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Electing the Speaker of the House & Healing Thoughts for a Local Rep
This week, I took the oath of office and accepted my reappointment as chair of the House Health Committee. Optimism was in the air as the General Assembly began to set up for the new session. From my position, I remain focused on improving access to quality healthcare and protecting the public health. I expect this to be a particularly eventful session in the Health Committee, where we plan to take up long overdue legislation to legalize cannabis.
Unfortunately, my colleague and friend, Rep. Matt Gergely, was unable to join us in Harrisburg as he recovers from a serious medical emergency he suffered on New Year’s Eve.
Rep. Gergely’s temporary absence during a time when Democrats have a one-seat majority had the potential to complicate the vote to elect a House speaker. In a commendable act of cooperation, the new Minority Leader, Rep. Jesse Topper, withdrew his candidacy after the first round of voting, allowing Speaker Joanna McClinton to secure the position and ensuring we could avoid the kind of gridlock we saw at the start of the last session.
While we await Matt’s return, my thoughts are with him and his family. I look forward to having his leadership and camaraderie back in Harrisburg soon.
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Community Events and Resources
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After-School Welding Lab
The Hazelwood-based Industrial Arts Workshop offers a free after-school program to teach high school students how to weld. Labs take place in the Spring and Fall for 10-week sessions. Twice per week, students in the program will meet for 90 minutes to safely create projects and hone their skills.
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the class is filled. Applicants must attend high school in the Pittsburgh area and be between 14 and 18 years old. The Industrial Arts Workshop will reach out by January 30 to notify students about participation.
Learn more and apply for the lab here.
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Baseball at Greenfield Baseball Association
Registration Deadline: Feb. 14
Greenfield Baseball Association is offering opportunities to both girls and boys of all skill levels to play baseball in the spring. Costs vary per program.
Learn more and register here.
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Free Yoga Classes at Bakery Square
Saturdays, 10:30- 11:30 a.m. | Bakery Square, the passageway connecting Bakery Square to Penn Avenue
Bakery Square offers a free yoga class every Saturday morning. Guests must provide their own yoga mat and water. Registering for the class is required.
Learn more and register here.
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7 Short Films
Saturday, January 11, 6-8 p.m. | Bottom Feeder Books, 415 Gettysburg St., Ste 1, 15206
Bottom Feeder books will be hosting a screening of short films by Pittsburgh filmmakers Frank Ferraro and Robert Buncher. Total running time roughly 50 minutes.
Learn more here.
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Carnegie Mellon Chamber Series: Vadim Gluzman @ CMU
Saturday, January 11, 7:30-9:30 p.m. | Kresge Theatre, 5000 Forbes Ave., 15213
The Carnegie Mellon School of Music will host Ukrainian-born Israeli classical violinist Vadim Gluzman for a classical music concert. Tickets are free but limited.
Learn more here.
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Winter 2025 Restaurant Week
January 12-19
Pittsburgh’s Restaurant Week features dining specials highlighting the wide-ranging dining options that Pittsburgh has to offer.
Stop by a restaurant in town that you know and love, or play ‘restaurant roulette’ on the webpage to try something new!
Learn more here.
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Gender in Mineral Names: A Record of Past and Ongoing Diversity Challenges in the Earth Sciences
Monday, January 13, 12-1 p.m. | Earth Theater, Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Hear from Chris Emproto from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, as he talks about his research showing how mineral names – dreamed up by scientists and approved by a commission – encode aspects of scientific and cultural history and reveal trends of underrepresentation in the Earth Sciences. Registration for this free event is not necessary to attend in person, but you can register to attend virtually here.
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An Evening with Local Authors for a Reading
Tuesday, January 14, 7 p.m. | Riverstone Books, 5841 Forbes Ave., 15217
Local authors Judith Dorian, Dr. Nina Padolf, Valerie Bacharach, and Matthew Ussia will share readings from their recent works. The event is free, but registration is required.
Learn more and register here.
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Zone 4 Public Safety Council Meeting
Thursday, January 16, 6:30 p.m. | JCC
The Zone 4 Public Safety Council is a monthly meeting where neighbors, police, and businesses meet to discuss the community's safety. This meeting, featuring speaker Victoria Butler from the Pittsburgh Department of Public Safety, will discuss how the city collects and uses data to analyze trends in violent crimes and individual incidents.
Learn more by reaching out to pghzone4publicsafetycouncil@gmail.com.
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PA CareerLink Job Fair
Wednesday, January 22, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. | 914 Penn Ave., Floor #6, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
PA CareerLink will be hosting a job fair open to all. Job seekers are asked to dress appropriately and bring a copy of their resume.
Learn more and register for the fair here or call Maura Spade at (412) 248-JOBS x 7038.
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Pennsylvania State Capitol
152 Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
(717) 705-1875
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District Office
2345 Murray Ave., Suite 205
Pittsburgh, PA 15217
(412) 422-1774
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