HARRISBURG, APRIL 18 – States Reps. Maureen Madden, D- Monroe, and Jeanne McNeill, D-Lehigh, are circulating a legislative memo requesting cosponsors to reintroduce their pet safety legislation. The representatives want to stop pet stores from luring customers into buying cute but expensive pets through lease agreements. Under the terms of lease contracts, customers enter into a long-term payment agreement, which often results in them paying far more than what they would have by purchasing the pet outright, with large balloon payments at the end of the lease. “Unfortunately, customers eventually discover that they were deceived when they signed the pet lease,” Madden said. “Sadly, when a customer lacks the financial ability to make a payment, their pet is repossessed and often finds its way back to a shelter.” According to the Federal Trade Commission, pet leasing is not considered illegal; however, companies may be held responsible since they have an obligation to clearly state that customers are entering into a lease agreement. “We need to protect pet owners from the unnecessary stress and trauma of losing a pet should they be unable to make payments and lose a pet due to repossession,” McNeill said. “For many of us, pets are more than just companions, they are family.” Madden said other states such as California, Nevada and New York have enacted legislation to ban the practice. Madden Read more

WHITEHALL, April 15 – State Rep. Jeanne McNeill and state Sen. Lisa Boscola invite residents to their annual Spring Senior Fair to be held from 9 a.m. to noon on April 26 at the Whitehall Mall. “We are proud to again host our annual senior fair at the Whitehall Mall,” McNeill said. “Last year, we had more than 500 seniors as well as state and local agencies at our event. The Whitehall Mall offers ample space, plenty of free parking and is accessible by LANTA bus routes 103, 325 and 602, making it a great venue and event for our community and seniors. The free event is expected to include more than 80 different vendors and will offer blood pressure screenings, vision checks, giveaways, refreshments, door prizes and more. Residents with questions or who would like more information are invited to contact McNeill’s office at 610-266-1273. Media coverage is invited. Read more

WHITEHALL, April 9 – State Rep. Jeanne McNeill, D-Lehigh, today announced her office will host its monthly veterans outreach program on April 22. A veteran’s outreach specialist from the American Legion will be present in McNeill’s office – 1080 Schadt Ave. – from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 22 to discuss programs and services available for veterans and their families, as well as the application process for the different services. The specialist also will be available to discuss pensions, other forms of compensations, educational opportunities, health care and benefits. Legion membership is not required to take advantage of this help. Those interested in meeting with the adviser must schedule an appointment through McNeill’s office at 610-266-1273 . A representative from the American Legion is usually scheduled for assistance in McNeill’s office on the third Monday of each month. This month’s event will be held on April 22 due to an American Legion scheduling conflict. Read more

HARRISBURG, April 4 – State Rep. Jeanne McNeill recently was appointed Democratic chairwoman of the House Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Economic Development. Read more

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission has scheduled public input hearings concerning a proposed rate increase request filed by UGI Utilities. PUC will hear testimony from a variety of stakeholders to determine if an increase in rates is just and reasonable. The public hearings will be held on April 22 at 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. at the Commonwealth Keystone Building in Harrisburg with a livestream available across the state. The hearings are open to the public. If you wish to participate in person, simply show up at either hearing and sign in if you wish to testify. If you wish to testify by phone at the hearings, you must contact the Office of Administrative Law Judge at 717-787-1399 no later than 4:30 p.m. on April 17. The Office of Consumer Advocate encourages all those with an interest in this matter to take part in the hearing and dialogue. If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact the PA Office of Consumer Advocate at 1-800-6560 or at consumer@paoca.org Read more

WHITEHALL, March 11 – State Rep. Jeanne McNeill, D-Lehigh, today announced her office will host its monthly veterans outreach program on March 18. A veteran’s outreach specialist from the American Legion will be present in McNeill’s office – 1080 Schadt Ave. – from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 18 to discuss programs and services available for veterans and their families, as well as the application process for the different services. The specialist also will be available to discuss pensions, other forms of compensations, educational opportunities, health care and benefits. Legion membership is not required to take advantage of this help. Those interested in meeting with the adviser must schedule an appointment through McNeill’s office at 610-266-1273 . A representative from the American Legion is regularly scheduled for assistance in McNeill’s office on the third Monday of each month. Read more

Pa. state Rep. Jeanne McNeill participated in a House Democratic Policy Committee hearing in Wilkes-Barre focused on making health care more affordable for all Pennsylvanians. Read more

Pa. state Rep. Jeanne McNeill joined the House Democratic Policy Committee in Allentown for a roundtable discussion on protecting voting rights in Pennsylvania. The roundtable focused on a new legislative package from the House Democrats titled Your Vote Counts, which would allow for early voting, additional time for absentee ballots to be submitted, time off to vote, and mail-in ballots Read more

Lt Gov. John Fetterman is conducting a statewide listening tour to hear from Pennsylvania residents about how they view proposals to legalize general adult-use marijuana. I also want to know what you think. Please provide your viewpoint and comment by filling out the form below. http://www.pahouse.com/Survey/?id=1177 Read more

WHITEHALL, Feb. 12 – State Rep. Jeanne McNeill and state Sen. Lisa Boscola today announced their annual Spring Senior Fair will be held from 9 a.m. to noon April 26 at the Whitehall Mall. “We are proud to again host our annual senior fair at the Whitehall Mall,” McNeill said. “Last year, we had more than 500 seniors as well as state and local agencies at our event. The Whitehall Mall offers ample space, plenty of free parking and is accessible by LANTA bus routes 103, 325 and 602, making it a great venue and event for our community and seniors. The free event is expected to include more than 80 different vendors and will offer blood pressure screenings, vision checks, giveaways, refreshments, door prizes and more. Any organization that would like to participate should contact Brenda Pagan in McNeill’s office at bpagan@pahouse.net . Read more