Please be aware that the deadline to apply for SNAP replacement benefits due to storm-related power outages has been extended to May 30. Contact our office for help applying!

Last week, the PA House passed groundbreaking legislation that would legalize the adult use of cannabis through a system that would expand on our state liquor store model. It’s estimated that legalization would generate more than $2.2 billion in the first two years alone. It would also help address the devasting impact that criminalization has had on so many lives, families, and communities.

Visit this page to read more about the legislation and this page to urge the state Senate to pass the bill.

We also passed legislation that would create the Working Pennsylvanians Tax Credit – a state version of the federal earned income tax credit. If enacted, the state tax credit would be worth 30% of the federal credit and would be available to anyone who claims the federal credit. Visit this page to read more about the bill.

Other bills we passed this week would:

• Confirm a landlord’s duty to provide tenants with a habitable dwelling.
• End wage discrimination for comparable work.
• Streamline child custody determinations.
• Better protect children from sexual predators.
• Help non-teaching school staff make ends meet.
• Prevent violence in healthcare workplaces.
• Ban unfair fees for consumers who request paper account statements.
• Protect homeowners from unfair real estate service agreements.
• Build more sites for electric vehicle charging.
• Help counties treat retired workers more fairly.

Visit this page to read about these and other bills we passed.

Last week, I attended Western PA School for the Deaf’s Commitment to the Community breakfast, where I provided updates about power restoration and information from my ongoing conversations with Duquesne Light, PEMA, and local officials. Thank you to WPSD for working to keep us connected as a community! 

Our community is lucky to have wonderful nonprofit groups like This Generation Connect, whose staff and volunteers swung into action to provide help for Prospect Terrace residents facing an extended power outage.

There’s always something happening to help the community at the Promise Center of Homewood. At last week’s Bike Reveal, the kids told Pitt, "Move the bus!" to reveal free bikes and helmets for everyone. Thanks to Nate Goodson and center staff for another great community event.

Allegheny County Senior Community Centers will conduct in-person distribution of Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program vouchers on Tuesday, June 10. A list of distribution sites is available here. Please be aware that applications WILL NOT be accepted by mail. In-person distribution will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Please visit this page for eligibility guidelines and more.

This is a reminder that Tuesday, May 13, is the deadline to apply for an absentee or mail ballot for the May 20 municipal primary. If you are voting in person, you can find your polling place here additional voting information here.

According to the state Treasury, 40,000 Pennsylvanians are receiving letters this week as part of the PA Money Match program, which returns unclaimed property worth $500 or less automatically. You can search for unclaimed property by visiting this page. My office can also help you search!

The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has opened applications for the 2025 Wild Resource Conservation Program grants, which support conservation research protecting the state’s native wildlife, plants, and ecosystems. Applications are due by 4 p.m. and should be submitted through DCNR’s online grant portal. You can read more here.

Please remember that the state has a handy tool to help search for grants. Visit this page to search, or this page for a list of all the latest programs.

Finally, please remember that my talented staff can help you with a wide variety of state-related matters, from filing for a Property Tax/Rent Rebate to obtaining a disability placard or senior bus pass – to name just a few. Contact us or stop by to see how we can help!

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.

Pennsylvania State Capitol

123-B East Wing Main Capitol
Harrisburg, PA 17120

(717) 783-1914

District Office

501 Braddock Ave.
Braddock, PA 15104

(412) 273-3400