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Articles by Sen. Dan Laughlin
Senate advances bills on game warden warrants, snagging fish in Pa.
One bill requires game wardens to have a warrant to enter private property, posted or not. • Another bill increases the fine for illegally snagging or foul-hooking fish. • Both bills, introduced by Sen. Dan Laughlin, now move to the full Senate for consideration. Senate bills that require state game wardens to have a warrant to enter any private property and a bill to increase the fine for illegally snagging fish advanced Sept. 29 out of committee.
Pennsylvania bill could increase fines for snagging fish like trout
Brian Whipkey Pennsylvania Outdoors Columnist March 18, 2026, 5:03 a.m. ET The legislation, introduced by Sen. Dan Laughlin, would raise the fine from $150 to $250. This change is supported by the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission to protect species like steelhead and large trout. A bill has been introduced in the Senate to increase the penalties for anglers who intentionally foul hook or snag a fish in Pennsylvania. Sen.
Senator proposes semi-automatic rifles for big game, says Pa. hunters are in 'heydays'
Brian Whipkey Pennsylvania Outdoors Columnist A Pennsylvania state senator is proposing a bill to allow semi-automatic rifles, limited to a three-round capacity, for deer hunting. The Pennsylvania Game Commission is currently neutral on the bill, pending review of the introduced legislation. This proposal follows recent expansions of Sunday hunting and aims to improve hunter opportunities and license sales.
Yes, human trafficking is in Pa.
January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month and although it would be easier to ignore it, human trafficking is very real and close to home. Your television is flooded with reports of sex trafficking rings on private islands, but the grim reality is there’s human trafficking happening down your street. According to the Department of Homeland Security, human trafficking is defined as the use of force, fraud or coercion to obtain some type of labor or sex act.
Sen. Dan Laughlin: Let’s give every registered voter equal chance to vote in every election
In a few weeks, Pennsylvanians will head to the polls to judge who is the most qualified to sit on the bench of the state’s highest courts, with several Republican and Democratic candidates filing to run for Supreme, Superior and Commonwealth court openings.
Guest Opinion: It’s time for both sides to get real, and that’s not with an audit
Sen. Dan Laughlin The emerging spectacle of a state senator trying to audit Pennsylvania’s 2020 election absent credible evidence of fraud, isn’t going to change the 2020 outcome and will only further the paranoid atmospherics, poisoning both parties. I’m a Republican. I believe in my party’s core values: personal liberty, free markets, and economic opportunity.
Guest Opinion: It’s time for both sides to get real, and that’s not with an audit Original
Sen. Dan Laughlin The emerging spectacle of a state senator trying to audit Pennsylvania’s 2020 election absent credible evidence of fraud, isn’t going to change the 2020 outcome and will only further the paranoid atmospherics, poisoning both parties. I’m a Republican. I believe in my party’s core values: personal liberty, free markets, and economic opportunity.
A look back at the 2019-20 Legislative Session
The start of a new year marks the beginning of the 2021-22 Legislative Session – which makes this an appropriate time to look back at the 2019-20 Session. Overall, a total of 1,330 bills were introduced in the Senate during the 2019-20 Session. In addition, 2,868 bills were introduced in the House of Representatives over the course of the two-year Session.
Reviewing 2019’s legislative accomplishments
The start of a new year marks the beginning of the second half of the 2019-20 Legislative Session – which makes this a good time to provide an update on the legislative activities of the previous year. Nearly 1,000 bills were introduced in the Senate in 2019 – including 15 that I introduced. More than 2,000 bills were introduced in the House of Representatives over the course of the year.
Senate honors 100th anniversary of Women’s Suffrage Amendment
I am pleased to report that the Senate recently adopted Senate Resolution 147, a measure I introduced that commemorates the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which granted women the right to vote. Today, the impact of that landmark amendment has faded somewhat as society has seemingly forgotten the uphill battle against millennia of chauvinistic history waged by dedicated women such as Susan B. Anthony, Alice Paul, Carrie Chapman Catt and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
New state budget stresses improved school safety initiatives
In a surprising change of events from the past several years, the General Assembly and the governor were able to not only reach an agreement on a state budget, but we were actually able to put the spending plan in place a full week ahead of the June 30 deadline.The General Appropriations Fund budget for Fiscal Year 2018-19, enacted as Act 1A of 2018, increases state support for education and maintains the core responsibilities of state government without a tax increase.
Countdown to budget deadline underway
As we move into the season where spending a day on Presque Isle certainly trumps sitting around indoors, the big issue facing state government is finalizing a budget for the 2018-19 Fiscal Year that begins on July 1.That means that over the coming weeks the Legislature and the governor are obligated to reach an agreement on two key issues. We must determine how much revenue the state expects to take in from July 1 of this year through June 30 of 2019.
Veterans Expo set for May 24 at Gannon
It is my pleasure to announce that once again, along with the Erie County Vietnam Veterans Memorial, I will be presenting the Veterans Resource and Job Expo on May 24.
Guest Column: Erie breakwaters are best unseen
We are truly fortunate to live in a region where we can – in some cases, literally – look out our windows and enjoy the splendor of a colorful sunset over Presque Isle and Lake Erie. There are many reasons, not just the splendid sunsets that lure an estimated 5 million visitors to Erie each year.Presque Isle is a tremendous natural resource and a place that offers a variety of recreational opportunities year-round.
Guest Column: Train inmates to bolster volunteer firefighter ranks
We've come a long way as a commonwealth and as a nation since Ben Franklin organized the Union Fire Company, the first volunteer service in America, in December 1736. But, while the years pass, the job, the service and the dedication remain constant.Whether they are fighting fires or responding to traffic accidents, these everyday heroes are there when we need them.
Guest Column: Region must use new petro-chemical plant to economic advantage
A new year offers new opportunities. Welcome to 2018! As the state senator for the 49th Senatorial District of Pennsylvania, it is my honor to share with you some information on what’s happening in Harrisburg and the efforts your elected officials are putting forth to make sure Pennsylvania rides a new economic wave surge.My colleagues and I are exploring potential job growth wherever possible.
From the Editors: Decisions made and plans forged
Erie’s mayoral primary consumed our thoughts for months. Worries and fears that the wrong person would be elected to lead our city gave rise to a growing sense of urgency. What would our future hold? When the dust settled on Tuesday night, May 16, two victors emerged. By a healthy margin, Erie selected Joe Schember as their Democratic candidate for mayor. On the Republican side, John Persinger won with almost two-thirds of the vote. We think Erie will be in good hands.
From the Editors: April 26, 2017
Industry is what drives our national economy. It can be the very reason why cities spring into existence, or the reason they decay and crumble. The success or decline of a community is ultimately dependent upon its businesses. We’ve watched as the jobs left. We watched as careers capable of supporting a prosperous working class faded away. The promise of job creation became a rallying cry for two Republican presidential campaigns in a row. The second time around, it helped win the office.
Short Film Champions Hope for “Our Erie”
Pulling few punches, a new collaborative video offers a realistic look at our city’s future. Entitled “This is Our Erie,” the video was produced as an honest response to a national statement. Within a relatively short time, several videos have been produced using Erie as a focus. Painting the narrative of a rust belt city on the decline, one video from CBSNews.com declared Erie to be a “sinking ship.” Needless to say, many Erie residents sprung to the defense of their hometown.
Exile on State Street: March 29, 2017
Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm. – Publilius Syrus Well, it’s good to return to the Erie Reader after an almost 16-month absence. And what better time? The upcoming spring primary, at least for the City of Erie, has epic consequences. I could not just stand by and let this happen without giving some input.
Our City’s Other Election
Most political talk in Erie today focuses on the change about to occur at 626 State Street. More specifically, most of that talk centers around who’ll occupy the fifth floor of City Hall after November’s general election. In case you haven’t read past issues of the Erie Reader, followed Erie Times-News coverage, or tuned in to Erie News Now or WJET-TV, or have been residing under a rock at Wintergreen Gorge, or burying your head in the sands of Presque Isle, Erie will elect a new mayor this year.
Harrisburg Happenings: March 29, 2017
This month, I would like to explain why I recently voted in the Senate Labor & Industry Committee against a $15 million transfer from the Unemployment Compensation Fund to the Service and Infrastructure Improvement Fund (SIIF), and address misinformation presented in a recent statement by a labor organization.
A New Shared Vision for Erie
Jobs. Crime. Education. These are the three concerns I hear most frequently while meeting with Erie residents. I am running for mayor because I can’t continue to watch as people leave Erie for better jobs. I can’t watch another story on the evening news about our children shooting each other or overdosing. I can’t watch our neighbors struggle to invest in their homes while houses, schools, and streets crumble around them.
Hear the Call - Erie Reader
The theater is dark, but there is always a group of people inside; fixing a door, vacuuming the hallway, stocking refreshments, reading over a script for the next show, preparing for another show. Backstage, a woman, a volunteer actor, sits quietly, harnessing all of her energy for the stage. The week before, she had been in a hospital bed, devastated that she would miss a performance. She never misses a performance. Shows do not get canceled and tickets are not returned.
From the Editors: March 1, 2017
This year, we’re quickly learning to expect the unexpected. All bets are off. It was 77 degrees in February. In Erie. If you think something is going to be a certain way, chances are it won’t. Life presents new changes around the corner every day. Some of these things are fun and interesting, and are received by us with open arms, a welcome reprieve to everyday stresses. Some are the opposite. New changes come, too often, in the form of tragedy. Lives are cut short, forever altering those around them.
Sinkane // Life & Livin’ It
For his sixth record, Ahmed Gallab shows no signs of slowing down. Gallab, the musician behind Sinkane, was born in London and lived in the Sudan, later growing up in Kent, Ohio. Having played in bands such as the Born Ruffians, Of Montreal, Yeasayer, and Caribou, he’s made a name for himself around the globe. His worldly history shows in his music. A potent blend of Afrobeat and indie rock, Life & Livin’ It is undeniably enjoyable.
A Dozen Erie Artists Against Teen Violence
Now in its fifth year, the Community Call for Peace is a chance for a wide variety of local musicians to unite for a good cause. Benefitting Mothers Against Teen Violence (MATV), the concert brings together 12 local acts for one evening. Headed by Erie City Councilwoman Sonya Arrington, MATV works directly with at-risk youth, trying to curb violence at an early age. The group began the Leadership Empowerment Accountability Diversity (LEAD) program, which meets at the Booker T.
Harrisburg Happenings: March 1, 2017
On Tuesday, Feb. 7, Gov. Tom Wolf gave his budget address before a joint session of the General Assembly to provide a broad overview of his proposed $32.3 billion state budget for Fiscal Year 2017-18, which begins on July 1. Overall, the governor’s proposal represents a $571.5 million (1.8 percent) increase in spending, including $200 million more for pre-K through grade 12 education statewide.
Andrea Arnold’s Films Show Us Teens with Nothing to Lose
The last few years have given us a series of films about young people grabbing the American Dream by the throat and shaking it until it gives them everything they want. Films like Spring Breakers and The Bling Ring – and now Andrea Arnold’s American Honey – depict rebellious teens seeking out what they desire in any way possible.
Harrisburg Happenings: February 1, 2017
We are barely into the 2017-18 Legislative Session and several matters are already on the Senate’s list of issues to be addressed. One major issue that hits home in Erie County involves the “host fees” that casinos pay to counties and municipalities to offset the costs of the public services provided. The system was thrown into turmoil last September when the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled the Local Share Assessment (LSA) unconstitutional.
The Dirt on Jessica Harrington at Signature Landscapes
Some of us dig our jobs. Some feel like the work is nothing more than shoveling fertilizer all day long. Some feel like a lone woman toiling in a man’s world. Jessica Harrington’s workplace is all of the above. Harrington is the owner of Signature Landscapes, which she runs out of her home near Penn State Behrend. She’s among the less than 2 percent of women who own landscaping businesses in the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Erie At Large: January 18, 2017
Here we sit. It’s the eve of the presidential inauguration and still we search for explanations for the election that preceded it. For the second time in 16 years, the Electoral College undermined the popular vote, and for the first time – in my lifetime, at least – the country has elected a candidate based not on his merits, but instead upon the disdain they held for his opponent, Hillary Clinton.
Erie Gems - Erie Reader
I arrive at the trailhead midmorning on a Sunday. Snow blankets the ground and the wind calls out with eerie howls as it whips through long stretches of black oak savanna on the horizon. A low and distant rumbling churns beneath it all. Moments before, I was westbound on Route 5, the sounds of traffic and city all too present. Now I am a lifetime away – solo on the tundra marching forward, I hear only the great roar of something wild ahead.
Essential Winter Hiking Gear
One way to build a lasting and positive relationship with our gem of a region is to access the abundance of wild places that rejuvenate and recharge the spirit. One simply must commit to get out and discover these special places. Winter is here, but that definitely doesn’t deal a deadly blow to the hiking season. Late fall and now winter deliver some of the best hiking conditions of the year: no mosquitos, low humidity, peak foliage – perfect.
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