In this update:

• Student Opportunities at AHN Suburban
• $250 million to Feed Our Kids
• Volunteer in Riverview Park

• License Plates for Women Veterans
• Get Ready for REAL ID
• And so much more!

“It’s a really simple, really basic way of addressing a lot of the issues that contribute to kids not becoming successful adults.”

In this new legislative session, I am once again introducing a bill, this time with state Reps. Tarik Khan and Nate Davidson, to create a universal school meals program providing breakfast and lunch to all K-12 students in Pennsylvania.

While the universal breakfast initiative in our state budget the last two years has been helpful for many students and their families, breakfast alone cannot sustain a child throughout the school day. No child should have to learn on an empty stomach, and the stigma associated with free or reduced-price lunch programs continues to create unnecessary barriers for students in need. Investing in our children is one of the best ways we can spend our tax dollars, and a universal school meals program would pay dividends in better educational outcomes and healthier communities. 

“According to [Kinkead and Davidson], roughly 500,000 children in Pennsylvania live with food insecurity, and families owe approximately $80 million in school meal debt.”

In addition to my legislation to provide universal school meals, I am also working with Rep. Davidson to reintroduce my legislation to eliminate lunch debt and ban lunch debt shaming. Making meals universally available and eliminating stigma ensures every child has access to the nutrition they need to thrive.

Last week in Harrisburg, the PA House Appropriations Committee held its final budget hearings of this state budget cycle with the state departments of Corrections, Human Services, Insurance, the Public Utility Commission, and Treasury. Over the last three weeks, my colleagues and I have had many engaging discussions with state leaders focusing in on how they are preparing to use budget dollars to benefit Pennsylvanians.

I’m eager to use the insights gained through these hearings to help us build a state budget that delivers investments that keep Pennsylvania moving toward a brighter future. Visit houseappropriations.com to recap the hearings and get more information on the state budget.

Congratulations to the Northgate-Avonworth Swim Team for winning 13 medals at the WPIAL AA Swimming Championships last week – way to go!

Good luck to those heading to Bucknell for PIAA Swimming Championships this week!

Housing everything from catering companies to robotics engineering startups, AHN Suburban General has become a hub of innovation in Bellevue. It’s so exciting to see a vacant hospital successfully transition to a hybrid use space that benefits so many in our community, especially our students!

Read more about all the exciting things happening at AHN Suburban.

Suburban General also hosts Northgate Summer STEAM Camps – spots are filling up quickly for 2025! Register here.

The Riverview Rangers and Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy need volunteers on from 10 a.m. to noon on March 30 to remove invasive species adjacent to the Centennial Pavilion in the park. Volunteers are asked to register in advance here. 

Free tax assistance is available locally through the United Way of Southwestern PA  for households with an annual income of up to $65,000. To schedule a tax appointment, call the United Way hotline at 211.

All taxpayers can file federal and state taxes for free through IRS Direct File or MyFreeTaxes.com. My office does not offer tax assistance, but we do have state tax forms available!

Attention jobseekers! Mark your calendar for April 4 – there’s a Spring Job Fair at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall! This is a great opportunity to network with over 30 employers and learn about employment resources.

Click here to register or scan the QR code above.

Additionally, on Wednesday, May 14, NorthSideWorks! is hosting its second annual job fair with more than 50 employers and on-site applications available! Register before April 25 to be entered into a drawing for a gift card.

You can also sign up here to receive a monthly “Career Connect” update from NorthSideWorks!, which contains tons of valuable information for those on the job hunt.

Don’t forget there are additional employment resources available on my website.

The Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs is encouraging drivers to purchase special fund license plates, including the Honoring Our Women Veterans plate. Available for $40, with $15 going directly to the Pennsylvania Veterans’ Trust Fund, these plates help support programs for the approximately 63,000 women veterans in Pennsylvania. The VTF provides grants to organizations assisting veterans with shelter, essential goods, and other services.

For more information on purchasing the plates, please click here.

Beginning May 7, 2025, Pennsylvanians will need a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license/photo ID card to board a domestic commercial flight or enter a federal building or military installation that requires ID. If you already have another form of federal identification (such as a valid passport or military ID), you do not need REAL ID.

PennDOT is hosting REAL ID Days at driver’s license centers in Allegheny County to help Pennsylvanians get a REAL ID. Click here to see a full list of upcoming REAL ID Days.

If you have any questions concerning REAL ID, visit PennDOT.pa.gov/REALID or contact my office. My staff and I are here to help you with any state-related issues! Reach out at RepKinkead@pahouse.net or call 412-321-5523.

Pennsylvania State Capitol

116-A East Wing

Harrisburg, PA 17120
(717) 787-5470

District Office

658 Lincoln Ave.

Bellevue, PA 15202
(412) 321-5523