Happy almost Spring, 168th!
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I know the last few days may not seem like it, but warmer weather is on the horizon, and that makes me very happy.
Team 168 has had an incredibly busy two weeks since I last wrote—crisscrossing the district to meet with residents, talk with small business owners, cheer on our students, and celebrate collaborations designed to enhance the services offered across our county. From advocacy to programming, you can always find someone from the team out and about in the community.
Next week we are back in Harrisburg, and we already have so much on the docket! I am excited to have legislation running in the House Education Committee, part of which was inspired by a neighbor in Newtown. House Bill 2285 would address the outdated school healthcare reimbursement structure. Designed in the 90s, it no longer reflects what schools are doing to meet the health challenges of the 21st century. It also allows for most cyber charter schools to receive more in reimbursement than they spend on health services. These inequities need to be addressed through funding reform proposed in the legislation.
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The second part of the bill is what was inspired by our neighbor, who is a school nurse. One of the biggest challenges our schools face is a worsening nurse shortage at the very moment student health needs are more complex than ever — including chronic conditions, mental health crises, and medically fragile students who require daily care. This legislation would establish a safe staffing ratio of one certified school nurse for every 750 students, ensuring that every child has meaningful access to qualified medical support during the school day. I look forward to speaking before the House Education Committee on this legislation and hope to see it voted out of committee.
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I'll be on the other side of the table for this hearing -- where the testifiers sit!
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Next week, depending on how discussions this week go, we may also get to vote on the Family Care Act—there’s a story on it below. This legislation is championed by my Delco Delegation colleague, Rep. Jennifer O’Mara, and would not only help give new mothers and fathers the needed time to bond with a new baby after birth, but would also make it possible to take time away from a job, with pay, to care for a sick family member or support aging parents.
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I know my life has come full circle, and I am now helping my parents. I am fortunate to have a job with the flexibility to go to doctors' appointments, visit during hospital stays, and help out with managing daily life, but not everyone has that opportunity. I hope we can move this impactful legislation and help ease the burden for so many families.
I’m excited to speak at several press conferences during the week, including one celebrating the work of the Red Cross.
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It will be wonderful to welcome volunteers and supporters to the Capitol to discuss the impact of the organization across the Commonwealth.
I’m looking forward to a busy and productive week in Harrisburg. As always, don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any thoughts on what we have coming up. Have a wonderful weekend… come on, spring!
Gratefully,
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Harrisburg Update
- 2026-27 State budget update
- Advocating for paid family leave
- SEPTA announces new bus network schedule
In the District
- Delco gets new radio systems
- Touring downtown Wayne
- Sen. Cappelletti's Good Government Summit
- Delco Libraries Legislative Breakfast & Awards
- Hi-Q Championship
- Visiting Lima Estates
- Topics in the News at Main Line School Night
My Events
- SEPTA Senior Fare Card event w/ Sen. Cappelletti (3/25)
- Budgeting Hacks with Franklin Mint Credit Union (4/2)
- Blood Drive (4/10)
- Outdoor Fair (4/11)
- SEPTA Senior Fare Card event w/ Sen. Kearney (4/13)
- Medicare Supplemental Plans - Zoom Seminar (4/29)
FYI
- PA selects "The Great Cookie Kerfuffle" as 2026 PA One Book
- Survey for new "State of the Woman" report
Community Events
- Support Newtown Square Fire Co. with your Romano's orders
- Chesco Pops Orchestra concerts (3/20 & 3/22)
- Inclusive Post-High School Resource Fair (3/28)
- "Once Upon a Run" Festival & 5K (4/19)
- Newtown Square Fire Co. upcoming events (4/26, 5/9, 7/4)
- Wayne Plein Air Festival (Festival 5/3-9; Exhibition 5/9-6/20)
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2026-27 State budget update
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Over the past several weeks, our House Appropriations Committee has been conducting 2026–27 budget hearings with leaders from state agencies across Pennsylvania. These hearings are an important part of the process—state representatives ask detailed questions about how taxpayer dollars would be spent and how they would result in improvements to state services or programs.
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Dept. of State Secretary Al Schmidt and other leaders from the agency testify at their hearing.
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These informative conversations help guide us in crafting legislation to form a responsible and effective state budget, and make the process transparent for citizens of PA. Every piece of testimony and information we consider, as well as full videos of the hearings, are available to you on the committee’s website – scroll down to 2026/27 Budget Information.
Our guiding priorities as we work on the legislation that will comprise the budget are:
- Every student in every school gets a chance to succeed with hard work.
- Every local business has the tools to compete and create jobs.
- Working people get money back to help pay for life’s necessities.
- Everyone can afford to see a doctor when they get sick.
We’re also taking special care this year to prepare Pennsylvania for continued uncertainties stemming from the federal government—our proposed budget would create a Federal Response Fund to help maintain critical services in the event of cut, reduced, or delayed federal support.
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Advocating for paid family leave
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One of my big pushes for the upcoming legislative season is the Family Care Act, a bill I’m cosponsoring that would institute crucial support for hardworking people like you as you experience life’s most challenging moments, such as caring for a sick parent or bringing home a new baby.
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The proposed statewide paid family and medical leave insurance program would provide much needed relief, while also helping small businesses compete with larger corporations.
We need to act now to make Pennsylvania an attractive place to live and work by becoming a leader in supporting families and small businesses. Read more in this article from the Daily Times.
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SEPTA announces new bus network schedule
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SEPTA announced last week it has redesigned its bus system and will roll out the new network and schedule geographically in phases, starting this coming August. The first phase will add 2 new bus routes, extend some routes and improve frequency of popular routes. The number of high-frequency bus routes that run every 15 minutes or better will increase from 8 to 29 by the end of the phase-in.
SEPTA staff who coordinate with members of the legislature sent each of us who represent a district impacted by the network changes two helpful items: 1) a map that shows the changes overlaid on top of the district (a much bigger version of what you see here!), and 2) charts describing the route changes and when they will occur. You can find these materials on my website, under “SEPTA Action Center” on the top navigation.
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Delco gets new radio systems
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Having a functional 911 system that covers the entire county is essential to protecting lives, property, and our first responders. On Friday, I joined a celebration of the new 911 radio system recently brought online, along with members of Delaware County Council, Delaware County Emergency Services 911, and police, fire, and EMS representatives from across Delco.
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With the migration to the new system, first responders across the County will now have access to:
- Secure, cross-compatible communications enabling first responders to access critical information while relaying communications between county, state, and local partners.
- 99% percent on-street portable radio coverage.
- Coreless radio technology, which creates faster, more durable communications.
During my tenure as a Radnor Township Commissioner, our police officers made a compelling case for the township to participate in this system upgrade. When your first responders tell you they have areas where radio reception is non-existent, you listen and act. I was proud to be part of a board that supported this upgrade to get our public servants the equipment they needed to sync up with the new system.
It’s been several years in the making, but thanks to a collaborative county, state, and municipal response, we have a system which will support the work of all our first responders -- which includes our tremendous 911 operators!
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Our main streets power our local communities and contribute to the overall strength of our commonwealth.
Last week, I joined Radnor Township’s new Economic Development Manager, Sam Thomas; Township Manager Bill White; and Engineer Steve Norcini, along with Commissioners Maggy Myers and Cathy Agnew, County Councilwoman Elaine Schaefer, Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon, Delco Commerce Director Laura Goodrich Cairns, representatives from the Wayne Business Association, and engaged residents to tour opportunities for enhancement and renovation in the Wayne Business District. Representatives from our state granting organizations also joined us to provide insight and feedback on grant opportunities.
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Sen. Cappelletti's Good Government Summit
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I spent a wonderful morning with some of our area’s best and brightest students at Sen. Amanda Cappelletti’s Good Government Summit! The kids were split into committees to debate and amend three pieces of housing legislation, then broke into Democratic and Republican caucus rooms to discuss how they would vote on the bills.
Next, we headed to the “Senate Floor,” where I served as the Republican Leader opposite Sen. Cappelletti (serving as Pro Tempore) in a debate about access to public spaces, rent control, and eviction records—it was fierce and, at some points, very silly.
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I was incredibly impressed at how deeply the students engaged with the legislation and the questions and concerns they raised with each bill. Thank you to Sen. Cappelletti and her team for including Marie and me in this event each year, and a special shoutout to Villanova for hosting us!
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Delco Libraries Legislative Breakfast & Awards
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We are so fortunate in the 168th Legislative District to have tremendous libraries serving our communities! My colleagues and I joined the Delaware County Libraries’ Board and its president (the 168th’s own), Helen Grommell-McGrane, to celebrate our libraries and the wonderful staff and volunteers who support, sustain, and serve.
It was a joy to see our favorite librarians: Joyce Platfoot from Radnor Memorial Library, Arlene Caruso from Newtown Public Library, and my friend Anny Laepple, Director of Delaware County Libraries. Congratulations to all the honorees!
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Learn more about the impact our libraries have on our communities in the 2025 impact report.
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What a thrill to join Delco Hi-Q for the 2026 championship earlier this month between Radnor, Upper Darby, and Marple Newtown high schools—and quite a match it was! Even better, I got to share it with my colleague, Rep. Heather Boyd, and Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon. I was so proud to have some of the 168th’s most impressive students doing what they do best… overcome the Hi-Q challenge!
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All the teams made an impressive run, and Marple Newtown took home the trophy, earning it with a correct answer on the final question.
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All the teams made an impressive run, and Marple Newtown took home the trophy, earning it with a correct answer on the final question. What an exciting ending to a great competition and season! Cheers to all the students who worked so hard throughout the season, and congratulations to Marple Newtown on their big win!
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Mary Ann and I had a wonderful visit with our friends at Lima Estates in Middletown Township. We stopped by to process lots of new and renewed SEPTA senior passes and to talk about impactful legislation such as retired teacher COLAs, private equity in healthcare, education funding, and concerns regarding our elections.
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We love visiting our senior communities and I am always so grateful to hear from these important neighbors! Thank you for having us!
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Last Thursday night, I was honored with an invitation to join Radnor neighbors Mustafa & Sukran Kaya and Meral & Sabri Ismam for Iftar, the fast-breaking evening meal of Muslims in Ramadan.
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It was a lovely dinner, and it was so nice to spend quality time with neighbors learning about the work they do in education and healthcare and about adventures as small business owners. They love our community and Radnor’s schools! I was so honored to share this delicious meal and meet everyone! Thank you, Adam Kenz, for the lovely invitation.
Ramadan Mubarak to all our Muslim neighbors celebrating this holy time.
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Topics in the News at Main Line School Night
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I was thrilled to join my former social studies teacher, Ken Sklar, as a guest speaker for his Topics in the News class at Main Line School Night yesterday! I spoke about the most pressing issues in front of the General Assembly, like regulating data centers, cost-of-living raises for retired teachers, and school funding. There were some great questions about rising healthcare costs, the debate around adult-use cannabis legalization, and tax fairness.
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What an engaged group of adult learners who are very much in tune with what is happening at the state level. I appreciate hearing their ideas and feedback on much of the legislation we are working to move forward in Harrisburg.
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Details to be announced for our Zoom Seminar on
Medicare Supplemental Plans on April 29th
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PA selects “The Great Cookie Kerfuffle” as 2026 PA One Book
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The Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Office of Commonwealth Libraries (OCL) today announced The Great Cookie Kerfuffle, written by Jessica Shaw and illustrated by Pauline Gregory, as the 2026 selection for Pennsylvania One Book -- a statewide initiative encouraging families, libraries, early learning programs, and community partners to come together around a shared reading experience.
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Through PA One Book each year, OCL selects a single high-quality children’s book to support early literacy development, family engagement, and joyful shared reading experiences for young children across the Commonwealth.
The Great Cookie Kerfuffle is a lively and engaging picture book filled with humor and expressive illustrations that explore what happens when different ideas collide. Through a playful story about competing interests and finding common ground, the book highlights the value of cooperation, problem-solving, and community, offering families a fun and meaningful story to enjoy and talk about together.
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Gov. Shapiro launches survey & listening tour to hear from women
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The report will build on PA’s inaugural 1966 Report on the Status of Women and the most recent report from 2004, examining the progress women have made over the last 60 years and identifying the gaps that still exist. The report will combine historical analysis, current data, and firsthand experiences from women in rural, suburban, and urban communities to provide a comprehensive picture of the current status of women.
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The Governor’s Advisory Commission on Women is gathering input from women across PA via a new digital survey as part of the Shapiro Administration's forthcoming 2026 State of the Woman Report, a comprehensive, data-driven effort to assess the status of women across Pennsylvania. The survey will be open through May 30 and will collect insight from PA women on their experiences and priorities to better inform the Administration’s policies that impact women.
Ladies: Click here to take the survey. [Spanish | Chinese]
The listening tour starts today, however, it does not include any stops in Delaware County. You may view the list here.
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Community Events & Announcements
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Tomorrow is the last day of the fundaiser! Enjoy fresh stromboli, pizza, and desserts while supporting the Newtown Square Fire Company . Every order helps fund fire protection, emergency response, and safety education for our community. Place your order here and know that your order is helping keep Newtown Square prepared and protected.
Orders will be accepted until 3/20/26 and can be picked up at the fire station on 4/4/26.
Please read below for information about each item:
- Pizza- Large, 16' fully prepared using our zesty marinara, mozzarella, and delivered fresh.
- Stromboli- All stromboli are 19-25 oz made with a signature artisan bread dough & delivered frozen.
- Cookie Dough- Cookie dough is packaged fresh in three one-pound tubs.
- Cheesecake- Frozen cheesecakes made with real Philadelphia Cream Cheese.
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The Chesco Pops will perform favorite American works by John Williams, Leonard Bernstein, Leroy Anderson, and more. Celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States, the Chesco Pops presents the first of two concert series highlighting American music meant to inspire and uplift. Concert highlights include the favorite Symphonic Dances from "West Side Story."
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Pennsylvania State Capitol
28-B East Wing
Harrisburg, PA 17120
(717) 772-2005
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District Office
24 S. Newtown Street Rd., Suite 100
Newtown Square, PA 19073
(484) 427-2884
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