House passes historic justice reform for child sexual assault survivors

(Feb 24, 2023)

This week, members of the House returned to Harrisburg to complete the special legislative session requested by Governor Wolf in January to finally bring justice for victims of childhood sexual abuse. House Democrats used our new majority – ultimately joined by more than half of the House Republicans – to stand up once again for the rights of survivors. Read more

 

Holding corporate polluters accountable

(Feb 17, 2023)

Dear Neighbor, On Wednesday I was back in Harrisburg meeting with my colleagues in the Democratic Caucus to prepare for our first week of session since the House recessed in early January following the cancellation of session days intended to bring justice to victims of childhood sexual abuse. In that time, House Speaker Mark Rozzi conducted a statewide listening tour, seeking input from residents and good-government advocacy groups on how to break the partisan gridlock in the House. Read more

 

2023 Web Calendar

(Feb 14, 2023)

2023 Web Calendar Read more

 

Pennsylvania's special elections are completed, what's next?

(Feb 10, 2023)

On Tuesday, Allegheny County held three special elections to fill the House seats vacated by former state representatives Tony DeLuca, Austin Davis, and Summer Lee. The General Assembly has kept a careful eye on these seats because the results of these races would determine the majority in the House. And with Tuesday’s election of Joe McAndrew, Abigail Salisbury, and Matt Gergely, the voters of Allegheny Country confirmed the Democratic House majority that was first determined in November. Read more

 

Otten announces $110,000 for local fire companies and EMS

(Feb 08, 2023)

HARRISBURG, Feb. 8 – State Rep. Danielle Friel-Otten, D-Chester, today announced that $110,000 has been approved from the Fire Company and Emergency Medical Services Grant Program for local fire and EMS companies serving the 155th Legislative District. The funding has been awarded as follows: $15,000 for Alert Fire No. 1 (Downingtown) $15,000 for East Brandywine Fire $15,000 for Glenmoore Fire Co. No. 1 $15,000 for Lionville Fire Co. $15,000 for Ludwigs Corner Fire Co. $15,000 for Minquas Fire (Downingtown) $10,000 for Minquas Fire EMS $10,000 for Uwchlan Ambulance "Our local fire companies and EMS are vital to the health and safety of our communities, and this support is needed more than ever," said Otten. "These grants will help with education, recruitment, equipment upgrades, and training and certification. We have a growing crisis in PA, and we are losing far too many EMS and firefighting professionals. I will continue to fight for state funding to ensure that our fire and EMS companies are able to train, equip and retain the courageous individuals who are committed to serving our communities.” The local funding was part of an investment of more than $31 million distributed to 2,336 applicants across the Commonwealth. Eligible projects in accordance with the 2022-23 FCEMSGP include facility upgrades, equipment, debt reduction, training and certification, education Read more

 

Working for You at Home

(Feb 03, 2023)

Dear Neighbor, The House may be adjourned until Feb. 27, but my staff and I are still working hard for you here in the district. And while we may not be voting on any legislation in Harrisburg at the moment, the time I have here in the district allows me the opportunity to hear from constituents and raise awareness around issues facing our community and our commonwealth. Read more

 

It's Time to Fix the Rules in Harrisburg

(Feb 02, 2023)

Dear Neighbor, Over the last several weeks, I have provided updates surrounding the House speakership, the scheduling of special elections for three state legislative districts in Allegheny County, and the cancellation of a special session. While I understand that the uncertainty about this ongoing situation can be very discouraging, I wanted to share some recent developments that make me hopeful we are making progress not only on the impasse in the House, but also on the broken rules that govern our business in Harrisburg. Read more

 

Celebrating the Inauguration of Gov. Shapiro and Lt. Gov. Davis

(Jan 24, 2023)

Dear Neighbor, What an exciting week to be a Pennsylvanian! On Tuesday, we bid farewell to our outgoing governor, Tom Wolf, and welcomed in a new administration with the historic inauguration of Governor Josh Shapiro and Lt. Governor Austin Davis. As we look back on the Wolf administration, while we certainly had differences of opinion or approach on some issues, we can celebrate significant progress on our shared values, putting all of us in a better collective position. For eight years, Pennsylvania has had a governor that was a staunch supporter of women’s reproductive rights (who was not afraid to use his veto stamp to defend these rights) and a leader in the fight for full and fair funding for our public schools. While there remains much work to be done, under Governor Wolf’s leadership Pennsylvania was able to expand access to voting, navigate a global pandemic, and leave Pennsylvania in a strong fiscal position by making historic deposits in our General Fund. Thank you, Governor Wolf, for your years of service to our commonwealth. Read more

 

WEEKLY E-BLAST (Jan. 13): The PA Farm Show Brings Excitement for All

(Jan 13, 2023)

Dear Neighbor, All eyes across the state are focused on baby goats, butter sculptures, and milkshakes at the Pennsylvania Farm Show this week, and I just had to see this year’s exhibits for myself. On Wednesday, I took my kids to visit the Farm Show, and it did not disappoint! It was loaded with great family fun and delicious, Pennsylvania-made food and treats. Visit if you can, before it wraps up this Saturday! We were lucky to arrive just in time to see a brand-new baby calf at the Calving Center. Another highlight for us and many others was cuddling the baby goats. If we could only get all of my colleagues in the PA House to take some time to cuddle these sweet baby goats, maybe we could all exhale, reset, and get some work done for the people of Pennsylvania. Read more

 

WEEKLY E-BLAST (Jan. 6): Big news from Harrisburg

(Jan 06, 2023)

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a chance to relax and recharge over the holidays. Read more

 

WEEKLY E-BLAST (Dec. 22): Getting ready for swearing-in day

(Dec 22, 2022)

With swearing-in less than two weeks away, the saga over control of the PA state House continues. Read more

 

WEEKLY E-BLAST (Dec. 16): Updates on the struggle for control of the PA House

(Dec 16, 2022)

The Democratic and Republican caucuses in the state House continue to vie for control of the majority for the 2023-2024 legislative session. Read more

 

WEEKLY E-BLAST (Dec. 9): Discussion on the PA House Majority

(Dec 09, 2022)

One of my top priorities as your state representative is to be as transparent as possible and to give you an inside look at how Harrisburg operates. Read more

 

WEEKLY E-BLAST (Dec. 2): New Districts Now in Effect

(Dec 02, 2022)

This Thursday, Dec. 1, marked the first day of the 2023-2024 legislative calendar and with that comes some changes to the 155th Legislative District. Read more

 

WEEKLY E-BLAST (Nov. 8): Talking about electric vehicles in Chester County

(Nov 18, 2022)

On Thursday, I was excited to attend an Electric Vehicle Summit hosted by TMACC, the Transportation Management Association of Chester County. Read more

 

WEEKLY E-BLAST (Nov. 10): The results are ALMOST in

(Nov 10, 2022)

It was great to see so many people at the polls on Tuesday as voters across the 155th Legislative District carried out their civic duty. Read more

 

WEEKLY E-BLAST (Nov. 4): Addressing the root causes of crime

(Nov 04, 2022)

Election Day is this upcoming Tuesday, Nov. 8, and your participation is more important now than ever before! Because this year, there is more on the ballot than just candidates. Read more

 

WEEKLY E-BLAST (Oct. 28): Literacy grants coming to Coatesville & Downingtown

(Oct 28, 2022)

We were back in Harrisburg this week for the last session days before Election Day. Read more

 

WEEKLY E-BLAST (Oct. 21): Working for you here in the district

(Oct 21, 2022)

Next week, we return to Harrisburg for legislative session, and this week, my staff and I have been busy here at home. Read more

 

GRANT MEMO: Nonprofit Security, Boating Facility, and Water/Sewer Funding Opportunities

(Oct 18, 2022)

STATE PROGRAMS NOW OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS: Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry: PA Industry Partnership Grant (Funding Source: General Fund) Who May Apply : Local workforce development boards, non-profit and non-governmental entities, community-based organizations, educational and post-secondary educational organizations, labor organizations, business associations, and economic development entities. Use : To identify workforce, education & training, and economic development needs, coordinate regional teams to support industry needs, identify public and community resources to address industry identified needs and increase collaboration among businesses within a targeted industry sector. Funds : Up to $250,000 per partnership. Application Deadline : October 28, 2022 More Information : Click on https://www.dli.pa.gov/Businesses/Workforce-Development/grants/Pages/default.aspx . Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency: Nonprofit Security Grant Fund Program (Funding Source: Nonprofit Security Grant Fund) Who May Apply : Non-profit organizations. Use : To support security enhancements designed to protect the safety and security of the users of a facility located in the Commonwealth that is owned or operated by the nonprofit organization. Funds : Awards between $5,000 and $150,000. Application Deadline : October 31, 2022 More Information : Click on Read more