Mar. 20, 2018
HARRISBURG – Following her Monday morning news conference to discuss legislation dealing with Pennsylvania’s lack of statewide broadband internet access, state Rep. Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York Township) issued this statement in reaction to Gov. Tom Wolf’s creation of a new office dedicated to ensuring every Pennsylvanian has access to high-speed internet:
“I am glad Gov. Wolf is finally recognizing the magnitude of this problem. State Rep. Pam Snyder, my Democrat colleague from southwestern Pennsylvania, and I have been working on this issue for a number of years. Together, we crafted a package of bills designed to address various aspects of this issue.
“The focus of the governor’s news conference was connecting autonomous cars, synchronizing intersections and incentivizing telecommunications companies. We welcome his suggestions, but are prioritizing students who can’t do their homework at home because they lack internet access. We’re concerned about farmers who can’t communicate with customers and commodity markets, telemedicine to help doctors serve patients in rural communities and connecting emergency responders in critical situations.
“We’re glad the governor has changed his tune, after saying in January he’d focus on this during his second term in office. We have the votes to move two of our bills (
House Resolution 429 and
House Bill 1642) to the floor, and are working on advancing the other two pieces of legislation (
House Resolutions 430 and
431) through their respective committees.
“What use are technological advancements in the classroom if every student cannot access that technology? Lack of sufficient broadband access is not a problem exclusive to rural areas; however, approximately 800,000 Pennsylvania residents lack access to high-speed internet access and two-thirds of them live in rural communities. The effort to bring Pennsylvania into the 21st century must include everyone.”
Questions about this or any legislative issue should be directed to Phillips-Hill’s district office at (717)428-9889 or 1-877-207-2272.
Representative Kristin Phillips-Hill
93rd Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Scott Little
717.260.6137
slittle@pahousegop.com
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