DV Journal

Pennsylvania Sen. Kim Ward, the first woman to serve as Pennsylvania Senate President Pro Tempore, will continue serving as interim pro tempore and is expected to be reelected in January.

Ward (R-Westmoreland) spoke to DVJournal about what she hopes to accomplish for Pennsylvanians.

“This election spoke volumes,” said Ward. “People don’t want to hear about social issues. Obviously, the Democrats ran full speed on abortion. [People] don’t want to hear about boys in women’s sports. They want to hear about how you will help them put food on the table and pay their utility bills.

“And we need to work on our energy,” said Ward. “We have an abundance of energy in Pennsylvania, and we have room in this commonwealth for every type of energy. But the Democrats have declared war on fossil fuels.

“Pennsylvania is sitting on the second biggest pot of gold in the United States,” said Ward. “We need to be able to unleash that to give people really great jobs that pay well so they can take care of their families.”

One reason electric bills are so high now is because former Gov. Tom Wolf (D) “unilaterally” took the state into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).

“We went to court to say a governor does not have the unilateral ability to tax, and that was a tax.  Well, Gov. (Josh) Shapiro said he supported our stance but then, when we won in court, he appealed it. But you know, that’s the way it goes with him.” They are waiting for a decision on that appeal.

“But [RGGI] is one of the big reasons we’re having higher electric bills, because the companies have come out with higher rates,” she said.

“The Democrats have closed down our coal-fired plants. Meanwhile, China’s building them. They’re not closing them down in Ohio. They’re not closing them down in West Virginia. But in Pennsylvania, we’re saying, ‘Oh, no thank you.’”

This is “one of the big issues that we should be pushing because I think it affects our families,” said Ward. “It affects jobs across the board, affects incomes. It affects people’s ability to pay the bills they have to pay every month.

“And I think that’s energy we have to unleash, and we need to unleash our potential here in Pennsylvania,” said Ward.

Ward said the best thing about being a state senator is being able to help people. Asked about the most important things she’s accomplished as Senate pro tempore, she said the bill to fight breast cancer was “huge.”

And the corporate net income tax cut from 8.99 percent to 8.49 percent “was important to getting Pennsylvania on the right track.”

Also, raising the child tax credit to match the federal government was important. “I’d like to go further,” said Ward. “Those are the kind of issues that matter to people.”

Asked about working with a Democratic-led House, Ward said, “It’s like we live in two different countries.”

The Senate Republicans send the House “commonsense bills” that return like “a loaded up cherry tree.” One example was her bill to move up the state’s primary date, which the House sent back with so many other provisions it could not pass the Senate.

Asked if it was difficult working with a Democratic governor, Ward said, “No, I can’t call it difficult. I would say that it’s a challenge to get him to commit to one side or the other.”

For the next term, Sen. Joe Pittman (R-Indiana) was reelected Senate majority leader; Sen. Ryan Aument (R-Lancaster) was reelected majority whip; Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York) was reelected as majority caucus chair:

Sen. Camera Bartolotta (R-Beaver) was reelected Senate majority caucus secretary; and Sen. Scott Martin (R-Lancaster) was reelected as chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

On the Democratic side, Sen. Jay Costa, Jr. (D-Allegheny) was reelected minority leader. The caucus whip will be Sen. Tina Tartaglione (D-Philadelphia); Appropriations Committee chair will be Sen. Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia); Sen. Maria Collett (D-Montgomery) will be caucus chair;  Caucus Secretary will be Sen. Steve Santarsiero (D-Bucks);  Policy Committee Chair will be Sen. Nick Miller (D-Lehigh) and the administrator will be Sen. Judy Schwank (D-Berks).

“I am honored and humbled to announce that I will be serving as the leader of the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus for the next two years,” said Costa. “I’d like to thank my fellow Democratic senators for entrusting me with this responsibility. I look forward to the fight ahead.”

“If they can do this to me, they can do this to anyone,” former President Donald Trump told reporters in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York the day after being convicted of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

It’s a message he has repeated since then, dismissing the trial as a “scam” during an appearance on Fox and Friends Weekend on Sunday, predicting the verdict will rally his support on the right.

He blamed President Joe Biden and his administration, along with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and Judge Juan Merchan, for the trial and verdict.

“People get it. It’s a scam. And the Republican Party, they’ve stuck. They stick together in this. They see that it’s the weaponization of the Justice Department, of the FBI and that’s [it’s] all coming out of Washington.”

Trump, who is set to be sentenced July 11 — just four days before the Republican National Convention — said he will appeal.

And what are people in the Delaware Valley saying?

Responding on Facebook, DVJournal reader Bill Watkins put it succinctly: “Vote Trump.”

“Good. Our judicial system, the foundation of a nation of laws, worked,” was the response of Rich Heiland.

Muhlenberg College political science Professor Christopher Borick offered a more analytical view.

“The very tight presidential race in the commonwealth is creating a bit of gravitational pull on the down-ballot races, making it a challenge for down-ballot Republicans and Democrats to escape the performance of Trump and Biden,” Borick said.

“If the guilty verdict does nudge a relatively small slice of voters away from Trump as polling suggest it might, it can place some weight onto down-ballot Republicans who have been modestly lifted by Trump’s fairly good showing in recent polls  All of this is among a small group of voters, but in a place like Pennsylvania, and in the state’s most competitive districts [for example, the 7th, 8th and 10th] all the little things matter,” added Borick.

Also, on Facebook, Skippack resident Debbie Jr. “D.J.” McGinley said, “I was independent. I always voted Democrat until this election. I changed my party to Republican because of the nonsense. I will vote for Trump no matter what.”

Carole Anne said, “I’m ultra, ultra MAGA now.”

Newtown resident Fred D’Ascenzo said he is “very upset.”

“I am deeply upset by the verdict, beyond mad and very concerned about the future of this country,” said D’Azcenzo. “I would not want to see any president experience this no matter the party. It does have the appearance of a political hit on Trump. In my opinion, this was a directed verdict by a partisan judge and a politically motivated DA, who stated in his campaign, that he was going after Trump. Can’t make it up.

“I see and hear people praising and celebrating the verdict. We are in trouble. This will divide the country even further,” he added.

“I think it will change people’s minds and alliances on both sides,” said D’Azcenzo. He is “not sure what the outcome will be. There will be people that will say, ‘I am not voting for a convicted felon,’ and there will be people that are so upset that they will change their vote possibly to vote for someone they feel was unjustly vilified.”

Cheltenham resident Myron Goldman said, “I think the Trump trial confirms the corruption of the Justice Department by the Biden administration. I think it’s horrible.”

Congresswoman Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.) said on X, “Today marks the first time a former president has been convicted of a crime — in this case 34 felonies. I’m not happy about the crimes, the corruption, or the convictions — yet I am joyful for our democracy. Because no one is above the law. We are a system of laws, not of men.”

Interestingly, Bucks County U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick and his fellow moderate Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. across the river in New Jersey have had no comment.

Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward (R-Westmoreland) said, “It will be up to former President Trump to appeal to a higher court or accept the verdict and pay the penalty just as any other person facing a trial of their peers. The path forward seems obvious and the likelihood the upper court would overturn the lower court’s decision on merit is strong.

“The guilty verdict on all counts by the jury raises red flags, making this seem more like a persecution than a prosecution. It should be a wake-up call for Pennsylvanians that the rule of law and the permanency of our republic is at stake and no individual is immune to the consequences of a judicial system influenced by activism,” said Ward.

Republican Scott Presler, a voter registration activist who often visits the state, sees post-verdict opportunity for the GOP in the Keystone State.

“After seeing what happened yesterday, buying a home in Pennsylvania was the best decision I ever made,” said Presler on X Friday. “I’m moving to Pennsylvania just to vote for President Trump. That’s the best investment I could ever make. If you live in Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, or another red state, move to Pennsylvania and help save the world.”

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The GOP-controlled Pennsylvania Senate has approved the largest tax cut in Keystone State history, slashing taxes by $3 billion.

The proposal is a Republican rebuttal to Democrat Gov. Josh Shapiro, whose proposed $48.3 billion state budget would increase spending by $3.7 billion or 8.4 percent over the current year.

Senate Bill 269 passed the Senate in a 36-14 vote over the objections of Democratic leaders, though eight Democrats broke ranks to back the GOP proposal.

It would reduce the Personal Income Tax (PIT) rate from 3.07 percent to 2.8 percent, lowering the income tax to its pre-2004 rate.

“If you work and pay taxes, you deserve a tax cut. People should keep more of their own hard-earned money,” said Delaware Valley Sen. Jarrett Coleman (R-Bucks). “This plan could jumpstart Pennsylvania’s economy by putting $3 billion back into the pockets of taxpayers, who then could spend or invest it in our communities.”

It would also eliminate the gross receipts tax on energy, effective on January 1, 2025, providing relief from high energy costs. The 4.4 percent gross receipts tax on profits of private electric utilities is passed along to consumers.

“Cutting income taxes and the tax on energy bills is a much better option than the governor’s plan for new government spending,” said Montgomery County Sen. Tracy Pennycuick (R). “The Senate Republican Caucus plan invests $3 billion into all Pennsylvanians, by lowering their utility bills and adding more money to their paychecks – not by massive expansions of government programs.”

The state’s free-market think tank also supports the bill.

“We applaud the Senate for putting taxpayers first and passing SB 269,” said Commonwealth Foundation Senior Vice President Nathan Benefield. “Voters overwhelmingly express concerns with the rising cost of living. Simultaneously, they believe Gov. Shapiro’s proposed budget spends too much and want lawmakers to reduce wasteful government spending.

“In contrast to Shapiro’s massive, unending deficit spending and proposed energy taxes, the Senate plan would keep more money in the hands of working families while reducing energy costs,” Benefield said.

The two sides are debating what to do with the $14 billion in excess revenue Pennsylvania will have in reserve as of July 1. Shapiro has proposed major spending increases, including an additional $1 billion in public school spending. He says the GOP proposal is a sign that “Senate Republican leaders are … acknowledging that we must invest in Pennsylvania’s future,” according to a statement from his office.

Tomeka Jones-Waters, president of AFSCME Local 2587 says the tax cuts would be bad for government workers and the Pennsylvanians who rely on them for services.

“A $3 billion tax cut to public services would be detrimental for workers and their families, and to families in need of these services to survive,” Jones-Waters said. “Instead of giving tax cuts to the wealthy, invest that money in those who need it most.”

But Republicans retort that if the taxpayers have overpaid for government, that money should go back to them — not spent by politicians in Harrisburg.

“Given the state’s current financial position, I believe the most responsible thing we can do today is to give this money back to the hard-working families and small businesses I represent in Berks and Montgomery counties,” said Pennycuick.

“You can sell a drug once, but you can sell a child over and over and over again,” said Chantee Vernille with Familylinks. “Please tell your friends and your neighbors that this is something happening in every ZIP code.”

Vernille spoke to the state Senate Policy Majority Committee’s hearing on human trafficking last week. Pennsylvania is considering new laws and increased spending to address the problem.

“It is a multibillion-dollar industry thriving on the vulnerability of its victims, perpetuating the cycle of suffering,” said committee chair Sen. Dan Laughlin (R-Erie). “More than 27 million people around the world endure the appalling abuse of human trafficking and forced labor, including thousands of people right here in the United States. It is a threat to global security, public safety, and human dignity.”

Various forms include sexual exploitation, forced labor, involuntary servitude, and child exploitation, he said.

“Due to the clandestine nature of human trafficking, many cases go unreported,” Laughlin said. January is Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward (R-Westmoreland) said, “The trafficking is horrendous. It is horrible. Women and children mainly. Labor and sexual.” One of her bills signed into law last year puts traffickers on the Megan’s List registry. Pennsylvania is the first state to take that step.

She called on the legislature “to get some really strong laws passed. Because if we don’t, who is going to protect these people?”

Executive Deputy Attorney General Michele Kelly Walsh and Chief Deputy Attorney General Heather Castellino both testified before the committee. Castellino is in charge of the new Human Trafficking Section launched by Attorney General Michelle Henry to “address and bolster statewide efforts to effectively investigate and prosecute human trafficking cases and facilitate assistance for victims.”

There were 341 Pennsylvania victims or survivors of sexual trafficking who contacted the human trafficking hotline in 2021. Some 192 cases were identified, with 315 victims. Those cases included 153 sex trafficking cases, 18 forced labor cases, and eight sex and labor trafficking cases.

The victims included 129 adults, 42 minors, 154 females and 27 males. Typical venues for sex trafficking were illicit massage/spa businesses and residence-based commercial sex.

Walsh said the Attorney General’s Office has been prosecuting these cases for more than a decade. But more resources are needed because the cases are “not short term. They require trained investigators, trained prosecutors, and they require time.”

“These cases are not what you see in Hollywood,” she said. “These traffickers prey upon the vulnerable among us, typically young females.”

Victims struggle with drug addiction, homelessness, poverty, and low self-esteem. “They are chosen by these predators for a reason,” said Walsh.

Fred Woodard, director of investigations with Asservo Project, said, “A year ago, we had a young boy taken from his home in the middle of the night and driven halfway across the country.”

A predator groomed the boy through a chatroom on Discord. The Asservo Project is pioneering the use of AI facial recognition to track trafficking victims, he said.

Sidney McCoy, director of advocacy at Shared Hope International, said the group has analyzed legislation and policies in the states, and in 2023, Pennsylvania scored a ‘D.’ The “unjust criminalization” of survivors needs to stop, she said. “We will not simply prosecute our way out of this issue.”

Pennsylvania is one of 30 states that prohibit charging minors for prostitution, acknowledging that “no child engages in commercial sex by choice.”

Victims are sometimes forced into other crimes by their captors, she said. And “vulnerabilities do not end at 18.” She said she believes protection from prosecution needs to be extended to adult victims.

Brad Ortenzi, Zoe International’s regional director, said it had implemented prevention and awareness strategies in Berks and Lancaster Counties along with the district attorney offices. They train people at various agencies to identify victims of human trafficking and to prevent it. They have also taught people at hospitals, hotels, and at homeless shelters.

They match vulnerable children with a Zoe advocate for mentorship for “relational-based prevention.”

“Rarely does a child disclose they’re being trafficked,” he said.

Women who are recently released from prison are vulnerable to traffickers, he said. Zoe has developed a program to educate female inmates about the danger of being recruited into the sex trade once they are released.

John McKown with Truckers Against Trafficking said there are 3 million truck drivers in the U.S. In Pennsylvania, 170,000 truckers have been trained in “what to look for and how to report this horrible crime.”

“Before I was trained, I probably missed an opportunity or two,” he said. “I was in a rest area in Chillicothe, Ohio, taking my hours, and I had this young girl, about 16 years old, knock on my door and ask if I wanted a date. I really didn’t understand. Back then, you thought, ‘Why in the world would somebody be out there at this time of night.’ But now you know. I’m almost positive that she was being trafficked, and I didn’t do anything about it because I didn’t know.”

“Don’t have your head down, look around. If you see something that doesn’t look right, make that call. Call 911 and report this stuff. It does make a difference. Human trafficking is the greatest human rights violation of our time, and traffickers count on apathy and ignorance,” he said.

“I cannot overstate the depravity the victims of human trafficking endure,” Walsh told the committee. “The scourge of human trafficking is prolific across the commonwealth. The victims, they’re mothers, they’re daughters, there are some former military individuals, there are teachers. They could be anybody.”

The National Human Trafficking Hotline is 888-373-7888.

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Better late than never.

The state legislature on Wednesday passed the final “code” parts of the $44.4 billion 2023-2024 budget due June 30. Gov. Josh Shapiro signed it around 11 p.m.

Shapiro called his first budget “commonsense.”

The bills that make the spending work were delayed after Shapiro first signed the overall budget, and then used his line-item veto to block a $100 million plan to provide school choice vouchers to students in failing school districts—something he had promised to support while campaigning for governor.

The budget bills did include a $130 million increase in the private school tax credit program, bringing it to $470 million. That program allows businesses to help pay the tuition of needy students.

“I’m proud to stand here with leaders from both chambers and both parties to celebrate the investments we’re making together in repairs to school buildings, mental health resources for students, childcare, the first-ever statewide funding for indigent defense, and more. Today, we’re showing that when we come together, we can get stuff done for the good people of Pennsylvania,” Shapiro said.

Some highlights include $175 million for environmental repairs and upgrades in Pennsylvania schools, $100 million for student mental health, and $10 million for student-teacher stipends.

Other items are $7.5 million for public defenders, extending the 911 surcharge, and increasing the amount per line to $1.95. It includes budget deposits of $898 million into the Rainy Day Fund, bringing the balance to over $6.1 billion by the end of fiscal year 2024.

“Today, the General Assembly took the necessary final steps to conclude this year’s state budget and moved several bipartisan bills to help Pennsylvanians. We were able to increase the childcare tax credit and secure funding for community colleges while maintaining the fiscal solvency of the Commonwealth. We must all continue to work better together to ensure that Pennsylvanians have the certainty to chart a prosperous path forward,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward (R-Westmoreland).

House Speaker Joanna McClinton (D-Philadelphia/Delaware) thanked her colleagues and staff members.

The budget is “most importantly a pathway forward to all the things that we can achieve next year,” said McClinton. “It’s not lost on me, as the first woman to be speaker of the Pennsylvania House, that every single day and every single bill, I’m writing a legacy for all of the women to come.”

She pointed to additional public school funding in the wake of the 10-year funding case. Money for law enforcement and public defenders “means both public safety and changing the way justice is sought and served in our commonwealth.”

“Public schools constantly balance their obligation to provide a high-quality education to students with their responsibility to be financial stewards of local tax dollars,” said Pennsylvania School Boards Association CEO Nathan Mains. “The investments in education made in this year’s budget can reduce districts’ reliance on local property taxes and direct more resources into classrooms, rather than to costly charter school tuition and pensions.”

Americans for Prosperity-PA Deputy Director Emily Greene said, “Six months late, just before the House chamber’s two-and-a-half-month break, we’re encouraged to see that both chambers, alongside the governor, have come to an agreement on how the 2023-24 general appropriations will be spent.

“The budget included a $150 million increase in the Educational Improvement Tax Credit program, which signals a step in the right direction toward much-needed school choice right here in the commonwealth,” Greene said. “However, it’s going to take swift and transformational action to bring Pennsylvania’s students the choice and freedom they so deserve, which is why we continue to urge the legislature to consider universal school choice measures when both chambers finally return to Harrisburg in mid-March.”

Matt Brouillette, CEO of Commonwealth Partners Chamber of Entrepreneurs, said, “House Democrats single-handedly blocked the state budget for five-and-a-half months over their refusal to rescue kids from failing and violent schools. They knew they were  wrong, which is why they flip-flopped and joined Republicans in supporting a historic expansion of tax credit scholarships. Now, with 2024-2025 budget season almost here, I hope Democrats will stop their partisan games at kids’ expense and join Republicans in supporting universal educational opportunity for all Pennsylvania students.”

Separately from the main budget bill, a $33 million bill for the University of Pennsylvania’s veterinary school failed to get the two-thirds vote it needed to pass the House.

House Republican Leader Bryan Cutler (R-Lancaster) said he opposed releasing those funds because of “concerns about the way that institutional culture is.”

Even though Penn’s former president, Elizabeth Magill, resigned over her handling of antisemitism on campus and her testimony to Congress about it, “the fact that she has returned to tenured faculty actually speaks to the fact that it’s a culture problem. You can rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic. It’s still got issues, and they need to fix them.”

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Like many women, Pennsylvania Senate President Pro Tempore  Kim Ward delayed getting her annual mammogram in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

And when she did that November, her doctor told her she had Stage 1 breast cancer.

“I kept thinking, jeez, if I had my mammogram on time, would they have seen it because they did not offer me an ultrasound or an MRI even though I had fibrous breast tissue? Or if I just waited until it was due again, it would probably have been Stage 2,” said Ward (R-Westmoreland).

“As it is now, many women have to pay a co-pay for an MRI or ultrasound, depending on their insurance,” she explained, noting that could cost $600 to $1,000. In talking to women, some told her they even have to pay out of pocket. And that cost can be huge if they need to pay their rent or feed their family, she said.

Ward decided to do something about it. Senate Bill 8, which passed the Senate last year and again this year, would require insurers to cover 3D mammograms, ultrasound, and MRI testing.

“One lady said, ‘I cried that day it passed because my mother had breast cancer twice. They didn’t test her for it, and they would not pay for her to have an MRI.’”

“These are the people we’re trying to ensure get the care they need,” said Ward.

SB8 is the first-of-its-kind in the nation comprehensive breast cancer screening and testing bill that eliminates all costs associated with genetic testing and counseling. It also covers breast MRIs and ultrasounds for Pennsylvanians with high-risk conditions like dense breast tissue, a personal history of breast cancer, a family history, a genetic predisposition, or prior radiation therapy.

While undergoing treatment, Ward also learned she had the BRCA gene, meaning she was among those with an 80 percent risk of developing breast cancer. But she had to pay for that test out-of-pocket because her insurance would not cover it since her mother and sister had not had breast cancer, although her grandmother and great-aunts did.

“I had the lumpectomy,” she said. “I started chemotherapy. About my third chemo treatment, my oncologist said, ‘I’m going to order you that (genetic test). And then they wouldn’t pay for it. And I said, ‘Well, I’m going to pay for it.’”

When it came back positive, she had mastectomies because, with the BRCA gene, that is the only way to be sure the cancer would not reoccur.

“It’s truly preventive,” she said about the test. Her sons and grandchildren can be tested to be sure they don’t have the gene, which can lead to an increased risk of prostate cancer. It also increases the risk of ovarian cancer.

If SB8 is passed by the House and signed into law by Gov. Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania will become the first state to require coverage for 3D mammograms at no cost to the patient. SB8 is expected to be acted on in the House on Wednesday after being unanimously passed by the House insurance committee Monday. It would include requirements that insurers pay for the testing when prescribed.

SB8 is also the first bill of its kind to require coverage of genetic testing and counseling and breast MRI and ultrasound at no cost to women at high risk.

Ward is working with House Speaker Joanna McClinton (D-Philadelphia/Delaware) toward advancing the bill. If it becomes law, it will help 14,000 Pennsylvania women who get breast cancer each year.

“Breast cancer is a terrible disease,” said McClinton.  “The statistics are sobering with roughly 264,000 cases of breast cancer diagnosed in women and 2,400 cases in men.  For Black women, the statistics are even more alarming, as it is the number one cause of cancer death for Black women at an alarming rate of 31 percent.

“Still there is reason for hope. Due to advances in research and science, testing and genetic counseling is now available to anyone with a family history of cancer.  This will help in the fight to early cancer diagnosis.  That said, no one should have to forgo a lifesaving important screening because they cannot afford a co-pay, deductible, or co-insurance payment.   I applaud my Senate colleagues and Senate Pro Tempore Ward, herself a survivor, for introducing this legislation and I am pleased to prioritize this bill’s movement in the House,” said McClinton.

DVJournal asked Ward if she is getting pushback from health insurers.

“Maybe a little at first,” she said. “They weren’t all the way thrilled, but they’re okay now. They’re working with us.

“This is not a red or blue issue. It is a pink issue, and we need to encourage other states to follow and ensure that women are getting regular breast examinations as ‘early detection saves lives,’” said Ward.

State Sen. Tracy Pennycuick (R-Bucks/Montgomery) said, “The overwhelming support this first-in-the-nation legislation is receiving, and its swift, unanimous passage shows just how important and prevalent these issues are in Pennsylvania. There isn’t a person in our commonwealth who hasn’t been touched by breast cancer, and, like so many others, my family knows the devastating toll this disease can have. Thank you to the House insurance committee chairman and members for their quick consideration and passage of Senate Bill 8.”

“I think that all of the proposed measures will increase access to valuable tools to preserve women’s health,” said Dr. Robert Michaelson, a retired gynecologist in Montgomery County.

Ward said she is well now and cancer free since her cancer had not spread to her lymph nodes.

“Thank God it was not in my nodes,” Ward said. But the oncologist said it was on the way to spreading, she added. If she had been tested for the BRCA gene, she would have had the mastectomies, not undergone a lumpectomy first.