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The Delaware Valley is home to two kennels listed on the Humane Society of the United States horrible 100 puppy mills.

The HSUS says 10,000 puppy mills are active, with 500,000 dogs kept solely for breeding. Once their useful lives are over, those dogs are often killed or abandoned. Some 2.6 million puppies sold each year come from puppy mills.

But state Sen. Tracy Pennycuick (R-Bucks/Montgomery) wants to take a bite out of the puppy mill business through Victoria’s Law. It would ban pet stores from buying puppies from puppy mills.

Pennycuick, who introduced the bill in 2021 when she was a state representative, is now backing the legislation in the legislature’s upper chamber. She previously said Victoria’s Law would help ensure that reputable breeders can continue operating but would end “the deplorable conditions, overbreeding, and perpetuation of poor health traits for which puppy mills have become known.”

Pennycuick said recently, “I still have Victoria’s Law and will possibly introduce it in the fall.”

“I am also sponsoring a predatory financing bill so pet stores cannot charge up to 151 percent financing of a dog or cat,” said Pennycuick. “People who need to finance a dog or cat often cannot afford the vet bills required to care for a pet. Sen. Elder Vogel (R-Beaver) has a bill that would rework some of the current dog laws to bring the costs in line with today’s cost of living. This would allow for more inspectors for kennels.”

Grace Kelly Herbert, president of Finding Shelter Animal Rescue, had owned Victoria, a German Shepherd bred for 10 years by a puppy mill and passed down a genetic disorder to more than 100 puppies.

“This is something we have to fix,” said Herbert. “I am so thankful for every single legislator who is stepping up.”

The annual HSUS Horrible 100 report seeks to increase awareness of puppy mills and to stop buyers from purchasing dogs bred there, where there are diseases, a lack of sanitation and food, and mistreatment of the animals.

“In puppy mills, mother dogs spend their entire lives in cramped cages with little personal attention. When the mother and father dogs can no longer breed, they are abandoned or killed. Due to poor sanitation, overbreeding, and a lack of preventive veterinary care, the puppies frequently suffer from various health issues, creating heartbreaking challenges for families who should be enjoying the delights of adopting a new family member.”

Neither Blissful Paws in New Providence nor Woodland Puppies in Honey Brook, listed in the HSUS report, could be reached for comment.

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From a press release

Sen. Tracy Pennycuick (R-Bucks/Montgomery) unveiled a display at the state Capitol commemorating women veterans as Pennsylvania prepares to observe the first official Women Veterans Day on June 12.

The event in the East Wing Rotunda paid particular tribute to the heroic women of the Commonwealth who, after their time in the military, continued their commitment to serve in the state legislature and administration.

“Next Monday will mark the first time the Commonwealth will observe this important day since Act 129 of 2022 was signed into law,” said Pennycuick. “As a U.S. Army combat veteran, I authored the legislation establishing June 12 as Women Veterans Day in Pennsylvania because I thought it was past time to recognize this burgeoning category of patriots.”

While women have served in the American military since before the United States was established as a nation, it was not until 1948 that women were recognized as military members or veterans. Until then, only women nurses and secretaries received full veteran benefits.

(From left) Brig. Gen. Maureen Weigl, Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity, Command Sgt. Maj. Shannon Cullen, McHugh, Col. Robin Hightower,Sen. Tracy Pennycuick and former state Rep. Karen Beyer.

President Truman signed the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act on June 12, 1948, allowing women to serve as permanent, regular members of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force.

By 2040 it is estimated that women will make up roughly 17 percent of the total veteran population.

“That’s why I’m sponsoring bipartisan legislation to establish the Task Force on Women Veterans’ Health Care in Pennsylvania,” said Pennycuick. “The task force will study health issues facing women veterans and make recommendations to the governor and General Assembly for implementation.”

The honorees today included PA Treasurer Stacy Garrity, former state Rep. Karen Beyer, Rep. Nancy Guenst, Rep. Natalie Mihalek, Adj. Gen. Jessica Wright (Retired), PA Civil Service Commissioner Pam Iovino, Brig. Gen. Laura McHugh, Brig. Gen. Maureen Weigl (Retired), Col. Robin Hightower (Retired) and Command Sgt. Maj. Shannon Cullen.

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Since the 1960s, Americans have consumed a lot of mind-altering substances in an effort to, as Timothy Leary said, “turn on, tune in, drop out.”

The latest mind-altering craze is kratom, a lightly regulated hallucinogenic substance used in the Delaware Valley and elsewhere.

Radnor Township fought a court battle to keep a CBD Kratom shop from opening at a former Starbucks on Lancaster Avenue in the heart of Wayne. Residents loudly objected to the store, located near two schools, which flaunted a giant marijuana leaf on its window. That litigation continues after Radnor won the first round and CBD Kratom appealed.

“We are still engaged in litigation with Radnor Township but are hopeful for an amicable resolution down the road, especially with the changing perception and education regarding kratom and hemp-derived cannabinoids,” a store spokeswoman said.

John Rice, Radnor Township solicitor, said, “The court denied their preliminary injunction request last October, but they are pursuing a final hearing. They are also attempting to open without selling the two restricted products, Kratom and Delta-8.”

Now state Sen. Tracy Pennycuick (R-Bucks/Montgomery) has introduced the Kratom Consumer Protection Act (Senate Bill 614) to prohibit the sale of kratom to children. She calls kratom a “hallucinogenic and potentially addictive substance.” This bill provides a regulatory framework to protect consumers.

“Kratom is a legal substance that is readily available and commonly sold as a pill, capsule, or extract in many convenience stores across Pennsylvania,” Pennycuick said. “There are very few laws currently on the books that govern this potentially dangerous substance. The commonsense measures I am proposing will help to put regulatory guardrails on this substance, prevent purchases by minors and ensure that consumers know exactly what is in the product they are buying.”

Kratom is derived from a tropical tree (Mitragyna speciosa) native to Southeast Asia. The leaves contain compounds that can cause hallucinatory effects and can be addictive since the results are similar to that of opioids and stimulants.

Kratom can be deadly if abused, critics say. A West Chester family sued a company that distributes kratom after the 2019 death of their 25-year-old son. Advocates have since called for imposing greater restrictions and regulations on the drug.

Pennycuick’s legislation would prohibit the preparation, manufacture, sale, or distribution of kratom products mixed with unsafe ingredients and the sale or distribution of kratom products to people under 21. Kratom product packaging must also include adequate consumption directions, including a recommended serving size.

“CBD Kratom is proud to support the efforts being made by Sen. Tracy Pennycuick regarding SB 614 to regulate the sale and production of kratom products in the state of Pennsylvania. This language will ensure that kratom products on the market are held to safety and purity standards while simultaneously keeping these products out of the hands of minors. This legislation will support the kratom industry and provide much-needed transparency and confidence to kratom consumers in Pennsylvania,” said Spencer Owners, government affairs specialist with CDB Kratom.

Kratom does not fall under the Controlled Substances Act, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has yet to approve it for medical use. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration recently listed kratom as a “Drug and Chemical of Concern.”

“Kratom is garnering national attention for its potential for abuse,” Pennycuick said. “Now is the time to put guardrails in place to help ensure that the public is protected.”

Pennycuick’s bill has been referred to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee for consideration.

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Pennsylvania state senators hammered Norfolk Southern Railway’s chef executive Monday over his company’s recent train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. It also affected Pennsylvania residents just across the state line.

The Senate Veteran’s Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, chaired by Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-Franklin) and Sen. Katie Muth (D-Berks/Chester/Montgomery), asked Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw a battery of questions about the decision for a controlled burn of rail cars that carried toxic chemicals at the East Palestine derailment site.

“Who specifically in unified command said to do this?” Mastriano asked. “You’re blaming it on the fire chief in East Palestine. Your cars are on fire, it’s your railroad, and you’re going to leave it to the local fire chief who never had to deal with such a catastrophe before? Who said, ‘We’re going to this’?”

Shaw said the decision was made by “unified command” and that “ultimately, the decision falls on the incident commander under consultation with unified command.”

Sen. Tracy Pennycuick (R-Bucks/Montgomery) claimed the committee was “kind of glossing over” the seriousness of the situation in East Palestine just after the derailment.

“I personally think that the fire chief did the right thing,” she argued. “I’ve seen a helicopter explode, and I’ve seen the injuries when we didn’t do a controlled burn and let the fuel out.”

“I’m just trying to see if you can paint a picture for us of what that might have looked like if you had not done a controlled burn,” she said, calling it “important that we all understand what it would have looked like because I think (that) would have been catastrophic in life and property.”

Shaw responded that “the very real concern” at the time “was there would have been an uncontrolled, catastrophic explosion which would have shot vinyl chloride gas which, as you know, is denser than air, throughout the community along with shrapnel.

“So, all the relevant parties got together and modeled the dispersion, the government authorities modeled the dispersion with inputs from a number of sources,” he said.

Shaw added post-burn testing in the area indicated that “it was a success. It worked.” He said Norfolk Southern would compensate residents and businesses for their losses and reimburse them for medical care.

Andrew Whelton, a professor of civil, environmental, and ecological engineering at Purdue University, argued before the committee that the EPA and state agencies are not testing for all the toxic chemicals that might have been released in the incident.

Whelton, who has been studying soil, water, and air samples of the area with a team of volunteer researchers, said if a test is not done for certain cancer-causing chemicals, investigators won’t find them.

“The numbers don’t matter,” he said. “It matters what you test for.”

Mastriano, at one point, claimed that when he visited the site with his staff, their upper respiratory tracts burned and they developed rashes. Residents have told him about various health problems stemming from the wreck, he said.

The committee also heard briefly from railroad accident investigator Robert Comer, who said the railcars that carried the toxic chemicals did not belong to Norfolk Southern but to private companies. He speculated as to whether the railroad had checked those cars for problems before it added them to the train.

A bearing that caught fire is being blamed preliminarily for the derailment. Previously, the National Transportation Safety Board said the train continued running with an overheated bearing for 20 miles before it derailed, despite warning indicators.

Comer said poor track conditions with old, wooden railroad ties could also have played a role in the accident.

Shaw promised to help the residents and clean up the area affected by the derailment.

“I am determined to make this right,” said Shaw. “Norfolk Southern is determined to clean the site safely. We’ll get the job done and help these communities thrive.”

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The video app TikTok, a favorite of teenagers, continues to be under fire in the Keystone State over its connections to China’s communist regime.

A state Senate committee and Chester County’s government are the latest local entities to take action. Previously, state Treasurer Stacy Garrity ordered it removed from her department’s devices while in Washington, D.C. the Biden administration recently gave federal agencies 30 days to get rid of the app.

On Monday, the Senate Communications and Technology Committee announced legislation to protect the information of Pennsylvania state government, including citizen information, by prohibiting state-owned devices from downloading and using TikTok, committee chair Sen. Tracy Pennycuick (R-Bucks/Montgomery) said.

“We are talking about the potential of foreign governments having access to Americans’ personal information,” Pennycuick said. “We have many state employees who use TikTok. The opening presented to foreign bad actors to exploit this information is huge. By passing this measure, we will have blocked another potential avenue for cyber incursion and improve state government’s cyber defenses.”

Chester County’s director of information recently sent an email to employees instructing them to remove TikTok from their county equipment.

Delaware County has not taken that step.

“Delaware County has not currently taken any specific action regarding use of TikTok on county-owned phones. Internet policies are continuously under review to help ensure the continued security of the county’s networks and devices,” said Adrienne Marofsky, director of communications.

James O’Malley, a Bucks County spokesman, said, “Like countless other users of TikTok, we have watched the emerging revelations around this company with great concern. While the county uses TikTok as a platform to share information with the public, we will continue to monitor developments in the ongoing national discussion.”

Montgomery County officials did not respond when asked about their TikTok policy.

Neither did Pennsylvania’s two U.S. senators, both of whom are TikTok users. Democrats Bob Casey and  John Fetterman are among just 32 of the 535 members of Congress who, according to a review by States Newsroom in January are using the app. Fetterman joined TikTok last summer, long after the company’s problematic policies were well known.

Casey and Fetterman have declined to respond to repeated requests for comment about their TikTok accounts.

Garrity has been one of the most aggressive elected officials when it comes to TikTok. “Treasury’s computer network is targeted by scammers and criminals every day,” Garrity said when she announced her agency’s ban. “TikTok presents a clear danger due to its collection of personal data and its close connection to the communist Chinese government. Banning TikTok from Treasury devices and systems is an important step in our never-ending work to ensure the safety of Pennsylvanians’ hard-earned tax dollars and other important, sensitive information entrusted to Treasury.”

A TikTok spokeswoman noted Congress passed the ban on federal devices in December but called it “little more than political theater.”

“The swiftest and most thorough way to address any national security concerns about TikTok is for CFIUS to adopt the proposed agreement that we worked with them on for nearly two years. These plans have been developed under the oversight of our country’s top national security agencies, and we are well underway in implementing them to further secure our platform in the United States,” she said.

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State Senate President pro tempore Kim Ward appointed Sen. Tracy Pennycuick (R-Bucks/Montgomery) to a four-year term on the Council on the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunities for Military Children. Pennycuick, a military veteran, said she was honored by the opportunity to serve.

Pennsylvania joined the Interstate Compact in 2012. Its purpose is to reduce and remove educational and emotional barriers imposed on children of active-duty military families because of the frequent moves and deployment of their parents. All 50 states and the District of Columbia are working to provide a consistent set of policies that will make getting started in a new school, joining extracurricular activities, and meeting graduation requirements as easily as possible for military children.

“Having young children during the time of my service has given me firsthand experience in this matter,” Pennycuick said. “The transition for my family was never easy. It is an honor to now bring my personal experiences and those of my children, to the table, and ensure stability and a smooth transition within these children’s lives because they too are making a sacrifice.”

The appointment coincides with Pennycuick’s recently introduced Senate Bill 209, which would extend the Interstate Compact to children of Pennsylvania National Guard and Reservist members.

Pennycuick grew up near Boston. An Army combat veteran, she initially enlisted as a medic. She earned a degree in business and a commission in the U.S. Army. She served as a Blackhawk pilot, including three combat tours in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Desert Storm where she was awarded the bronze star.

Pennycuick retired as a lieutenant colonel after 26 years of service and settled with her family in Harleysville. She was a platoon leader, operations officer, company commander, aviation group safety officer, brigade human resources officer, executive officer, Department of Defense efficiency expert, and foreign liaison to the U.K. Ministry of Defence.

Before she was elected to the Senate in November, Pennycuick served as a state representative.

Pennsylvania joined the Interstate Compact in 2012.

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