As the nation prepares to remember and honor the 20th anniversary of September 11, and in light of recent studies linking firefighters to increased rates of cancer, heart-related diseases and suicide, state Reps. Dan Miller, D-Allegheny, and Jennifer O’Mara, D-Delaware, are introducing a bill that would set up a new state grant program to cover the costs of annual medical examinations for all firefighters in the commonwealth. Read more
Twenty years ago, our country was forever changed when thousands of Americans lost their lives from a senseless act of terror. Read more
SPRINGFIELD, Aug. 30 – State Rep. Jennifer O’Mara, D-Delaware, submitted a public comment regarding Aqua Pennsylvania’s attempt to increase their water and sewer rates, explaining the increase would create serious financial hardships for many who are already struggling. “Many Pennsylvanians are still recovering from COVID-19’s economic impact last year and catching up on utility bills. Furthermore, countless Delaware County residents must now pay higher property taxes because of the reassessment,” O’Mara said. “A rate hike would just push those struggling financially back even farther and create unnecessary hardships for working families and seniors living on fixed incomes.” Aqua provides water and wastewater services to more than 490,000 Pennsylvanians, mostly in Philadelphia’s collar counties. Their proposed rate increase would raise nearly half a million people’s water bills by 17% and sewer bills by 33%. “Aqua raised their rates just two years ago, so it’s difficult to justify another drastic increase so soon after a year of financial hardship for many,” O’Mara said. “I strongly urge PUC to reject Aqua’s request for a rate hike and put the people of Pennsylvania first.” O’Mara encourages Aqua customers to voice their concerns by sending a letter to the PUC at P.O. Box 3265, Harrisburg, PA 17105. Additional information is Read more
Earlier this week, Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine received FDA approval. Read more
SPRINGFIELD, Aug. 20 – State Rep. Jennifer O’Mara, D-Delaware, presented Morton-Rutledge Fire Co. with a $15,000 check, which will go toward the purchase of a HURST eDraulic Jaws of Life tool. The Jaws of Life are a rescue tool commonly used to assist in car accidents, especially when someone is trapped inside a vehicle. The grant awarded will also cover the cost a back-up battery, extending the tool’s life. “When emergency responders get to the scene of a car crash, time is of the essence and just a few seconds can be the difference between life and death,” O’Mara said. “The Jaws of Life help first responders act as quickly and safely as possible to rescue those in danger. Having this tool available will help Morton-Rutledge Fire Company members better respond to these life-threatening situations.” O’Mara added that Morton-Rutledge did not have this tool prior to being awarded the grant. Photos of O’Mara presenting the check and of the Jaws of Life can be found on her website: https://www.pahouse.com/OMara/PhotoGallery?g=4918 . For more information, residents may call O’Mara’ s office at (610) 544-9878. Read more
Delaware County is now considered a "community of substantial transmission" for the coronavirus as the Delta variant rampantly spreads throughout the nation. Read more
My office has heard from many people who have been victims of identity theft via Pennsylvania’s unemployment compensation program. Read more
Rep. O'Mara's summer newsletter including information on this year's budget, legislative progress, upcoming events and more. Read more
HARRISBURG, July 22 – State Rep. Jennifer O’Mara, D-Delaware, and members of the PA House Democratic Caucus’ Southeast Delegation authored a letter to Gov. Tom Wolf in April detailing the need to increase nursing homes’ minimum direct care hours. On Wednesday, July 21, the governor and secretary of health included this measure in their proposed revisions to the state’s nursing home regulations. The legislators’ letter dated April 15, 2021, advocates for the Pennsylvania Department of Health to increase minimum direct care hours in long-term care facilities from 2.7 to 4.1. O’Mara added that skilled nursing facility regulations have not been updated in more than 20 years. “Residents of long-term care facilities are burdened by this antiquated minimum established by the commonwealth. By increasing the amount of care they receive each day, we can simultaneously address the high turnover rate and consistent understaffing of Pennsylvania’s nursing homes and work toward creating manageable workloads that deliver high-quality care to residents,” O’Mara said. Secretary of Health Alison Beam noted that this is the first in a series of five packages of proposed nursing home regulations. The Pennsylvania Department of Health plans to submit the final-form regulations once all five packages of updates move through the state’s regulatory review process. “The COVID-19 pandemic showed us how Read more
Over the last week, my office received lots of calls and questions about the county-wide reassessment process as tax bills began hitting mailboxes. Read more
What was the county reassessment process and why did it happen? The county was ordered by the courts to conduct a county wide reassessment of all commercial and residential properties. The last time this was done in Delaware County was 1999. In 2017, the process began when Delaware County Council selected the assessment company to complete the process (Tyler Technologies). It’s important to note that Tyler is one of few companies able to handle the reassessment of a county of our size. What was the purpose of the county wide reassessment? The reassessment was supposed to more equitably distribute the tax burden based on July 1, 2019 property values. It did that across the County. It doesn't mean that every property is appropriately assessed. It means that when tested against market sales data, on a county wide basis, the reassessment met the contractual requirements that were put in place to satisfy state constitutional requirements. What can I do about my taxes if I think the reassessment is off? Some houses and even some neighborhoods could be off. The best way to address that is by appealing your assessment. The deadline for this year's bills has passed, but you can appeal for next year by submitting a short form by Aug. 1. There are no fees for 2022 appeals. You can find the information for how to appeal the assessment by calling the county chief reassessor’s office at 610-891-5127 by visiting Read more
SPRINGFIELD, July 7 – State Rep. Jennifer O’Mara, D-Delaware, applauded seven local emergency service companies for securing a collective $84,467 through Pennsylvania’s Fire Company and Emergency Medical Service Grant Program. Funding has been distributed as follows: Broomall Fire Company: $15,000 Marple Township Ambulance Corps: $8,993 Morton Rutledge Fire Co.: $12,589 Radnor Fire Co. of Wayne: $15,000 Radnor Fire Co. of Wayne (EMS): $8,993 Springfield Fire Co.: $14,906 Villanova Emergency Medical Services: $8,984 “Fire and EMS companies were hit particularly hard last year by shutdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. These organizations lost opportunities to host fundraisers that they heavily rely on every year, so I’m proud to help bring this money home for our first responders,” O’Mara said. Examples of projects that funds may be used toward include training and certification of members, construction/renovation to company buildings, debt reduction, recruitment efforts and fire prevention educational materials for the public. “My father was a firefighter for 25 years with the Philadelphia Fire Department, so ensuring that Pennsylvania’s emergency responders are taken care of and able to effectively do their jobs is one of my biggest priorities,” Read more
Late Friday evening, the General Assembly approved a $40 billion budget and sent it to the governor for his signature into law. Read more
The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry recently rolled out its updated unemployment compensation system. Read more
SPRINGFIELD, June 9 – State Rep. Jennifer O’Mara, accompanied by Delaware County’s 10 other state representatives, will present an official House citation to Delaware County recognizing the annual celebration of Delco Day. The citation will be presented at this year’s host for Delco Day festivities, Marty Magee’s Irish Pub, 1110 Lincoln Ave., Prospect Park. Live music and activities will take place from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday, June 12 into Sunday, June 13. A play on the county’s area code, Delco Day is traditionally recognized on June 10. Every year, Delco residents commemorate their community’s strong and resilient spirit by fundraising for a local charity with the help of Delco Live. This year, money raised from Delco Day festivities will benefit the HEADstrong Foundation, which provides housing to cancer patients and their families. “June 10, or 6/10, is an annual celebration of all things Delco. Whether you live in Springfield or Drexel Hill, Media or Prospect Park, it’s a day to applaud and recognize everything that unites us and truly makes us a community,” O’Mara said. “All of Delco’s state reps, both Democratic and Republican, came together to commemorate this special day with a citation from the state House of Representatives as a symbol of the sense of unity behind the observation.” O’Mara has introduced resolutions this session and in the two Read more
It feels as if we’ll finally be able to put the COVID-19 pandemic behind us sooner than later. Mitigation measures will lift in just a few days on Memorial Day and half of Pennsylvania adults are fully vaccinated. Read more
SPRINGFIELD, May 11 – State Rep. Jennifer O’Mara, D-Delaware, will host a virtual town hall discussing problem gambling and gaming among teens and young adults this Thursday. This event will take place over Zoom and be livestreamed on O’Mara’s legislative Facebook page at 7 p.m. May 13. Those interested in attending must pre-register here: https://bit.ly/2RmCx0s . “Substance use disorders take many forms and do not discriminate,” O’Mara said. “Speakers from local organizations will go over the signs to look for in teens and young adults that could indicate problem gambling. We’ll also share tips on how to start difficult conversations and help loved ones move forward.” O’Mara will be joined by presenters from Springfield Cares, KeyStone Center and Holcomb Behavioral Health. For more information, call O’Mara’s office at (610) 544-9878. Read more
We are less than two weeks away from the May 18 primary election. On the ballot, you’ll see four questions – three of which are state constitutional amendments. Read more
Vaccine eligibility has officially expanded to every Pennsylvania resident 16 or older. Read more
MORTON, April 21 – State Rep. Jennifer O’Mara, D-Delaware, today announced that Morton Borough received a $97,464 grant to retrofit the stormwater basin on County Lane. O’Mara said that the stormwater basin is no longer functional and poses a hazard due to its location behind a residential neighborhood. This grant will go toward the installation of a rain garden on Sycamore Avenue to help capture runoff from the site, and install a bioswale adjacent to the Morton Borough municipal complex woodlot on Sycamore Avenue. “Regulating stormwater runoff like this has the potential to greatly improve Darby Creek’s water quality. This is a worthwhile investment into both public safety and environmental preservation,” O’Mara said. “I’ve heard from dozens of Morton Borough residents impacted by the historic flooding over the last few summers, and I’m pleased to share that this funding will help address that.” Funding comes from the Commonwealth Financing Authority’s Watershed Restoration Protection Program . For more information, constituents can call O’Mara’s office at (610) 544-9878. Read more
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