.

As always, please use and trust the following links for direct information on COVID-19.

Stay safe and well.

Steve McCarter
Pennsylvania State Representative
Serving Cheltenham Township, Springfield Township and Jenkintown Borough

The Borough continues to encourage everyone to continue to follow the Governor’s latest reopening guidance as well as  opens in a new windowCDC guidelines including handwashing, social distancing and covering your mouth and nose with a face covering while around others.