FIGHTING TO PROTECT YOUR HEALTH CARE COVERAGE

More than half a million Pennsylvanians are covered by the Affordable Care Act, which ensures they have insurance coverage for the health care they need. But the ACA is under attack in Washington, D.C.  To fight back, my House colleagues and I passed a package of bills that would ensure those protections remain in place.
 

The legislation is now with the state Senate. Your voice can help ensure these critical bills make it to the governor’s desk. Visit this page to take action.

HOW WE VOTED IN THE HOUSE THIS WEEK

This week in Harrisburg, I voted for – and the House passed – bills that would:

• Double the fines for child labor violations.
• Keep health insurance accessible for young adults.
• Prevent insurance discrimination based on pre-existing conditions.
• Ban annual or lifetime dollar limits on essential health care benefits.
• Keep access to lifesaving preventive health care services.
• Simplify renewal of driver’s licenses and photo IDs for Pennsylvanians with disabilities or those who are on active military duty.
• Allow more local land banks.
• Provide greater flexibility to township governments.

You can find more news about bills we voted at this page.

FIGHTING FOR PUBLIC TRANSIT FUNDING

Many of you have expressed concerns about Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s proposed plans for steep service cuts to address a $100 million deficit. Please know that I am fighting alongside my colleagues in the Allegheny County Delegation for the additional budget funding PRT needs to maintain full service to our region.

You can help, as well, by contacting leaders in the state Senate and urging them to pass this additional funding.

CHECK OUT THIS APRIL 1 COMMUNITY RESOURCE FAIR

If you need help with state-related matters, expungement assistance, or access to job training, housing, or other community services, you’ll want to mark your calendar for the Community Resource Fair. The fair will be held on Tuesday, April 1 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Heritage Highlands Community Center, at 111 Dorothy Height St. in Rankin.

HELPING OUR CHARITABLE GROUPS GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY

Last week, I joined members of the VFW, Elks and Moose associations at the state Capitol to advocate for modernizing PA’s Small Games of Chance Law. Updating the law would allow charitable organizations like veterans’ groups to host new paper and electronic games and better accomplish their mission of giving back to our community. You can hear my comments here. 

In other news from the state Capitol, it was a pleasure to host Michael Wockenfuss of the University of Pittsburgh at the state Capitol as part of the University of Pittsburgh – Institute of Politics and the Elsie Hillman Civic Forum – University of Pittsburgh Legislator for a Day program.

KEEPING THE DIALOGUE GOING ON PUBLIC EDUCATION

I recently joined colleagues for a legislative forum on public education last week hosted by Allegheny Intermediate Unit. We had a productive dialogue on how we can continue to elevate our public schools.

FUNDING OUR FOOD BANKS

I recently joined state Rep. Justin Fleming, Gov. Josh Shapiro, and other lawmakers to address what the Central PA Food Bank CEO calls our state’s “food crisis.” One in nine adults and one in five children in Pennsylvania experience hunger. With our state an agricultural powerhouse, why are people still hungry? Funding is a major part of the problem.

The Trump administration broke a contract with Pennsylvania to pay our PA farmers $13 million so that they could provide fresh foods to food banks and help people struggling with hunger. PA Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding is appealing the breach of contract under federal law, and Gov. Shapiro has stated he is prepared to take legal action to restore funding and fight this attack on PA farmers, food banks, and hungry residents. Visit this page to read more. 

WORKING ACROSS THE AISLE TO GET MORE DONE