State Representative    
Sandra J. Major
Reports to the 111th Legislative District
Fall 2009
Dear Friends:
It continues to be my honor to
serve our area in the state House
of Representatives. Unfortunate-
ly, the first several months of the
new legislative session were spent
passing a state budget, and we
had little opportunity to address
other issues.
One of the most important
parts of being a state representa-
tive is listening to the people I
am elected to represent. I main-
tain two full-time district offices
in Montrose and Tunkhannock
and make regular visits to Wayne
County so you have the oppor-
tunity to let me know your views
on the issues of the day. I en-
courage you to contact me at the
numbers listed in this newsletter
and to visit www.RepMajor.com
for the latest news about state
government.
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
State Budget Enacted
Albeit 101 days late, Gov. Ed Ren-
dell has signed a budget for 2009-10.
I could not support the budget, as I
believe that not enough was done to
control state spending.
Specifically, the 2009-10 spend-
ing plan, which was passed on a
nearly party-line vote of 107-93,
spends $27.8 billion – nearly $8
billion more than when Gov. Ed
Rendell took office in 2003. The
spending includes $2.6 billion in
federal stimulus aid and $1.5 billion
from draining both the Rainy Day
Fund and the Health Care Provider
Retention Account ($755 million and
$708 million, respectively). In addi-
tion, $150 million will be taken from
the Tobacco Settlement Account and
$100 million from the MCare Fund.
The withdrawal from the MCare Fund
may lead to a state lawsuit that would
necessitate reopening the budget.
I fear this massive depletion of the
state’s reserves will leave the Com-
monwealth with few options if the
economy does not rebound and rev-
enues throughout the current fiscal
year continue to decline. The absence
of any reserve accounts could make
next year’s budget even more difficult
than this one.
Nearly every family in our Com-
monwealth has been affected by the
current economic downturn and
PAID
HARRISBURG, PA
PERMIT NO. 529
forced to cut back. State govern-
ment should do the same. When I
see that welfare is still the largest
expenditure in the budget, even af-
ter documented cases of fraud and
abuse have been exposed, I am con-
vinced spending can be further re-
duced.
This budget does include two im-
portant initiatives – the single sales
factor and net operating loss carryover
– that will help improve our business
climate. However, I believe we have
taken two steps back by delaying the
phase-out of one of the most onerous
business taxes in the nation, the Capi-
tal Stock and Franchise Tax. Instead
of keeping the current tax rate, the
budget plan rolls it back to the Janu-
ary level, resulting in a 53 percent in-
crease for businesses.
The 2009-10 budget also con-
tains a 25-cent-per-pack increase in
the cigarette tax, a $1.60 per pack tax
on little cigars, called cigarillos, and a
gross receipts tax to Medicaid Man-
aged Care Organizations that would
generate $528.5 million. The budget
also relies on an estimated $60 mil-
lion from anticipated leasing of state
forest land for drilling Marcellus
Shale natural gas wells. DCNR will
determine what lands will be available
for leasing.
Continued on page 2

State Working to
Educate Citizens
about Swine Flu
A new Web site, www.H1N1inPA.
com, was created by the state Depart-
ment of Health to answer questions
and provide the latest news on the
novel H1N1 virus, also known as
Swine Flu.
The Web site features an explana-
tion of the virus, frequently asked
questions, symptoms of the disease,
how to care for sick family members,
downloadable educational flyers and
posters, and links to other resources.
The site also outlines simple steps
that all Pennsylvanians should take
to reduce the risk of becoming ill or
spreading the virus to others:
• Cover your mouth and nose
with a tissue when you cough or
sneeze and promptly discard the tis-
sue. If you don’t have a tissue, sneeze
or cough into your sleeve, but never
into your hands or onto bare skin.
• Keep your hands away from
your face and don’t touch your mouth,
nose and eyes.
• Wash your hands frequently
with soap and water, or use an alco-
hol-based hand sanitizer.
• Keep frequently used surfaces
clean, such as doorknobs, countertops
and desks.
• Stay home from work or
school whenever you are sick, and re-
main home until you are fully recov-
ered.
As of Oct. 30, there were 6,141
confirmed cases reported in Pennsyl-
vania.
For more information about when
vaccines will become available, visit
www.H1N1inPA.com or call the
Department of Health at 1-877-PA-
HEALTH (1-877-724-3258).
2
Budget continued from page 1
I am pleased that the new budget does not contain increases in the Personal
Income Tax or sales tax. Unfortunately, funding for certain universities, muse-
ums, arts associations and medical groups -- is dependent on passage of legis-
lation allowing table games at the state’s 14 casinos. At present, leaders in the
House and Senate are still negotiating the tax rate on table games proceeds. For
more information, see the article below.
Thanks, in part, to federal stimulus funds, public schools statewide will re-
ceive about $300 million more than last year. Here is a breakdown of total state
funding local school districts will be receiving as a result of the 2009-10 state
budget. (Totals include Basic Education, Special Education and federal stimulus
dollars through Title I, Title IID and IDEA funding)
School District Total Funding from State Increase
Blue Ridge $7,570,595 $681,464
Elk Lake $8,093,338 $752,019
Forest City Regional $4,132,507 $436,408
Montrose Area $9,294,906 $951,031
Mountain View $9,560,466 $647,157
Susquehanna Community $7,900,609 $649,769
Wayne Highlands $10,186,833 $1,103,374
Lackawanna Trail $6,813,061 $596,776
Tunkhannock Area $13,404,737 $1,177,278
Wyalusing Area $8,025,513 $662,612
Expansion of Gambling
Legislation Still Pending
Both the House and Senate have passed competing versions, which would
expand our casinos to allow for the operation of table games. Authorized table
games include blackjack, poker, roulette, craps, baccarat and others.
Under the House proposal, there would be a $20 million license fee and a 34
percent tax rate would be charged on the gross table game revenue to generate
money for the General Fund. The Senate proposal, however, would charge a
$15 million license fee and a 12 percent tax rate on the gross table game revenue
for the General Fund, plus an additional 2 percent for local municipalities. Be-
cause of these differences, negotiations continue.
It is important to note that I did not support the original Act that brought
slots into Pennsylvania, and I continue to oppose the expansion of gambling.
Rep. Major and volunteer summer Tiffany Powell, Rep. Major’s sum-
intern, Heather Seamans, review letters mer intern in the Tunkhannock office,
from constituents in Major’s Montrose is pictured here with the representative.
district office. Heather is the daughter Tiffany is the daughter of Mary Rose
of President Judge Kenneth Seamans Ciuccio-Powell and John Powell. She
and Suzan Seamans of New Milford. is in the 11th grade at Tunkhannock
Heather is a sophomore at Georgetown Area High School and is planning to
University in Washington, D.C., and go into the political field after attend-
majors in government and economics. ing college.

Sen. Lisa Baker (R-20); Paul Weilage, Wyoming County planning di-
rector; and Representative Major visited the Susquehanna County/Wyo-
ming County Equipment Show on July 30.
On Oct. 16, Rep. Major attended the full commission meeting of the
Northern Tier Regional Planning and Development Commission (NTRP-
DC) at the Triton Fire Company in Tunkhannock. Seated (left to right)
are: Betty Reibson, Sullivan County commissioner; state Sen. Lisa Baker
(R-20) and Rep. Major. Standing (left to right) are: Tom Murphy, Penn
State University Cooperative Extension; Ed Zygmunt from U.S. Rep.
Chris Carney’s office; Kevin Abrams, executive director of the NTRPDC;
Larry Michael, from Penn College; and Frank Thompson, deputy director
of the NTRPDC. NTRPDC is a local development district serving Brad-
ford, Susquehanna, Sullivan, Tioga and Wyoming counties.
Farm Bureau members from Wayne County met with Rep. Major
in her Harrisburg office on March 31. Pictured (left to right) are Robert
Kieff, Melba Williams, Major, Gilbert Loscig and Marian Schweighofer.
 On the web at www.RepMajor.com 
Commission Studying
What Went Wrong
with Luzerne County
Juvenile Justice System
The Interbranch Commission on Juve-
nile Justice began meeting in October to
review the failings in Luzerne County’s ju-
venile courts and provide recommendations
on how to strengthen Pennsylvania’s juvenile
justice system.
Specifically, the 11-member panel will ex-
amine the actions by former Luzerne Coun-
ty judges Mark Ciavarella Jr. and Michael T.
Conahan that led to juveniles being wrongly
sentenced to a private detention center.
In many instances, youth were held on
relatively minor charges as first offenders
against the recommendation of juvenile
probation officers. In the majority of these
cases, the youth were not afforded legal
counsel. According to statistics compiled by
the Juvenile Court Judges Commission, 52
percent of the youth adjudicated in Luzerne
County were unrepresented by lawyers, 10
times greater than the Pennsylvania average
of 5.6 percent who waived this right.
Specifically, the panel is charged with:
• Investigating and analyzing the events
occurring in Luzerne County involving
judges, attorneys, public officials, public
employees, probation and parole officers and
the providers of juvenile justice services.
• Reviewing procedures, practices and
rules relating to the appointment of counsel
to represent juvenile offenders.
• Reviewing the exercise of authority and
abuse of power with regard to the disposi-
tion and placement of juveniles in Luzerne
County.
• Reviewing the procedures used in re-
sponding to judicial and attorney conduct
and making recommendations for disciplin-
ary action.
• Reviewing the oversight of juvenile de-
tention facilities and investigating the use of
facilities in Luzerne County.
The commission has subpoena power
and will submit a final report to the public
by May 31, 2010.
3
 House Bill would Charge
Municipalities for State Police
Protection
House Bill 1500 would create the Pennsylvania State Police
Municipal Patrol Services Act, imposing a fee on municipalities
for patrol services provided by the Pennsylvania State Police.
Under the measure, municipalities that do not have local full-
time patrol services and receive full-time PSP patrol services must
pay a per capita fee to the state for police protection.
I do not support House Bill 1500 because of the negative im-
pact it could have on rural communities. Every citizen of the
Commonwealth already pays for State Police protection with the
myriad of state taxes they pay.
The bill is now before the House Appropriations Committee
and could be brought before the House for a vote at any time
after that committee approves it. I will be a no vote on this bill
when it is brought to the floor.
Information for Winter
• PennDOT reminds motorists that 511PA
provides free, 24-hour traveler information ser-
vices.
Call 511 from your cellular phone or land
line or visit www.511PA.com to find informa-
tion about traffic delay warnings, winter road
conditions, crashes, construction activities and
weather forecasts.
Call 1-800-FixRoad to report road mainte-
nance problems.
• Visit my Web site at www.RepMajor.com
for information about the Pennsylvania Low-
Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LI-
HEAP). The program helps low income people
pay their heating bills through home heating
energy assistance grants and crisis grants.

Reps. Tina Pickett and Sandra Major presented certificates of achieve-
ment from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to members of the
Choconut Valley Youth Athletic Association archery squad, who cap-
tured their second gold medal in two years in the elementary division of
the state tournament at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg.
In April, Rep. Major presented a citation from the
House of Representatives to Ruth Carter on her 90th
birthday celebration at Skinner’s Eddy United Methodist
Church in Laceyville.

WHAT MY OFFICE CAN DO FOR YOU... Contact Representative Major …

Please do not hesitate to contact the district office
for assistance with any state-related matter. Local Offices:
R.R. 7, Box 7186
 Car registration, special tags, titles and license applications.
Montrose, PA 18801
 PACE/PACENET applications.
Phone: (570) 278-3374
 Information on financial assistance for higher education.
 Birth certificate applications. 130 N. Bridge Street
 Pennsylvania income tax forms. Tunkhannock, PA 18657
 Property Tax/Rent Rebate applications. Phone: (570) 836-5888
 Requests for literature of all kinds – bills, regulations,
statutes, senior citizen information, student aid information, etc. E-mail: smajor@pahousegop.com
 Citations from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Web: www.RepMajor.com
for notable local accomplishments and family milestones.
 Tours of the State Capitol for individuals or groups.
For constituents in Wayne County:
 Handicapped plates and placards.
Rep. Major conducts office hours at the
 Complaints and problems with insurance companies. Preston Township Building in Lakewood
 Fishing and hunting information. on the second Thursday of the month.

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