Inside News Cover Story: Karen’s Law Becomes Law! Constituent Services Be Prepared for Disaster

Senator John P. SABATINA JR.

Serving the 5th Senatorial District WINTER 2021

June 10, 2019

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Serving the 5th Senatorial District WINTER 2021

Working for You

Cover Story

ore than three years ago Karen Widoss-Milewski came to me with her story. It is one of horror and tremendous tragedy for sure, but more importantly, one of resilience and bravery.

Karen was just 16-years-old when she was attacked, raped, stabbed and left for dead. But as she says today, “she survived her murder.” During the attack, Karen suffered life threatening injuries. She was rushed to the hospital and fortunately doctors were able to save her. Modern medicine can be credited for her treatment, however Karen’s incredible drive and determination was what led to her recovery.

The man who did this to Karen was caught, tried and put away. But that was not the end. Karen’s assailant received a 17-35 year prison sentence. After serving 17 years he was entitled to a parole hearing. Under Pennsylvania law, once he was denied parole he could apply for another hearing just one year later. Karen was forced to endure the trauma of retelling the story year after year. Her worrying whether her attacker may be released from prison was never ending. From my experience as a former assistant district attorney I know far too well how hard it is for a survivor to retell their harrowing experiences. It is both emotionally and physically draining on both the victim and their families. Karen’s story was the motivation behind this legislation and her passion and perseverance were instrumental in getting it passed into law. We tripled the time between parole hearings for sexually violent predators. Only murderers have a longer wait between hearings now. This reduces how often these brave survivors are forced to retell their stories. Karen’s Law named for Karen Widoss-Milewski was signed into law by Governor Wolf on November 25, as Act No. 124 of 2020. Thank you to not only Karen but the many survivors for writing letters and making calls to their representatives. Thank you to my colleagues in the legislature, especially Rep. Martina White for sponsoring the House companion bill, and Governor Wolf for signing this important bill into law. ■

Thanks to Governor Wolf for signing this legislation into law “as Act 124 of 2020.”

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Serving the 5th Senatorial District WINTER 2021

Around the 5th District

Just before the pandemic struck I had the honor of attending and speaking at the opening ceremony of the Northeast Learning Center with Gov. Wolf, Senator Tartaglione, and Rep. Solomon.

Organizations like The Block Gives Back are what it’s all about. They’ve been feeding the hungry for a long time but kicked it into high gear during the pandemic.

Looking forward to getting back to enjoying places like Fox Chase Farm and their frequent community events.

One of the bright spots of 2020 was the community organizations coming together to give out masks and other PPE. It was my honor to work with both the Christos Mar Thoma Church and the Ascension Mar Thoma Church in their various give aways to frontline workers.

It was my pleasure to help the Ascension Marthoma Church with their 1st annual Thanksgiving turkey giveaway.

Visiting with Caring for Friends was humbling. They continue to feed countless families during the shutdown. They are literally a lifeline for many families.

The Pandemic hurt us all. Our healthcare workers stayed on the frontline. It was my pleasure to provide a refreshing treat from local company Mini-Melts Ice Cream to the staff at Jefferson Torresdale Hospital.

I look forward to getting back to engaging with our young students. I miss the visits to schools for events like Read Across America and hosting class visits to the Capitol.

Our kids have missed out on so much this year. We had to make sure they got to go trick-or-treating.

Many people took advantage of time at home in getting rid of old documents. Unfortunately we couldn’t have our usual shredder events. So when we finally had one we got rid of tens of thousands of pounds of paper!

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PHILADELPHIACOUNTY

CITY OFPHILADELPHIA

The local branch of II-VI provides mission-critical solutions to our military. But this summer their mission was to figure out how to socially distance in the office and still provide their important technology to our fighting forces.

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Serving the 5th Senatorial District WINTER 2021

DISASTERIf 2020 taught us one thing it is to expect the unexpected. But pandemics aren’t the only thing that can catch you off guard.

Natural disasters and manmade disasters do happen too. It is a good idea to be prepared to keep your family safe and healthy during an unexpected event.

LIHEAP My office can assist you in reducing your heating bill.

According to experts you should make a plan and have a supply kit (See list). A disaster supplies kit is a collection of basic items your household may need in the event of an emergency.

A BASIC EMERGENCY SUPPLY KIT COULD INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDED ITEMS:

Constituent Services

■ Water (one gallon per person per day) ■ Food (a three-day supply of non-perishable food) ■ Battery-powered or hand crank radio ■ Flashlight ■ Extra batteries ■ First aid kit ■ Whistle (to signal for help) ■ Dust mask (to help filter contaminated air) ■ Plastic sheeting and duct tape (to shelter in place) ■ Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties

(for personal sanitation) ■ Wrench or pliers (to turn off utilities) ■ Manual can opener ■ Maps ■ Cell phone with chargers and a backup battery ■ Masks, soap, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes ■ Prescription medications

■ Non-prescription medications such as pain relievers, anti-diarrhea medication.

■ Prescription eyeglasses and contact lens solution ■ Infant formula, bottles, diapers, wipes and diaper rash cream ■ Pet food and extra water for your pet ■ Cash or traveler's checks ■ Copies of insurance policies, ID’s and bank records saved

electronically or in a waterproof container ■ Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person ■ Complete change of clothing appropriate for your climate

and sturdy shoes ■ Fire extinguisher ■ Matches in a waterproof container ■ Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items ■ Mess kits, paper cups, plates, paper towels and plastic utensils ■ Paper and pencil ■ Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children

Be Prepared for

■ Free notary services – call one of my offices to set up a time to take care of your notary needs. We can help you with various PennDOT services like vehicle registration, disability parking placards, driver’s license renewals and applications. ■ Voter registration and mail-in applications. ■ Unemployment compensation, disability and workers compensation. ■ Birth and death certificates.

Another important step is to make a plan. You need a shelter plan, an evacuation plan, and a communication plan. Where will you stay if your home is uninhabitable? Where will you go if your area is evacuated? How will you communicate with members of your household? Who will you call to assist you? You’ll need to answer all of these questions and talk about it with your family. There are many resources for you online. Locally you can check with Philadelphia’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM). https://www.phila.gov/departments/oem/ Statewide you can look to Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA). https://www.pema.pa.gov/ Federally you can look toward the Center for Diseases Control (CDC) or the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Go to ready.gov for more info. All of these organizations have excellent information and tips. They also have ways for you to sign up for text alerts. If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact one of my offices for assistance. Be Prepared

and stay safe!

OTHER SERVICESPROPERTY TAX/RENT REBATE PROGRAM Contact my office to see if you’re eligible.

OTHER SERVICES

■ Water (one gallon per person per day) ■ Food (a three-day supply of non-perishable food) ■ Battery-powered or hand crank radio ■ Flashlight ■ Extra batteries ■ First aid kit ■ Whistle (to signal for help) ■ Dust mask (to help filter contaminated air) ■ Plastic sheeting and duct tape (to shelter in place) ■ Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties

(for personal sanitation) ■ Wrench or pliers (to turn off utilities) ■ Manual can opener ■ Maps ■ Cell phone with chargers and a backup battery ■ Masks, soap, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes ■ Prescription medications

■ Non-prescription medications such as pain relievers, anti-diarrhea medication.

■ Prescription eyeglasses and contact lens solution ■ Infant formula, bottles, diapers, wipes and diaper rash cream ■ Pet food and extra water for your pet ■ Cash or traveler's checks ■ Copies of insurance policies, ID’s and bank records saved

electronically or in a waterproof container ■ Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person ■ Complete change of clothing appropriate for your climate

and sturdy shoes ■ Fire extinguisher ■ Matches in a waterproof container ■ Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items ■ Mess kits, paper cups, plates, paper towels and plastic utensils ■ Paper and pencil ■ Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children

LIHEAP My office can assist you in reducing your heating bill.

■ Free notary services – call one of my offices to set up a time to take care of your notary needs. We can help you with various PennDOT services like vehicle registration, disability parking placards, driver’s license renewals and applications. ■ Voter registration and mail-in applications. ■ Unemployment compensation, disability and workers compensation. ■ Birth and death certificates.

PROPERTY TAX/RENT REBATE PROGRAM Contact my office to see if you’re eligible.

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PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE

PAID HARRISBURG, PA PERMIT NO. 603STATE SENATOR

JOHN P. SABATINA JR. Senate Box 203005 Harrisburg, PA 17120-3005

www.SenatorSabatina.com

TWITTER @SenSabatina FACEBOOK facebook.com/SenSabatina

BUSTLETON OFFICE 8016 Bustleton Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19152-2802 215.695.1020 • Fax: 215.695.1027

ACADEMY OFFICE 12361 Academy Road Philadelphia, PA 19154-1927 215.281.2539 • Fax: 215.281.2798

SUBSCRIBE to my E-NEWSLETTER “NORTHEAST NOTES” Visit my website to sign up and get the latest news on legislation and events! 215.281.2539

Where you can Find us:HARRISBURG OFFICE Senate Box 203005 Harrisburg, PA 17120-3005 717.787.9608 • Fax: 717.772.2162

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