• Coming up soon: Senior Expo
• Around our Community
  • National Night Out
  • Bark in the Park
  • Farewell to our summer interns
• Our Investments into Public Education are Working
• Data Centers: the latest updates
• State News You Can Use
  • Public invited to review draft PA Wildlife Action Plan
  • PA Treasury launches new Financial Education Hub

SAVE THE DATE! Our annual Joint Senior Expo with state and local legislators and the Lackawanna County Area Agency on Aging will be held on Friday, Sept. 18, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Marketplace at Steamtown, 300 Lackawanna Ave., Scranton.

The event will feature more than 70 vendors, and you’re welcome to a free bag lunch. Parking is also free, and you can get transportation from your local senior center.

National Night Out

“Look for the helpers,” as Mr. Rogers reminded us. But in our towns, you don't have to look very far, and our local Night Out events give us a chance to thank them. Our first responders deserve our gratitude along with the most reliable, life-saving equipment and that's exactly what I'll keep securing funding for.

Thanks to one of the House bills I supported this year, the new state budget delivers a long-awaited Cost-Of-Living-Adjustment (COLA) and retirement security for police officers, firefighters, and other public servants (including teachers) who have given so much of their lives to making our towns safe.

The budget I supported also provides more funding for the grant programs that give local police departments the ability to modernize the tools and technology crucial to law enforcement, keeping them – and us – more safe in our daily lives.

Bark in the Park

I’m happy to relay that our guests at Bark in the Park – both the two-legged and four-legged variety – report they had an excellent time at this (now annual) Resource Fair!

I’m grateful to the vendors who made it both a fun and resourceful event for pet owners in our community.

Farewell to our summer interns

Speaking of Bark in the Park, it was just one of the many fantastic initiatives our back-to-back summer interns, Kyle Liparulo and Lea Giovagnoli, created to support our neighbors.

I’m so impressed with the fresh ideas and helpful spirit these two brought to our district office over the last two years. As they head back to college, I can’t wait to see the amazing things they continue to do in life. We already miss their bright presence!

Yesterday I joined Governor Josh Shapiro; the Secretary of PA’s Department of Education Dr. Carrie Rowe; and other local Lackawanna lawmakers to highlight how the 2026-27 state budget we finalized this summer will build on three years of historic progress in bolstering the commonwealth’s public schools.

We’ve increased school funding by more than $3 billion over those years, and we gathered at Neil Armstrong Elementary School to talk about the ways PA is already starting to see the beneficial impact.

The K-12 education investments in this year’s budget include:

• $1.9 billion allotted among the schools that were traditionally underfunded under previous leadership, per the bipartisan-approved equity formula that resulted from a Commonwealth Court order.
• $58 million increase to Basic Education Funding, for a total of $8.32 billion.
• $55 million increase to Special Education Funding, for a total of $1.58 billion to support students with disabilities and special needs.
• Approximately $100 million in mental health and school safety funding, ensuring every student has access to the resources and support they need to thrive.

Thanks to the changes House Democrats have been able to legislate with Governor Shapiro’s support, graduation rates across the commonwealth have risen for three years in a row, more new teachers are being certified, and Consumer Affairs has ranked Pennsylvania as one of the top states for a quality public education in the country. 

I was among the first local leaders in PA to voice opposition to the collective assault by the data center industry on our valley, and I’m relentlessly continuing to fight for laws that protect communities and establish strong safeguards.

This year, I’ve worked with my colleagues and passed numerous bills out of the House and over to the state Senate that would:

• Allow local governments to pass a “pause” or moratorium
• Ban the use of Non-Disclosure Agreements or NDAs by developers
• Create optional community standards
• Eliminate the tax break on data center equipment
• Require the disclosure of proposed water and power usage

Unfortunately, the Senate’s Republican majority has failed to act – so I was encouraged when Governor Shapiro stepped in and took action near the end of August via Executive Order. The order puts strong, commonsense requirements in place that will hold data center developers accountable and protect our communities, utility costs and environment.

Notably, it builds on the work House Democrats have already advanced through the bipartisan measures I mentioned above to give communities like ours more control, prevent electricity rate hikes, protect clean water, and more.

That said, executive action isn't the finish line. I’ll keep fighting for permanent laws that turn away irresponsible developers.

Public invited to review the draft Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan

Pennsylvania is taking another important step toward protecting its wildlife and natural resources. The Pennsylvania Game Commission and Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission have released a draft Wildlife Action Plan for public review. The non-regulatory plan provides a long-term framework for conserving native fish and wildlife, protecting important habitats, and addressing threats to species that need the most attention.

The draft identifies 858 “Species of Greatest Conservation Need,” including birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, fish, and hundreds of species of invertebrates.

Public input is an important part of the process, and Pennsylvanians are encouraged to review the draft plan and share their comments, concerns, and recommendations. You may submit those comments by clicking here; the deadline is September 19.

Whether you have expertise in conservation or simply care about Pennsylvania’s wildlife, forests, waterways, and natural resources, this is an opportunity to make your voice heard and help shape PA’s conservation efforts.

PA Treasury launches new Financial Education Hub

The PA Treasury has launched a new online Financial Education Hub, providing a centralized collection of resources to help Pennsylvanians improve financial literacy and make informed financial decisions.

The hub covers topics including budgeting, saving, retirement planning, digital assets and cryptocurrency, along with information about Treasury programs such as PA 529, Keystone Scholars and PA ABLE. Resources are tailored to groups including students, teachers, active-duty military members, veterans and older adults.

You may click here to access it.

District Office

1400 Main Street

Suite 101,
Peckville, PA 18452

(570) 383-9795

Pennsylvania State Capitol

103 Irvis Office Building

P.O. Box 202112

Harrisburg, PA 17120-2112

(717) 783-5043