01/24/2012
HARRISBURG – A bill to reduce the size of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to 153 members, from the current 203 members, heads to the House floor, Speaker of the House Sam Smith (R-Jefferson/Armstrong/Indiana) said today after the bill passed out of committee.
The bill, House Bill 153, authored by Speaker Smith, passed the House State Government Committee by a vote of 18-6.
01/23/2012
Harrisburg – Speaker of the House, Rep. Sam Smith (R-Punxsutawney) opened today’s legislative session with the following statement in memoriam of former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno:
12/15/2011
In response to the tragic murders in a Philadelphia abortion clinic, Rep. Sam Smith (R-Jefferson, Indiana, Armstrong) issued the following statement on the passage of legislation that will require abortion facilities to be licensed and regulated the same as other surgical health care facilities. The measure, Senate Bill 732, now moves to the governor’s desk for his consideration.
11/10/2011
Speaker of the House Samuel H. Smith (R-Jefferson County) today released the following statement regarding the Penn State tragedy and removal of university president Graham Spanier:
11/07/2011
Rep. Sam Smith (R-Jefferson, Indiana, Armstrong) today issued the following statement relative to the future of the natural gas industry in the Commonwealth.
07/12/2011
House Speaker Sam Smith (R-Jefferson, Indiana, Armstrong) said today that a new state law begins the long overdue process of reforming our welfare system. The law targets the misuse of public dollars and seeks to eliminate inefficiencies within the Department of Public Welfare.
06/30/2011
House and Senate Republicans today announced that the General Assembly has agreed to return $50 million in surplus revenue to the Commonwealth's general fund budget in order to provide more funding for public schools across Pennsylvania.
06/29/2011
Following House passage of the 2011-12 state budget, House Speaker Sam Smith (R-Jefferson, Indiana, Armstrong) said the bill that is headed to the governor’s desk provides for prioritized state spending, creates a predictable and reliable funding stream for school districts, and was completed within the June 30 deadline.
06/20/2011
Noting the years it has taken to bring a key piece of self-defense legislation to fruition, House Speaker Sam Smith (R-Jefferson, Indiana and Armstrong) today praised the movement of the Castle Doctrine bill to the governor’s desk for signature.
04/14/2011
Following final approval in the House of Representatives, House Speaker Sam Smith (R-Jefferson/Indiana/Armstrong) last evening signed legislation repealing the mandate for sprinkler systems to be installed in all new residential homes.
03/23/2011
House Speaker Sam Smith (R-Jefferson, Indiana, Armstrong) said today he is very pleased that more than $330,000 in mine reclamation funds have been awarded to clean up the site of an abandoned mine right outside the Borough of Summerville.
03/18/2011
HARRISBURG – The state House last week overwhelmingly defeated attempts to amend Castle Doctrine legislation that allows Pennsylvania citizens to defend themselves, their homes and families. Speaker Sam Smith (R-Jefferson) said today he plans to vote in support of the Castle Doctrine (House Bill 40), when it comes before the House for a final vote in April. He said he is pleased that two proposed amendments to the bill were soundly defeated on the House floor last week.
03/08/2011
House Speaker Sam Smith issued the following statement following Governor Tom Corbett’s budget address earlier today. In that proposal, Corbett proposed a $27.3 billion budget, which is 3 percent less than the current $28.2 spending plan.
03/07/2011
House Speaker Sam Smith said today that the passage of legislation to repeal the sprinkler mandate for new homes is a significant step in the right direction.
01/12/2011
HARRISBURG – Staying outside the political box, House Speaker Sam Smith (R-Jefferson County) announced today his reappointment of Gary Sojka to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. This will be Sojka’s [pronounced soyka] third and final term on the board. He is a former Bucknell University president, biology professor and farmer.