Spring Shred this Saturday; How We Voted This Week; Students Shine in Sports & Music

Spring Shred this Saturday; How We Voted This Week; Students Shine in Sports & Music – and More!

Rep. Arvind Venkat March 21, 2025 | 3:20 PM

My Free Spring Shred is This Saturday, March 22!

This is a reminder that my free Spring Shred event will take place this Saturday, March 22 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Franklin Park Municipal Building, located at 2344 W. Ingomar Road. Please bring up to two boxes of paper per household for secure, on-site shredding. (We regret that we are unable to accommodate businesses.) Questions? Please call my office at (412) 348-8028.

Giving Back to Our Guard Members

This week, the PA House Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committee unanimously approved a bill (H.B. 865) I introduced with state Rep. Craig Williams that would ensure Pennsylvania National Guard members get the most out of an important military family education benefit. Our bill would clarify that Guard members’ dependents are eligible for financial assistance under the Military Family Education Program, not just at the time the member enlists for an initial six-year term, but for every time the member re-enlists or renews their service commitment.

Visit this page to hear my committee remarks and this page to learn more about the bill, which now heads to the full House for consideration.

Protecting Consumers from Unfair Fees

Consumers – and especially seniors – should never have to pay extra to receive a paper copy of an account statement. This week, a strong bipartisan majority of the House Consumer Protection Committee approved H.B. 81 – which I introduced together with state Reps. Rob Matzie and Tom Mehaffie to prohibit financial institutions from imposing these fees. You can hear my remarks in committee here.

In other legislative news, I recently spoke with Francine Schertzer, of PCN Capitol Preview, about my bill to eliminate medical debt. You can watch that here.

How We Voted This Week in the House

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

End discrimination based on a person’s hair type, hair texture, hairstyle, or religious head covering.
Strengthen oversight of medical marijuana testing labs to ensure safety.
Ease the shortage of health care workers in rural/medically underserved areas.
Simplify prescription transfers for certain medications.
Prohibit increased insurance costs for families challenged by addiction.
Speed up unemployment benefits for domestic violence survivors.
Extend benefits to Korean American War veterans.
Allow Inspector General agents to carry firearms on the job.

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

In other news from the House chamber, I joined PA House Speaker Joanna McClinton in welcoming fellow physician and 175th president of the Pennsylvania Medical Society Dr. Lynn Lucas-Fehm. I had a chance to thank Dr. Lucas-Fehm for her leadership at this critical time for health care in our state.

Local Students Excel in Sports & Music

Congratulations to the Avonworth Hockey team for winning the Class A Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League Penguins Cup Championship – a first in school history! (Click on the image above to see the full post from the Avonworth School District.)

Kudos, as well, to the North Allegheny’s Boys Swimming and Diving Team for winning the Class 3A PIAA Boys State Championship and to North Allegheny’s 2025 PIAA 3A Boys’ 200 Freestyle Relay team champions Grant Regule, Gus Miller, Mason Shantz, and Zachary Totin. (Click on the images above to see the full posts from PIAA.)

Congrats to North Allegheny Junior High Wrestling team member Isabelle Folks for winning the state championship for her weight and age. (Click on the image above to see the full post from NA Wrestling.)

Our local students showed their considerable skills in other areas, as well. Congratulations to all the musicians who auditioned and were selected for PMEA All-State ensembles this year, including Avonworth’s Vanessa Amayo (flute) and Kaleb Amick (horn). Click on the image above to see the full post from the Avonworth School District.

Students from North Allegheny and Hampton earned tops spots, as well. Congratulations to all the students for this wonderful achievement.

2025 PMEA All-State Contemporary A Cappella Roster

Casey Richey (soprano) – North Allegheny Senior High School

2025 PMEA All-State Concert Band Roster

Vanessa Amayo (flute) - Avonworth
Kaleb Amick (French horn) - Avonworth
Hanyul Oh (clarinet) - North Allegheny
Jonathan Uh (trumpet) - North Allegheny

2025 PMEA All-State Orchestra Roster

Seoyoung Bang (clarinet) – North Allegheny
Adam Briggs (tuba) – North Allegheny
Karin Hoppo (violin) – North Allegheny Senior High
Zachary Jiang (violin) – Hampton
Violet Kucler (French horn) – North Allegheny
Ben Ma (string bass) – North Allegheny
Ellie Tang (cello) – North Allegheny

2025 All-State Wind Ensemble Roster

David Cobbey (percussion) – North Allegheny

High School Musical Offers Free Performances for Seniors

Hampton High School is giving two free performances exclusively for senior citizens of its spring production of Hadestown: Teen Edition. Come see the talented students perform on April 3 and April 10 at 7:30 p.m. Visit this page for more information and to get your free tickets!

New Online Petition Center Can Help PA Taxpayers File Appeals

A new online platform is available for Pennsylvania taxpayers filing an appeal or submitting a refund request. The Online Petition Center can help taxpayers more easily navigate the appeal filing process with the Board of Appeals, which is the first level for a taxpayer to challenge a tax assessment or settlement issued by the PA Department of Revenue. You can read more here.

McCandless, Franklin Park Seeking Volunteers
for Spring Litter Cleanups

The Town of McCandless is seeking volunteers for its spring roadside cleanup event, which will take place on Saturday, April 12, with a rain date of April 26. Volunteers should meet at the McCandless DPW Garage at 8:30 a.m. to receive supplies and assignments. Visit this page to sign up.

The Franklin Park Environmental Advisory Council will be leading its annual Roadside Litter Cleanup event, rain or shine, on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at 10 a.m. along Nicholson Road from the Baierl Family YMCA at 2565 Nicholson Road to Concordia of Franklin Park. Police traffic control, safety vests, work gloves, and garbage bags will be provided. If you can help, please RSVP to dplatt@franklinparkborough.us or call (412) 364-4115.

PA Treasury Hosting Online Auction of Unclaimed Property

The state Treasury will host an online auction of unclaimed property on March 26 and March 27. More than 5,500 items will be available for online bidders. Those interested in bidding can visit Treasury’s auctioneer partner Pook & Pook Inc.’s website, pookandpook.com, to register.

Anyone can search for unclaimed property online at patreasury.gov/unclaimed-property. My office is also able to help you search!

Finding Funding

This is a reminder that the state has a handy tool to help search for grants. Visit this page to search or this page to see a list of all the latest programs.

Make Your Voice Heard

During my latest door knocking sessions in Hampton Township and Franklin Park, I continued to hear strong opposition to federal cuts to Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, scientific research, public health, veterans healthcare benefits, and federal jobs. I share those concerns, and I urge you to make your voice heard in Washington by contacting our members of Congress, below.

Finally, please remember that my talented staff can help you with a wide variety of state-related matters, from filing for the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program 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!