A look at how our area legislators voted on recent legislation:

Senate Bill 1070

Counties receive dollars through the Highway Bridge Improvement Restricted Account within the state Motor License Fund to pay for repair and replacement of county-owned bridges. However, current law does not allow for further practical uses of leftover funds.

The bill would give counties the flexibility they need to improve municipal-owned bridges within the county before they become at-risk. It allows counties to use Act 13 (Impact Fee) money for any county or municipal bridge improvement, expanding beyond the current focus on just “at-risk” deteriorated bridges.

Vote: 49-1

Yes: David Argall, Rosemary Brown, Jarrett Coleman, Nick Miller

Senate Bill 975

The bill amends Titles 8 (Boroughs and Incorporated Towns) and 11 (Cities) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, adjusting deadlines for completion, filing and publication of audits and annual financial reports for boroughs and cities to June 30 following the close of the fiscal year.

Vote: 50-0

Yes: David Argall, Rosemary Brown, Jarrett Coleman, Nick Miller

Senate Bill 971

The bill amends The Second Class Township Code by changing the deadline for completion, filing and publication of the annual township report for second class townships from April 1 to June 30, resulting in more timely audits and financial reporting. All townships in Carbon County are second class townships.

Vote: 50-0

Yes: David Argall, Rosemary Brown, Jarrett Coleman, Nick Miller

Senate Bill 871

The bill amends the Second Class Township Code by authorizing second class townships to accept irrevocable letters of credit or other security as a form of contract security.

Vote: 49-1

Yes: David Argall, Rosemary Brown, Jarrett Coleman, Nick Miller

Senate Bill 862

This bill amends Section 901 of Title 8, otherwise known as the Borough Code, by specifying that if a majority of seats on a borough’s council are vacant, the Court of Common Pleas shall fill the vacancies upon petition by either the remaining council members or 15 registered electors of the borough.

Section 901 is further amended by providing for an expedited vacancy board process. The remaining members may convene a vacancy board within 30 days if they cannot agree on filling the vacancy and state so publicly.

If the vacancy board has convened, the bill provides that the proceedings may be ended within 15 days if the position of chairman is vacant and the remaining board members publicly vote to disband after providing their justification as to why they cannot fill a vacancy.

The bill prohibits the chair of the vacancy board from voting for themselves to fill any vacancy. The bill also clarifies when a resignation is effective if no majority remains to accept the resignation.

Vote: 48-2

Yes: David Argall, Rosemary Brown, Nick Miller

No: Jarrett Coleman

Senate Bill 848

In Pennsylvania, flooding is the most frequent and damaging natural disaster, costing billions of dollars and wreaking untold devastation to communities and families.

This legislation amends the Administrative Code of 1929 to add representatives to the State Planning Board from the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

The addition of representatives from these two agencies would provide the necessary expertise in the areas of flood control and strategic planning that is beneficial to reports and recommendations from the State Planning Board.

Vote: 50-0

Yes: David Argall, Rosemary Brown, Jarrett Coleman, Nick Miller

House Bill 1425

This legislation would create a directory comprised of legal Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS).

The ENDS Directory is modeled after Pennsylvania’s widely effective Tobacco Product Directory, which lists all cigarette brands that comply with FDA regulations that can be sold within the Commonwealth.

Like the Tobacco Product Directory, the ENDS Directory will be administered and enforced by the Pennsylvania Attorney General.

Vote: 42-4

Yes: David Argall, Rosemary Brown, Nick Miller

No: Jarrett Coleman

House Bill 1615

The legislation proposes the creation of a Driving Under the Influence Treatment Program, designed to operate parallel to ARD while curing the constitutional deficiencies.

The proposed program would provide participants with clear procedural safeguards, ensuring that any admission or waiver meets constitutional standards; permit successful completion of the program to result in expungement of the DUI charge, similar to ARD; and allow the program disposition to be treated as a “prior offense” if the individual reoffends, preserving Pennsylvania’s graduated sentencing structure for repeat DUI violations.

Vote: 47-0

Yes: David Argall, Rosemary Brown, Jarrett Coleman, Nick Miller

House Bill 467

The legislation that would allow eligible licensees to utilize an off premise catering permit for an end-of-life memorial event upon 24 hours’ notice.

Families are under enough strain without having to worry whether the business they decide to cater with has provided a weeks’ notice.

Vote: 47-0

Yes: David Argall, Rosemary Brown, Jarrett Coleman, Nick Miller