You can read my e-newsletter in a way that’s preferable to you by visiting my legislative website here and clicking on the accessibility icon in the lower right corner.

I want to take a moment to congratulate our talented district staff, who recently ranked first in the region for casework, correspondence, and outreach! Thank you for your hard work and dedication to serving residents. 

Please remember that if you need assistance with state matters of any kind – from filing applications for state services to finding answers to state-related questions – we’re here to help. Contact us online, stop by our office at 501 Braddock Ave. in Braddock Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., or give us a call at (412) 273-3400.

“Return on equity” – the amount of shareholder profit that investor-owned utilities are allowed to collect from customer bills – is one of the biggest drivers of unnecessary utility rate hikes and can account for up to 20% of your bill. Last week in the House, we passed legislation that would cap those costs by establishing a fairer, market-based formula for determining returns. Visit this page to read more.

We also passed legislation to bring greater transparency to how your tax dollars are spent under the Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program, which provides scholarships to help low-income students pay private school tuition. Currently, the state lacks sufficient details about where, specifically, the funding is going.

The bill we passed would not cut any funding from the program – it would simply require participating schools to report basic information to help ensure that the funding is reaching the students who need it most. Visit this page to read more.

I also voted for – and the House passed – bills that would:

• allow municipalities to enact a 180-day pause on consideration of data center applications to give officials time to consider, change, or add restrictions.
• repeal the sales tax exemption for computer data center equipment that was previously enacted as an incentive to attract data centers to PA.
• help restore terminated parental rights by allowing consideration of changed circumstances that will allow a parent to better care for their child.
• support pollinating insects by requiring state agencies to prioritize use of native plants for landscaping on state property.
• formalize a system for the Dept. of Health to collect information on pregnancy, childbirth, and infant health to identify risks and improve care.

Visit this page to read more about these and recently passed bills, which now head to the state Senate for consideration.

I want to remind all LGBTQ+ residents that even as Pride Month wraps up this year, I will never stop fighting to level the playing field when it comes to equal rights, justice, and fair treatment for every Pennsylvanian.

That includes passing the Fairness Act – legislation I am co-sponsoring that would amend the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act to include “sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression” to the current list of prohibited types of discrimination. The act governs the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, which investigates and judges complaints of discrimination in housing, employment, and public services and has the power to charge fines and refer cases to court.

Visit this page to read about this and other bills in the works to strengthen civil rights and advance LGBTQ+ communities.