Latest news with #Mastriano
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alluding to ‘chemtrail' conspiracy theory, Mastriano floats ban on climate mitigation techniques
An image from the International Space Station on May 15, 2002, shows condensation trails over France. Condensation trails-or contrails-are straight lines of ice crystals that form in the wake of jetliners where air temperatures are lower than about -40 degrees Centigrade. Scientists have observed that newer contrails are thin whereas older trails have widened with time as a result of light winds. (NASA photo) Former GOP gubernatorial nominee and state Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-Franklin) has introduced legislation seeking to ban conceptual geoengineering techniques he falsely links to the 'chemtrail' conspiracy theory. In a pitch for his bill, Mastriano associated the theoretical techniques aimed at combatting climate change have been falsely associated with the baseless conspiracy theory that some condensation trails, or contrails, left by high-flying aircraft are being used to introduce toxic substances into the atmosphere. The 'Clean Air Preservation Act' would outlaw 'solar radiation modification or sunlight reflection methods' in Pennsylvania and impose strict penalties on violators. Sen. Camera Bartolotta (R-Washington) is a cosponsor of the bill. Joshua Horton, project manager at the Harvard Solar Geoengineering Research Program, told the Capital-Star that research behind solar geoengineering aims to identify ways to mitigate climate change by reflecting sunlight back into space. Solar geoengineering methods are largely conceptual and there is little evidence to suggest these methods would harm the environment or public health. 'To be clear, there is no geoengineering going on. There's no solar radiation modification going on,' Horton said. 'So to the extent that this bill is premised on the belief that it's happening, it's just factually incorrect.' In a memo in December seeking support for the bill, Mastriano said the 'release of unknown, experimental, and potentially hazardous substances into the atmosphere without the consent of the people of Pennsylvania is a clear violation of Article 1, Section 27 of the PA Constitution.' He has previously proposed similar legislation. Mastriano's memo also cited a 2023 White House report on potential future solar geoengineering research, falsely claiming it proves the federal government 'may conduct solar radiation modification or geoengineering experiments involving the release of air contaminants into the atmosphere, and those activities may occur within the Commonwealth.' That report 'focused on potential research and its governance, not authorizing any deployment or specific activities,' according to Michael Thompson, managing director at the nonprofit Alliance for Just Deliberation on Solar Engineering. 'The report explicitly aimed to guide how research could be approached and managed, emphasizing transparency and risk assessment, and to reduce the risk that research is perceived as a step towards inevitable deployment.' Thompson's organization seeks to promote 'just and inclusive deliberation' on the research and possible future employment of solar geoengineering. He told the Capital-Star that controversy surrounding the theoretical practice is 'amplified when state-level discussions wrongly link scientific inquiry into solar geoengineering with debunked 'chemtrail' hoaxes.' 'For solar geoengineering, public concern is understandable,' Thompson said. 'People rightly want to know what is being researched and would be alarmed by pollutants being added to the skies for nefarious reasons, but that's just not happening.' A spokesperson for Mastriano did not respond to requests for comment. On May 31, Mastriano held a virtual roundtable to rally support for the bill, which is awaiting consideration in the Senate Agriculture & Rural Affairs committee. Jolie Diane, who runs a website called Zero Geoengineering, called in from California to give a presentation riddled with falsehoods on 'weather modification policy and the governance of geoengineering experimentation.' Diane has a history of lobbying state legislatures to ban solar geoengineering. She does not hold any scientific credentials, despite Mastriano calling her a 'leading expert in weather modification.' During the roundtable, which garnered thousands of views across social media platforms, Mastriano rallied against theoretical methods such as stratospheric aerosol injection. Horton explained that stratospheric aerosol injection, or SAI, is a conceptual solar geoengineering method that would involve aircraft introducing aerosols into the upper atmosphere to 'reflect a small fraction of incoming sunlight back to space.' 'It's pretty simple technology, but it doesn't exist yet. It's been explored almost exclusively through computer models,' he said. 'The research tends to show it would produce net benefits globally.' Mastriano also spoke against cloud seeding, a common practice employed for decades to increase rainfall that would be banned under the bill. A 1967 state law already requires anyone who wants to try cloud seeding to apply for a license from the state Department of Agriculture. No one has ever applied for this license, nor has the state's agriculture department ever investigated unauthorized cloud seeding, press secretary Shannon Powers said in an email. While cloud seeding is not practiced in Pennsylvania, 'there are … cloud seeding weather modification activities that have been ongoing for 75 years, and involve putting silver iodide in clouds to enhance rainfall,' Horton said. 'A lot of small counties all over the west, and places beyond the U.S., pay for services for pilots to go up there and spray this stuff.' Mastriano and Diane both alluded to the debunked 'chemtrail' conspiracy theory, which alleges that nefarious actors are spraying toxic substances into the atmosphere via contrails created by high-flying aircraft. He claimed that normal contrails should dissipate within minutes, falsely suggesting that if contrails are visible for longer, it's an indication they are infused with toxic substances. According to the National Weather Service, contrails form as hot, moist air from an aircraft's engine mixes with freezing outside air. That moisture condenses and forms a contrail, which can be visible for hours depending on factors like humidity and wind. 'These clouds are not part of a global conspiracy,' Thompson said. 'Lawmakers know better than this and should do minimal homework before bringing bills to their legislative bodies.' Mastriano has a history of sharing 'chemtrail' misinformation. In a November 2022 Facebook post, he shared a photo of contrails with the caption, 'I have legislation to stop this … Normal contrails dissolve / evaporate within 30-90 seconds.' 'When these bills appear, given there is no active nefarious geoengineering taking place … one has to assume they are brought forward primarily for political reasons, rather than a misunderstanding of the facts,' Thompson said. 'We worry that these kinds of politically motivated legislative efforts, by fostering confusion and fear, make such nuanced and forward-looking consideration far less possible.' Similar legislation restricting solar geoengineering has been proposed in more than two dozen states. Tennessee lawmakers passed a law banning the practice last year. 'We are concerned generally that legislation aimed at governing or banning non-existent activities, such as non-existent chemtrails, disempowers and distracts rather than enabling citizens to engage with decisions being made now that will impact them in the future,' Thompson said.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Doug Mastriano believes he'd win a Republican Pennsylvania Governor primary, if he runs
(WHTM) – Pennsylvania State Senator Doug Mastriano has already won one Republican gubernatorial primary, and he thinks he could win again. Mastriano has been publicly weighing whether to mount a second campaign for Governor in 2026. He says his team is still in place from the 2022 run, where he won a nine-candidate primary with 44%, but lost to Josh Shapiro (D) by 800,000 votes. This week, Mastriano said if he enters the Republican primary race, 'we're gonna win it.' A retired Army colonel and combat veteran, Mastriano says he's done an 'after action review' on his 2022 loss and says he's identified 'several places where we missed strategically.' Mastriano has also noted that he would support mail-in voting in a potential gubernatorial run, noting he lost a significant portion of the non-Election Day voting in 2022. While he has not made a final decision on whether to run, Mastriano has previously said he and his wife are praying over the decision. Congressman Dan Meuser, who represents more than a dozen counties in Pennsylvania's central and northeast regions, acknowledged earlier this month that he is considering a run for Governor. Congressman Dan Meuser has said he is also considering a run for Governor and State Treasurer Stacy Garrity has ramped up fundraising while saying she will make a decision on a potential gubernatorial run in a few months. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pennsylvania Senator looks to designate Christian holy day as holiday
PENNSYLVANIA (WTAJ) — A Pennsylvania Senator announced plans to introduce legislation that would bring a new holiday to the Commonwealth. The legislation, authored by Senator Doug Mastriano, would designate Good Friday, which falls on April 18 this year, as a state holiday. Mastriano argued that it is time for Pennsylvania to 'align' itself with other states such as New Jersey, Delaware, North Carolina, Kentucky and Texas which have already taken the steps to 'honor and preserve our religion and cultural heritage.' The legislation argues that recognizing Good Friday would: Honor the faith of millions of Pennsylvanians, reflecting the deep spiritual and historical importance of this day in Christian communities across our Commonwealth Support family and community life, by giving people the opportunity to gather for reflection, worship, and observance without conflict with school or work obligations Promote cultural literacy and understanding, especially for younger generations, by officially acknowledging a holiday that has been part of the global Christian tradition for over 2,000 years Encourage values such as compassion, sacrifice, humility, and hope, which are universally meaningful and align with the moral foundation of many civic and religious traditions Uphold the legacy of religious freedom and respect, a cornerstone of Pennsylvania's identity since its founding by William Penn Bring consistency to school and government observances, as many institutions already close or operate on limited schedules on Good Friday—this legislation would simply formalize an already common practice 'By designating Good Friday as an official state holiday, we reaffirm our commitment to honoring the beliefs of our citizens and preserving the values that have guided Pennsylvania for generations,' Mastriano wrote. Good Friday is observed as the day when Jesus Christ was arrested at the Garden of Gethsemane and crucified on Golgotha in Jerusalem in the Christian faith. Mastriano noted in his bill that Good Friday 'is more than a historic event —it represents the foundation of their faith, symbolizing the greatest act of sacrifice and the path to spiritual redemption and salvation.' The legislation notes that 73% of Pennsylvania are Christians, however, it is important to add that the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan American think tank based in Washington D.C., puts that number closer to around 62%. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pennsylvania Senate passes bill targeting fentanyl dealers
(WHTM) — The Pennsylvania Senate passed a bill that aims to crack down on drug dealers who sell fentanyl resulting in fatal overdoses. Senate Bill 92, sponsored by State Senator Doug Mastriano (R-33), would enforce stricter penalties on drug dealers who sell fentanyl that results in the victim overdosing and dying. Individuals convicted of the crime would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison under the bill. The penalty would not apply to drug users who share drugs with friends, family, or individuals seeking medical assistance for people who overdose, according to Mastriano. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now The bill, also known as Tyler's Law, was named after Tyler Shanafelter, a young Pennsylvanian who lost his life after purchasing a laced Percocet, Mastriano said. 'It is my duty as a legislator to do everything I can to stem this ever-increasing scourge on our loved ones. My bill would send a strong message that those fueling the opioid crisis will face severe consequences,' Mastriano said. 'I look forward to it becoming law, serving as a legacy for Tyler, his family and other families who have lost loved ones – and it helping to prevent other families from experiencing that harrowing loss.' The bill will now move to the House of Representatives for consideration. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pa. Senator looks to ‘safeguard' elections by requiring citizenship proof
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WTAJ) — A Pennsylvania Senator announced plans to introduce legislation that aims to protect the rights of eligible U.S. citizens to participate in local, state and federal elections. The legislation, authored by Sen. Doug Mastriano, is designed to enhance the transparency of elections by requiring proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Currently, the Commonwealth does not require proof of citizenship as part of voter registration. When registering to vote, residents would be asked to provide one of the following: U.S. Passport U.S. Birth Certificate Naturalization Certificate Certificate of Citizenship U.S. Government-Issued Photo Identification (with U.S. citizenship designation) Those looking to register to vote would be required to submit documentation at the time of registration, which would then be verified by the Pennsylvania Department of State if Mastriano's bill passed. The Senator argues that the process would 'safeguard the rights of U.S. citizens' and could bring the following potential benefits: Clear and consistent voter eligibility requirements foster trust in the election process and ensure that all participants meet the necessary legal standards Given that federal law already restricts non-citizens from voting in federal elections, this requirement would align Pennsylvania's state elections with these federal standards, promoting consistency across all levels of government Ensuring that only U.S. citizens vote in elections is essential to maintaining the credibility and fairness of our electoral system Although voter fraud is a rare occurrence, requiring proof of citizenship serves as an added safeguard to prevent ineligible individuals from participating in the electoral process 'By requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration, we will take a significant step toward preserving the democratic process, reinforcing public confidence, and safeguarding the fairness of our elections,' Mastriano wrote. It is important to note that when registering to vote for the first time, the website does ask for the person's Pennsylvania driver's license or PennDOT ID card number. If the applicant does not have either of those, the website advises that the county the person resides in will be in contact with them to help complete the application. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
