Local voices & visits in plenty!

Rep. Tim Brennan May 30, 2025

PA Representative Tim Brennan banner image

Dear Neighbor,

My Memorial Day observations centered on remembering the sacrifices of those who made our freedom and prosperity possible.

On Saturday, I placed flags on the graves of the men and women who served in our armed services with members of New Hope American Legion Post 79 as a symbol of our eternal gratitude.

Former police officer and constable Frank DeLuca, a Post 79 member, joined me, as did several local Boy Scout troops.

On Monday, I participated in several flag raising ceremonies to honor our fallen heroes. Afterward, my family and I participated in the oldest Memorial Day parade in the country (the 157th), which ended with a solemn ceremony to those service members we have lost.

We are blessed to live as Americans and we have a duty to honor those whose sacrifices have made so much possible – those who never returned home, those buried far from the ones they loved, those who are missing from worn family photos, those who forfeited their dreams for ours, and those who gave everything so we could carry on.

Their sacrifice reminds us of our duty to be the type of citizens that truly honor their memory, of the need to live lives bigger than ourselves.

Sincerely,

Harrisburg Update

Welcoming our intern to the Capitol

Last week I hosted our office’s spring semester student intern, Madelyn Engstrom, for a session day in Harrisburg, along with her Central Bucks South High School classmate Max Jin, who's interning with Rep. Brian Munroe’s office.

They're participants in Central Bucks School District's Community Internship Program, a new initiative created by teacher William Melvin, who joined us for the day. This semester-long class integrates classroom-based skill development integrated with real-world work experience.

Madelyn has been kind enough to share her Internship Journal entry describing her experience - it's always refreshing to get a fresh perspective from students seeing their government in action:

"Big day! I think today was a great learning experience! I got to see a lot of legislative structures and figures, but one of the biggest takeaways for me was the professionalism today. Meeting with the reps, it was so interesting to watch them interact with their colleagues, protesters and speakers, and Capitol employees. They had so much respect and presence, and it was incredible to see them talk passionately about politics. It feels rare to see politicians speak with such duty and care, but Rep. Brennan and Rep. Munroe definitely exhibited this throughout the day.

“I also thought it was interesting to see all of the Capitol employees today. There are so many people essential to making that building function, and it was really cool to see them all collaborate today. I especially noticed the caucus photographers! They made an extra effort to come down amidst our flurry on the floor, and I appreciated that so much.

“That said, I think that my favorite part of today was probably getting to hear snippets of the protest and support groups in the Rotunda today. The cancer support group and the PA transit group had such large masses of people as well as a lot of PA reps and officials. They spoke with so much motivation and desire for progress; it was truly great to hear."

We have been lucky to have these bright young people working at our offices this past spring, and the students of CB South are lucky to have a teacher with as much vision, energy, and dedication as Mr. Melvin!

Hosting the CBSD School Board President for a state museum tour

Earlier this month, I spent a day taking Central Bucks School District Board President Susan Gibson and her super intelligent and inquisitive son, Hagan, on a tour of the National Civil War Museum and the State Museum of Pennsylvania – part of my work with CBSD and the Bucks County Bar Association & Foundation to bring more young people to the State Capitol to see government in action.

This could be an exceptional opportunity for young people to speak with their representatives, to be acknowledged in the state House chamber, to begin to understand their role in government and to see that we expect big things from them.

It's part of a broader effort I've been engaged in to make civics more important in our schools, partnering with the Committee of Seventy and a bipartisan pair of former congressmembers, Joe Hoeffel and Jim Gerlach. Earlier in the year we presented a webinar with Governor Shapiro on the topic, and in September I’m hosting a Policy Hearing in our backyard at New Hope-Solebury High School about improving civics education. Gerlach and Hoeffel will participate, along with other legislators and policymakers, and we plan to hold it during the school day so we can include and engage students.

Back to the tour: At the National Civil War Museum, I was impressed to see a medal given to a group of the first Union Civil War volunteers, known as the "First Defenders." The group was made up five companies from Pennsylvania who marched through Baltimore and were quartered in the U.S. Capitol at the start of the war to protect against an immediate Southern incursion. Members of the McDonald side of my family joined and led one of these companies who first defended the U.S. Capitol at the start of the Civil War!

This gave me an opportunity to talk about Camp Curtin, where they mustered in Harrisburg, and how it related to the statues in the PA Capitol. Governor Curtin, who is honored with a statue in the Rotunda, was one of the most successful governors in recruiting soldiers and was instrumental in making Gettysburg a National Cemetery. He was present with Abraham Lincoln on November 19, 1863 for the Gettysburg address.

New law on cell phone use while driving goes into effect June 5

PA’s new distracted driving law goes into effect Thursday, June 5. Known as Paul Miller’s Law, it prohibits drivers from using interactive mobile devices while operating a vehicle – even when stopped at traffic lights – in an effort to reduce accidents caused by distracted driving.

Here’s what you need to know:

What's banned: Holding or supporting a phone or other device with any part of your body while driving. This includes texting, browsing, or dialing unless it's a single-button press.

What's allowed: Using hands-free technology like Bluetooth or dashboard mounts for calls, navigation, or music. Emergency calls to 911 are also permitted.

Enforcement: Starting June 5, 2026, a first offense will carry a $50 fine, plus court costs and fees.

For more details, visit PennDOT's Distracted Driving page.

News story on my AED bill

A few weeks ago I sat down with WTAJ to talk about my bill, H.B. 191, that I highlighted in my previous e-newsletter -- it would require high schools to implement a cardiac response plan provide an AED on student athletic fields.

The story focused on Pittsburgh high schooler Spencer Davis, a young athlete who suffered a potentially fatal heart condition, and his second chance at life thanks to an AED.

When I met Spencer at our press event earlier this month, I let him know that each minute is a new chance to change the world for him with this new lease on life. He is certainly doing his best with his advocacy and the creation of the Spencer Davis Foundation.

In the District

BCCC Fire School graduation

I’m grateful to Bucks County Community College for granting me the honor of speaking at the graduation ceremony for its newest class of 90 volunteer firefighters, who just completed national certification training through its Fire School. What an incredible group of graduates!

These brave members of our community have chosen a path of service and are now among the frontline defenders of our safety – they represent the very best of us.

It’s with immense appreciation that I’m working across the aisle in Harrisburg on measures to support them and strengthen fire services across Pennsylvania, including legislation that would:

Establish permanent, dedicated funding for first responder training at community colleges so they can follow BCCC’s example.
Create a $5,000 education tax credit for volunteer first responders.
Improve first responders’ access to mental health care.
Establish longevity benefits for volunteer firefighters.

To all the graduates: thank you for choosing this path, and please know that your community, and your elected officials, will always stand with you.

Learning about PA’s horse racing industry

I learned this month about the thoroughbred horse racing industry through two bipartisan events for legislators: a tour of Mountain Springs Stable, a farm near Hershey, and a visit to Parx Casino in Bucks County, the home of Smarty Jones. We met with Smarty’s owner and heard all about these equine athletes.

(I had previously taught horse law to other attorneys and have always been interested in this industry. My wife has also been riding – and jumping – most of her life.)

The racing industry has a huge impact on our PA economy; it preserves farmland (up to 1.6 million acres), drives demand for our farm products, fuels a huge mushroom industry, creates 23,000 jobs, has a $1.6 billion economic impact and generates $69 million in tax revenue.

PA is also home to Hanover Shoe Farm, which is the world‘s largest Standardbred farm. Each year it buys 7 million pounds of straw and hay and a half million dollars worth of feed while providing 9 million pounds of manure to PA mushroom growers!

One of the biggest races in the industry, the Pennsylvania Derby, will be held right here in Bucks County at Parx on September 20. PA continues to be a top ten state for the racing industry.

Shred event success!

Sen. Steve Santarsiero and I recently worked together on a community shredding event for our shared constituents. It was a rainy Saturday, did not stop Sen. Santarsiero, me, our staff & special assistants from helping people securely shred their old documents via Titan Mobile Shredding.

We also gathered over 1,600 pounds of food in partnership with the Bucks County Opportunity Council, who have been serving Bucks County for nearly 60 years to reduce poverty, improve self-sufficiency and help our neighbors in times of need.

Bucks County Book Festival

It was such a pleasure to attend the Bucks County Book Festival earlier this month, which celebrates literacy and builds community by connecting authors, readers, and book lovers.

For me it was extra special this year, because my son joined me on stage to read for the young crowd! It was my birthday gift this year. ?? Thank you Discover Doylestown for presenting this event and all the work you do in the greater Doylestown community.

Justice Todd speaks to the Bucks County Bar Association

Yesterday, the Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Debra Todd spoke before the Bucks County Bar Association earlier this month about notable women of the law profession in Pennsylvania. She is the first woman to hold the Chief Justice role in the court's 300-year history.

Justice Todd reminded us of some shameful days for the bench, in Pennsylvania and the United States, when women were refused entry to the practice. Thankfully, she was also able to show that much has changed and that women are now well represented in our local bars and on the bench; women actually currently represent a majority of the Commonwealth and Superior Courts.

It was a useful reminder of the difficulties faced by so many generations and the effects which persist today and cannot be ignored. At one point, she asked about female role models; I can honestly say I would not be a lawyer or a legislator without some strong (and patient) matriarchs in my life, a grandmother who wouldn't give in and a mom who wouldn't give up (we finished college right after each other).

It is always nice to see the Justice, who often testifies in front of me and my colleagues on the PA House Appropriations Committee. It was a packed house and an excellent event.

FYI

Scam alert: Texts spoofing PA DMV

PennDOT is alerting vehicle owners to a new text message-based scam making the rounds, where the sender pretends to be from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Motor Vehicles (DMV). Do not reply or click on any links in the message!

Pennsylvania DMVs will NEVER contact you via text requesting payment of fees or fines. If you receive a suspicious communication, please let our office know or report it to the Attorney General’s office.

The Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program is back! The Bucks County Area Agency on Aging program provides vouchers for eligible senior residents to purchase produce at farmers markets from June 15 through Sept. 30. Availability varies by date and location. Click here for details.

(The graphic says the program begins June 1, but the county announced today that it was pushed back until June 15.)