Kristin's Corner Senator Kristin

Earlier this year, the Philadelphia Inquirer broke the news about out-of-county developers seeking to take 1,000 acres of land to build a pumped storage facility along the Susquehanna River near Chanceford Township.

The developers, who are based in Reading, Pennsylvania, sought the approval of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to begin the multi-year process of building a massive pumped storage hydroelectric facility. The process would require taking and flooding of many properties, including farmland as well as recreational and historical sites along the Susquehanna River.

Joining Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill is Mark Platts, president of the Susquehanna National Heritage Area. Mark discusses the adverse impact of the proposed project along the river.

Since the podcast was recorded, FERC rejected the initial application, however, the developers indicated that they will re-apply.

The Susquehanna National Heritage Area has been a catalyst for major improvements to York County’s natural resources along the Susquehanna River. Leading this effort is Mark Platts, who was the first employee of the heritage area. He joins Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill to discuss York County’s outdoor recreational opportunities.

The Susquehanna Heritage Area is our nation’s 55th national heritage area, which brings great exposure to the region, as well as drives greater resources to improve areas along the Susquehanna River. Mark discusses some of the latest additions to the heritage area, and some family-friendly “must-dos” as summer turns into fall along eastern York County.

Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill and Pennsylvania Chamber President and CEO Luke Bernstein recaps major reforms passed by the Senate of Pennsylvania this week to grow the economy and cut down bureaucratic delays by reforming the state’s historically sluggish permitting process.

Bernstein hailed the passage of Senate Bill 350 stating:
“Senate Bill 350 takes a giant step forward propelling our state to become more competitive. By building on the governor’s efforts to improve permitting, this measure further helps to modernize, streamline, and add much needed transparency to the permitting process.”

State Treasurer Stacy Garrity sits down with Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill to discuss the impending fiscal cliff and the best way to navigate future financial challenges. Treasurer Garrity and Sen. Phillips-Hill also discuss the importance of Pennsylvanians checking to see if they have unclaimed property, and ways the Treasury is working to streamline the unclaimed property process. They also review their efforts to ban TikTok on state government devices and networks in order to bolster the Commonwealth’s cybersecurity standards.

Pennsylvania’s top fiscal watchdog joins Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill to discuss his concerns with government spending and the need for greater oversight and transparency. Auditor General DeFoor shares how taxpayers can be part of the solution in reviewing the state’s finances. The podcast also covers General DeFoor’s background that led him to serve in his current role. Finally, Sen. Phillips-Hill and General DeFoor recap the General’s recent audit on school district budget reserves.

Growing concerns from the nation’s top law enforcement agency and intelligence agencies about the security and potential manipulation of the popular social media app TikTok has led to various branches of the federal government and many states banning the platform on government devices and networks. Recently, Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity banned the app from all Treasury-issued devices. Sen. Phillips-Hill is the sponsor of a bill that would prohibit all state-owned devices and networks from downloading and using TikTok. She sits down with newly appointed Senate Communications and Technology Committee chair Sen. Tracy Pennycuick to discuss the issue.