PRSRT STD
Representative Sue Helm Fall 2010 State Representative
Sue Helm
PO Box 202104
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2104
SueHelm.net
Dear Neighbor:
As the summer comes to a close, I am hopeful that
you had a wonderful season, even though we dealt with
several hot days. During the past few months, I had
an enjoyable time meeting with constituents, attending
local fairs and festivals, and traveling throughout the
district listening to your thoughts and concerns.
When the General Assembly returns to session, it
has several issues to deal with by the end of November,
which is the constitutional end to the 2009-10 session.
A major issue is transportation funding to repair and
replace the thousands of miles of roads and bridges
throughout Pennsylvania. All told, Pennsylvania is
in need of nearly $3 billion to address this growing
problem. Tolling Interstate 80 was to assist with this
shortfall; however, the federal government rejected the
state’s third application.
In addition, the taxing of the extraction of natural
gas in the Marcellus Shale formation is sure to be a
hot topic. During the 2010-11 budget negotiations, all
parties agreed to take this issue up in the fall. I am
hopeful that this issue is addressed logically and fairly
to ensure our environment, infrastructure and taxpayers
are adequately protected.
As the weather prepares to turn cooler, I am hopeful
you will enjoy the remaining part of the year. If I can
ever be of assistance to you, please do not hesitate to
contact me.
On a side note, if you are active on Facebook, you
can now follow me at Facebook.com/RepHelm. I
have created this page to ensure that I am able to
reach out to those who use electronic communication;
however, I can still be reached via e-mail, telephone, or
my website at SueHelm.net.
Sincerely,
Sue Helm
State Representative
104th District
Follow Me on Facebook
Facebook.com/RepHelm
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
HARRISBURG, PA
PERMIT NO. 432
Compromise Resulted in
No-Tax-Increase Budget
The final 2010-11 state appropriations bill
approved on June 30 is a compromise among
competing interests working together to meet
the needs of Pennsylvanians.
I commend legislative leaders for crafting
a spending plan that requires no tax increases
and maintains tight control on the state’s
purse. As a business owner, I understand
the tough decisions that need to be made to
ensure everyone involved is pleased with the
end result. Throughout my professional career,
I have had to compromise on numerous issues
to advance an idea or proposal that is fair and
equitable.
The $28.04 billion spending plan is a
$202 million (0.7 percent) increase over the
2009-10 budget and is $1 billion less than the
governor asked for in his original proposal. In
addition, the General Assembly was successful
in blocking the governor’s tax increase
proposals, such as expanding the sales tax to
nearly all retail purchases, increasing the tax
on cigarettes, and imposing new taxes on the
extraction of natural gas in the Marcellus Shale
formation and smokeless tobacco products.
It’s extremely important for the residents
of the 104th District to understand the
components of the 2010-11 state budget.
A total of four major pieces of legislation
comprised the entire budget package. Of the
four bills, I voted in support of one, which is
the actual spending plan, House Bill 2279.
This legislation is similar to our own personal
budgets in which we determine amounts to be
paid for each category of expenditures, such as
mortgage/rent payments, electric, water, sewer,
creditors, etc.
Senate Bill 1042, which I voted against,
is the state’s Fiscal Code. This legislation
provides the income to pay for the expenditures
in House Bill 2279. My “NO” vote on this bill
is a result of a commitment within the bill to
Budget article continued on page 3...
 Public Pension Systems Face
Funding Shortfall
The state House approved a bipartisan compromise
that would bring about significant changes to the Public
School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS) and the
State Employees’ Retirement System (SERS), which
covers more than 500,000 public employees, retirees and
lawmakers.
For more than a year, it has been reported that
substantial increases in funding are necessary to
keep both systems solvent for the foreseeable future.
Although my colleagues and I in the House Republican
Caucus have been urging legislative action, House
Democrat leaders finally heeded our calls to find a
solution.
House Bill 2497, which passed the House on June
16, would roll back the changes made to these systems
that enhanced benefits in 2001 and prevent enormous
increases in school property taxes. After I took office in
2007, this issue started moving to the forefront; however,
many in Harrisburg thought the economy would improve
and investment earnings would rise. Unfortunately, the
2008-09 recession reversed this course, resulting in the
problem we are currently facing.
Long-term changes, which will apply only to new
hires, included in House Bill 2497 would reduce the
years of service multiplier from 2.5 percent to 2 percent,
increase the vesting period from five years to 10 years,
increase the retirement age to 65 for most employees,
eliminate the lump sum payment option and maintain
the employee contribution rate of 7.5 percent. These
changes would also apply to lawmakers.
Short-term changes that will address the spike in
school district (taxpayer) payments would re-amortize
the total amount of unfunded liabilities over a 30-year
period and phase in the increases in employer payments.
Although school districts would still pay more into PSERS,
it will not be as egregious if we were to do nothing.
Obviously, there is a cost to this proposal. In total, it
will cost nearly $25 billion to reduce short-term costs. I
believe this approach is necessary to prevent significant
property tax increases, especially when Pennsylvania
citizens cannot afford it. We need to ensure we follow
the Constitution and maintain benefits for current
employees and retirees, but enact changes to control
future costs.
The benefit modifications in House Bill 2497 would
apply to those who enter PSERS after July 1, 2011; SERS
after Jan. 1, 2011; and those lawmakers who take office
after Dec. 1, 2010. Due to court rulings against making
changes to benefits for current employees and retirees,
the General Assembly is barred from making changes
retroactively.
I believe House Bill 2497 is a reasonable solution
to a problem that has the potential to severely impact
taxpayers throughout Pennsylvania.
The bill is under consideration in the Senate.
In May, Rep. Sue Helm was
pleased to welcome Katie
(left) Rice and Katelyn
Swoyer (center) to the
state Capitol. Rice and
Swoyer are members of
Team Reflections, which
is a synchronized ice
skating team that was
recognized on the House
floor for winning the silver
medal at the United States
Synchronized Skating
Championships.
Legislation Would Revamp
State’s Megan’s Law Website
As a result of a critical report issued by Auditor General
Jack Wagner regarding Pennsylvania’s Megan’s Law website, I
have introduced legislation that would require the state police
to make changes to the website as recommended by the
auditor general.
Megan’s Law and its accompanying website are to assist
parents in protecting their children from sex offenders.
Without a reliable public resource, families are unable to
take the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of their
children.
Megan’s Law, which was enacted in 1995, is named for
Megan Kanka, who was brutally raped and murdered in
1994. The perpetrator was a twice-convicted sex offender
who moved across the street from her family’s home in New
Jersey. Her family had no knowledge of his past offenses.
Under the law, the state police are required to maintain a
public registry of convicted sex offenders. As of June 16,
this registry lists more than 10,000 offenders throughout the
Commonwealth.
The auditor general conducted a special performance
audit of the website in 2006, which faulted the website for
failing to provide the public with basic information such as
up-to-date photographs and street addresses of registered
sex offenders. The special report issued on June 22 was a
follow-up of the 2006 audit to see how the website improved;
it received an overall grade of a C minus.
I believe this report indicates a lack of attention to the
importance of this website and the benefit it provides to the
public. My legislation would mandate that changes be made
to the Megan’s Law website in a timely fashion.
As highlighted in the auditor general’s special report, my
proposal would require:
• All photographs to be consistent and adequate
so sex offenders are recognized in clearly dated
photos, including profile views, by the public.
• The listing of all sexual offenses and definitions
for which the offender was convicted for the
public to identify non-compliant registrants and
view their profiles.
• Variances in spelling and punctuation of the
name, address and county in the website’s search
feature.
• A mapping tool to permit the public to see all
offenders in a specified area.
• Procedures for the state police to identify and
correct website data entry errors.
• An e-mail notification system to provide public
notices when an offender moves into a designated
area or changes an address.
Children are our most precious resource and we need
to take the necessary actions to ensure their safety and
security from those who prey upon them. I am hopeful that
this bill will be swiftly moved through the legislative process
to ensure these enhancements are incorporated into the
Megan’s Law website.
On Aug. 17, the House Republican Policy Committee
held a hearing at Susquehanna Township High School to
review Megan’s Law
and the regulations
governing the website
to ensure they are
in line with what is
required by current law.
During the hearing,
I testified about the
importance of my
legislation and how my
proposal would make
substantial changes to During the House Republican Policy Committee
Pennsylvania’s website hearing at Susquehanna Township High School
for the benefit of on Aug. 17, Rep. Sue Helm comments on the
families. importance of the Megan’s Law website.
 Compromise Resulted in No-Tax-
Deadline to Apply for Property Increase Budget continued from
Tax/Rent Rebate Program Extended page 1...

The deadline to apply for the state’s Property Tax/Rent Rebate program for 2009 has vote on a Marcellus Shale
been extended to Dec. 31, 2010. tax by Oct. 1, and a forced
Eligible participants can receive a rebate of up to $650 based on their rent or reduction in payments
property taxes paid in 2009. The program benefits eligible Pennsylvanians who are 65 to the Public School
years or older, widows and widowers 50 years or older, and those 18 years or older with
Employees’ Retirement
disabilities.
Eligibility income limits are set at the following levels, excluding 50 percent of Social System (PSERS). This
Security, Supplemental Security Income, and Railroad Retirement Tier 1 benefits: reduced payment was to
be part of reforms to the
• $0 to $8,000, maximum $650 rebate (Homeowners and renters) state’s pension systems
• $8,001 to $15,000, maximum $500 rebate (Homeowners and renters) that are embodied in
• $15,001 to $18,000, maximum $300 rebate (Homeowners only) House Bill 2497; however,
• $18,001 to $35,000, maximum $250 rebate (Homeowners only) although this bill passed
the House on June 16, it is
The Property Tax/Rent Rebate program is one of many initiatives supported by still awaiting action by the
the Pennsylvania Lottery, which dedicates its proceeds to support programs for older Senate.
Pennsylvanians. Since the program began in 1971, more than $4 billion has been paid to House Bill 2289,
qualified applicants.
which I voted against, is the
Residents are reminded to provide all the necessary income, property tax or rental
information required to process claims quickly and accurately. bill that provides for building
Property Tax/Rent Rebate claim forms are available by contacting my Elizabethville and construction projects.
office at 362-1119, or my Susquehanna Township office at 651-0100. Forms can also be This is the legislation that
downloaded online by visiting my website at SueHelm.net. provides $10 million for
the Senator Arlen Specter
Library in Philadelphia and
SADD Student of the Year $10 million for the former
Congressman John Murtha
Recognized Library in Johnstown. It
requires repeating that I did
In June, not vote for this legislation.
I welcomed House Bill 2290, which
Stacey Geyer, I voted against, increases
a resident the Commonwealth’s debt
of Wayne limit by $600 million.
Township and a Similar to obtaining a
2010 graduate credit line increase for
of Halifax High our personal credit cards,
School, to the this bill increases the
House chamber Commonwealth’s total debt
to present a limit from $3.45 billion to
House citation $4.05 billion. Of the $600
to her for million in more borrowing,
being named nearly half, or $300
the 2009-10 million, has been directed
Pennsylvania Rep. Sue Helm presented a House citation to to Philadelphia by the
Students Stacey Geyer, a resident of Wayne Township governor.
Against and a 2010 graduate of Halifax High School,
for being named the 2009-10 Pennsylvania
Destructive Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD)
Decisions Student of the Year.
(SADD) Student
of the Year.
Rep. Sue Helm attended
I want to congratulate Stacey for attaining this opening day of Little League at
well-deserved recognition. She has proven to be Enders Park in Penbrook.
a leader among her peers by encouraging them to
participate in activities that are beneficial to their
future and lives.
Stacey is the daughter of Steve and Judi Geyer.
She has been an active member of her high school’s
Stand Tall chapter of SADD since her freshman
year and most recently served as its president. In
addition, she was chosen to be a member of the
National Student Leadership Council for SADD during
the 2009-10 school year.
I am so proud of Stacey for standing up for what
she believes in and assuming a leadership role to
help others. On behalf of the residents of the 104th Rep. Sue Helm joined Coach
Bob Herman and the Dauphin
District, I’d like to wish Stacey the best in her future Firecrackers during opening day
endeavors. of Middle Paxton Township’s
baseball and softball seasons.
 New Website Available for Electric Consumers
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) is offering a one-stop shop website for residential, commercial
and industrial customers.
The website includes information about electric shopping, what it is, how to shop and which suppliers are
available, as well as the PUC’s list of competing suppliers and the Office of Consumer Advocate’s Shopping Guide
pricing information. A ZIP-code search feature is also available so consumers can see all suppliers and offers serving
a given area.
For a link to the website and further information about electric rate information, visit my website at
SueHelm.net.

Persian Gulf Conflict Veterans New Online Resource

Reminded to Apply for Bonus
Veterans who served on active duty in the Persian
Gulf War during Operations Desert Shield and Desert
Storm are reminded to apply for the Persian Gulf Conflict
Veterans’ Bonus.
The Pennsylvania Department of Military and
Veterans Affairs offers the Pennsylvania Persian Gulf
Conflict Veterans’ Bonus to veterans who served on
active duty, including mobilized National Guard and
Reserve personnel, between Aug. 2, 1990, and Aug. 31,
1991, with a payment of up to $75 per month for every
month of active Gulf War service. Veterans who received
a Southwest Asia Service Medal and were legal residents
of Pennsylvania at the time of their service are also
eligible for the benefit.
An additional bonus of $5,000 is available to
surviving families of those killed in action during the
same period.
For more information on the Persian Gulf Conflict
Veterans’ Bonus, visit my website at SueHelm.net and
click on “Persian Gulf Conflict Veterans’ Bonus.”
Available for Autism
Community
A free Internet directory that highlights autism-
friendly businesses and locations is now available for
individuals and families dealing with autism.
The website, AutismResources.com, was
developed by Keystone Autism Information Systems Inc.,
funded by a Pennsylvania Department of Community and
Economic Development grant attained in 2008.
Although maintained by Keystone Autism Information
Systems, AutismResources.com is also fueled by
user feedback to provide recommendations and reviews.
Those in the autism community are welcome to share
their expertise on the new site.
A toll-free number, 1-877-695-8495, is available
for those without Internet access to request or share
referrals.
Visit my website, SueHelm.net, for a link to the
new site.

Rep. Sue Helm was pleased to welcome artists from the

Rep. Sue Helm presented a certificate to
Briana Zeager of Millersburg Area High
School, for being awarded the Comcast
Foundation Leaders and Achievers
Scholarship.
Rep. Sue Helm presented a certificate
to Morgan Klinger of Upper Dauphin
Area High School, for being awarded
the Comcast Foundation Leaders and
Achievers Scholarship.
Millersburg Area Art Association to the state Capitol. During
the month of June, art work from the association was on
display in the Capitol’s East Wing Rotunda. Pictured with
Helm are Wendi Mills Wilver, Suzanne P. Murdza, Hildegard
Stutzman, Dharla Maiden, Joan Roadcap, Rose Runkle, Rose
Sivar, Linda Clark, Shelly Echeverria, Marjorie Bezubic and
Linda Deibler.

Mark Your Calendars: Legislative Events Throughout the District

September 11 - Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) Etching, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Susquehanna Twp. High School parking
lot, 3500 Elmerton Avenue in Harrisburg. This event will be held weather permitting.
October 7 - 4th Annual Senior Expo, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Kevin’s Place, located at 105 Main Street in Lykens.
December 1 - Elizabethville District Office Open House, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., 16 East Main St. in Elizabethville.
December 2 - Susquehanna Township District Office Open House, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., 2090 Linglestown Road in Harrisburg.

REPRESENTATIVE SUE HELM Susquehanna Township Office: 2090 Linglestown Road,

Capitol Office: 141-A East Wing / PO Box 202104 Suite 100 / Harrisburg, PA 17110
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2104 Phone: (717) 651-0100 / FAX: (717) 651-0801
Phone: (717) 787-1230 /FAX: (717) 787-7375 Elizabethville Office: 16 East Main Street, Suite #1 /
PO Box 559 / Elizabethville, PA 17023
www.SueHelm.net Phone: (717) 362-1119 / FAX: (717) 362-1009
Facebook.com/RepHelm