Upcoming shred event; Keeping money in our seniors’ pockets; Celebrating our outstanding students

Upcoming shred event; Keeping money in our seniors’ pockets; Celebrating our outstanding students – and more!

Rep. Arvind Venkat March 13, 2026 | 10:44 AM

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Stop By Our Free Shred Event March 21!

Protect yourself from identity theft by joining us for our free shred event on Saturday, March 21. Due to high demand last year, we will have two trucks at this event! Stop by the Franklin Park Municipal Building at 2344 W. Ingomar Rd. from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (or until the trucks are full).

Please note: there is a limit of two boxes of paper per vehicle.

Keeping Money in our Senior Citizens’ Pockets

Senior citizens who give up their driver’s license for medical reasons receive a free state photo ID. We should not charge them to renew that ID.

That’s why I am proud to partner with Rep. Lindsay Powell on legislation that would remove this unnecessary financial burden on older Pennsylvanians. You can read our proposal for this legislation here.

Standing Up for our Veterans

My friend and colleague Rep. Jim Haddock recently highlighted Act 32 of 2025 – legislation which I introduced as HB 865 to extend the Military Family Education Program for members of our Pennsylvania National Guard, their spouses, and their dependents.

Advocating for those in our military and their families who sacrifice so much to keep us safe and free is important to me.

Protecting our Waterways for Boating and Fishing

It was wonderful to join the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission at their annual legislative lunch to learn how I can help them in their mission to protect our waterways and make sure all Pennsylvanians can enjoy fishing and boating.

Recognizing the Success of our Local Students

Many of our local students have had recent success in academics, athletics, and extracurriculars, and it was wonderful to have the opportunity to recognize their achievements.

I joined Rep. Jeremy Shaffer to present recognition from the House of Representatives to Paul, Sam and Jonah of Hampton Township, who all achieved the rank of Eagle Scout.

I also presented the team members and coaches of the Avonworth Girls Volleyball team with House citations after their victory at the PIAA State Championship.

Other recent successes from Avonworth include the football team’s PIAA State Championship victory, a sweep at the Gene Kelly Awards for the school’s production of Sweeney Todd, and several students who participated in the Allegheny Valley Honors Band.

North Allegheny had strong academic showings at regional tournaments – including Ingomar Middle School winning the Western Pennsylvania PA Science Bowl and the 10th grade team taking second place in the PA Regional Euro Challenge with a presentation of AI and the market in Croatia.

Thirteen students from North Allegheny performed at the PMEA Western Region Orchestra, with 10 advancing to All-State in the Poconos.

Bradyn McConneha from North Allegheny capped off his high school wrestling career in Hershey by placing second at the PIAA Championship.

Congratulations to all our local students on so many incredible accomplishments!

Honor our Women Veterans

The Departments of Transportation and Military and Veterans Affairs are celebrating Women’s History Month by reminding drivers that purchasing a women veterans’ license plate supports programs assisting the more than 62,000 women veterans living in Pennsylvania.

Four different women veteran recognition plates are available. Details on those and all other veteran plates can be found here.

DMVA Mobile Office Hours

The Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs announced that its mobile veterans outreach team is available free of charge throughout the state to assist veterans. The team helps veterans obtain information and start benefit claim paperwork with the support of accredited veterans service officers.

For more details on how to request an outreach team for a community event, visit the Mobile Veterans Outreach Team webpage or visit DMVA at www.dmva.pa.gov.

Governor’s Survey for Women in Pennsylvania

The Governor’s Advisory Commission on Women has launched a new digital survey to gather input from women across Pennsylvania. This survey is part of the Shapiro Administration’s upcoming State of the Woman Report, a comprehensive, data-driven effort to assess the status of women throughout the state.

The survey, which can be found here, will be open through May 30 and will collect insight from Pennsylvania women on their experiences and priorities to better inform the Administration’s policies that impact women. The survey is also available in Spanish and Chinese.

There will also be a statewide listening tour to further engage with the women of Pennsylvania, including a stop in Pittsburgh on May 14.

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

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