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In this Update:
Robinson Township Property Tax and Rent Rebate Clinic
Thank you to everyone who attended my Property Tax and Rent Rebate (PTRR) clinic at the Township of Robinson Community Center! My staff was happy to assist everyone in filing for their rebates. Thanks to Robinson Township for being such a great host! Check out more photos from the event here. Upcoming Outreach Events On Friday, March 20, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Rep. Jeremy Shaffer (R-28) and I will host a Senior Solutions event at the Marshall Township Municipal Building, 525 Pleasant Hill Road, Wexford, PA 15090. The clinic will provide help with completing PTRR applications, filling out forms for Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) Senior ConnectCards, and reclaiming unclaimed property from the Pennsylvania Treasury Department. Additional details for the Marshall Township Senior Solutions event are available here. Seniors interested in attending can call my office at (412) 785-3070 for assistance identifying any necessary documents they will need to bring with them. On Saturday, March 28 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., I will host an identity theft prevention event with Rep. Andrew Kuzma (R-39) at South Park High School located at 2005 Eagle Ridge Road, South Park, PA 15129. If you have old documents you need to shred, this event is for you! We will have industrial shredders from Shred America on site for attendees to dispose of their sensitive documents for FREE. Please note, there is a limit of two boxes per person. Additional information about the event can be found here. Please call my office at (412) 785-3070 with any questions. Honoring the Heroism of Local Firefighters
I was honored to present Leet Township’s Fire Department Chief, Brian Jameson, and Fair Oaks Volunteer Fire Department’s Jake Mosholder with certificates of recognition for their quick work administering CPR to save a life. Thank you both for your bravery that day and for the hard work you do to keep our community safe! Check out more photos from the recognition ceremony here. Discussing Policy Solutions for Intellectually Disabled/Autism Communities
This week, I participated in a roundtable with the Pennsylvania Advocacy and Resources for Autism and Intellectual Disabilities and Mainstay Life Services. We discussed the experiences that individuals with intellectual disabilities and/or autism and their families often have with the system and what we can do to improve it. I am proud to support these vital organizations! Recognizing Avonworth High School Girls Volleyball Team’s State Championship Victory
Congratulations to the Avonworth High School Girls Volleyball team on winning the PIAA Class 2A Girls Volleyball Championship! The team defeated Lansdale Catholic High School with a final score of 3-1 for the state championship and finished the season with an impressive record of 20-6. I was proud to join Rep. Arvind Venkat (D-30) to present these exceptional young athletes with official House and Senate of Pennsylvania citations to recognize this great achievement. Go Antelopes! Moon Area School District Breaks Ground on New Tiger Stadium
I was proud to join Rep. Valerie Gaydos (R-44) in Moon Area School District to celebrate the groundbreaking of their new Tiger Stadium! Once completed, this new facility will boost athletic opportunities for students and serve as a shared space for community and school events in the coming years. Congratulations, Tigers! Check out more photos from the groundbreaking ceremony here. Pittsburgh Welcomes Irish Youth Boxing Club for Donnybrook 2026
The above photo was shared by Midland Boxing Club on their Facebook page ahead of their flight to Pittsburgh from Ireland. Pittsburgh welcomed Midland Boxing Club to our great city after they traveled here from Ireland to compete in Donnybrook 2026, a youth amateur boxing exhibition that took place last night. Congratulations to all these young athletes for their hard work and training ahead of this exciting exhibition! A special thanks to the Ireland Institute of Pittsburgh for making this event possible. National Aviary Highlights Local Sports, Benefits Parkinson Foundation
Pittsburgh Sports Straight Talk, an entertaining event sponsored by the Parkinson Foundation Western Pennsylvania, featured a very special guest earlier this week – Kevin Stevens, Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup winner! Kevin was honored with the Perseverance Award, followed by a sports media stars roundtable to provide commentary on our local sports teams, all in the name of bringing awareness to Parkinson’s Disease. Since the event was held at the National Aviary, attendees were treated to another special guest appearance! 🐧🐧🐧 Follow-Up Mammograms and Breast MRIs Now Free in PA Under New Law
“Nearly 66% of breast cancer cases nationwide are caught before the cancer spreads, and early detection greatly improves survival. Laws like SB 88 aim to remove the financial barriers that cause patients to delay the follow-up tests that make early detection possible.” I was proud to sponsor this transformative bill! Read the full article from When In Your State here. Senate Acts to Address Electric Generation Shortfall, Expand Energy Development
Reliable and affordable electricity is a fundamental need for families and the businesses that provide their jobs. The Senate recently passed legislation to streamline energy generation projects and preserve the reliability of our region’s power grid. Senate Bill 704 directs the state departments of Community and Economic Development and Environmental Protection to work together to identify suitable sites for natural gas electric generation projects. The goal is to address electricity generation shortages in the PJM power grid and attract investment by speeding up site preparation. The bill was sent to the House of Representatives for consideration. Other measures we passed to promote access to affordable energy prevented the creation of a new electricity tax and would authorize creation of a Pennsylvania Independent Energy Office to ensure a more cohesive strategy for managing energy resources. Measure to Speed Up Plugging of Abandoned Wells Approved by Senate
There are an estimated 350,000 abandoned oil and gas wells statewide posing safety and environmental risks. The Senate approved legislation to streamline plugging operations, eliminating uncertainty and accelerating cleanup efforts. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection requires well pluggers to clean out a well to its total depth before plugging. Senate Bill 712 removes longstanding roadblocks by defining what constitutes a reasonable effort to reach the attainable bottom of a well, eliminating ambiguity that has led to costly delays. This clarity will help Pennsylvania fully leverage nearly $400 million in federal funding to plug more wells in less time. The bill was sent to the House of Representatives for consideration. Mental Health Funding UpdateMental health funding has been a priority of discussion for the Senate, and while there is still much to do, this mental health funding overview below shows that there has been a continued effort on the part of the legislature to fulfill the needs of our most vulnerable citizens. It is important to note that mental health services and related programs are in the top 15 of the largest general fund appropriations, and the top 15 comprises 75% of the total general fund spending. Current funding includes the following:
One of the most effective ways to treat mental health is in the early stages. This funding, and future funding, is essential to provide mental health and behavioral health providers, school districts, and counties across Pennsylvania with the tools to treat mental health issues before they escalate into larger problems that can impact overall public safety in our communities. Poultry Owners Urged to Continue Efforts to Combat Avian Influenza
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture is reminding poultry owners – backyard flock owners and commercial producers – to continue taking steps to protect their birds from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Since the current outbreak began in 2022, Pennsylvania has lost more than 14.3 million birds, with approximately half of these lost since the beginning of 2026. Steps to reduce HPAI risk include:
Poultry owners should report sick birds or unexplained deaths to (717) 772-2852. Anyone encountering sick or dead wild birds should contact the Pennsylvania Game Commission at 1-833-PGC-WILD. You can find more information here. Honoring Persian Gulf War Veterans
The above photo features the beautiful veterans memorial in Collier Township which honors veterans from the Persian Gulf War and many others. March 6 was Persian Gulf War Veterans Day in Pennsylvania, a day devoted to thanking all who served and sacrificed for our country during this conflict. I was proud to vote in favor of passing legislation designating this important day of recognition in the Commonwealth in 2021. Celebrating International Women’s Day
In honor of International Women’s Day on March 8, I want to take a moment and give a huge shoutout to the strong, intelligent women in the Senate who I have the pleasure of working with on behalf of the people of Pennsylvania. I’m grateful to work alongside them all! Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
The above photo is from the 2024 Pittsburgh St. Patrick’s Day parade where I was proud to spend some time with our incredible Pittsburgh Firefighters. Nearly two million Pennsylvanians proudly claim Irish ancestry, reflecting generations of families, workers, and community leaders who helped shape our commonwealth’s heritage. In honor of our rich Irish culture in Pennsylvania and especially in the Pittsburgh area, I’m proud to sponsor legislation designating March 2026 as Irish American Heritage Month in Pennsylvania. Whether you’re Irish or Irish-for-a-day, I hope you enjoy St. Patrick’s Day on March 17!
I’m proud to represent you in Harrisburg. Please contact me if my team can assist you with any state-level issues or services, including PennDOT, PA Department of Revenue, PA Department of Aging, PA State Treasury, etc. I’m always happy to hear from constituents, but if you need assistance or have concerns regarding a federal issue, you may want to contact your U.S. Senators and/or your member in the U.S. House of Representatives. Thank you. For anyone who hasn’t already signed up to receive my e-newsletters, you can get on the mailing list here. |
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