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In this Update:
The NFL Draft Comes to Pittsburgh!
This week, our great city hosted an historic event that brought the world’s attention to Pittsburgh – the NFL Draft. This major, three-day event highlighted all the incredible revitalization projects we’ve completed over the last few months and years, as guests and residents alike enjoyed new community spaces like Arts Landing and Market Square that showcase how wonderful Pittsburgh truly is. Estimates project between $100 million and $200 million of economic benefit will be injected into our local tourism economy through restaurants, hotels, transportation, and more because of the NFL Draft. For visitors travelling by air to attend this event, our city was proud to welcome them through our beautiful new airport terminal. This was a BIG week for Pittsburgh! There are still NFL Draft events going on through this evening – check out the full schedule here. Senate Approves Bill to Protect Pittsburgh Firefighter Spousal Benefits
The Senate unanimously approved legislation to close a nearly 100-year-old loophole in firefighter pension benefits. House Bill 797, sponsored by Rep. Jessica Benham (D-36), would update the Second Class City Firemen Relief Law to clarify eligibility rules for firefighter pensions, ensuring surviving spouses – including those who remarry or were married after retirement – will still receive benefits. I was proud to work with the Pittsburgh Firefighters Union to sponsor the companion legislation in the Senate. Under current law, surviving spouses of firefighters lose their pension benefits upon remarriage. A similar restriction for Pittsburgh police spouses was eliminated in 2006. This new legislation will remove a longstanding penalty for Pittsburgh firefighters and their families, ending what Robinson described as inequitable treatment among first responders. The bill now heads to the governor’s desk to be signed into law. Learn more about the bill here. Requiring English Proficiency, Strengthening Penalties for Reckless Truck Drivers
This week, I voted for legislation approved by the Senate Transportation Committee to protect Pennsylvania drivers by reinforcing commercial vehicle safety. The effort to advance these bills comes on the heels of a tragic fatal crash in Indiana involving a PA-issued nondomiciled Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) held by an illegal immigrant from Kyrgyzstan and a wanted terrorist from Uzbekistan found to hold a PA-issued nondomiciled CDL. These incidents sparked concerns about potential loopholes in the system used to award CDLs in Pennsylvania by PennDOT. It’s unacceptable for anyone, whether they’re illegal immigrants or American citizens, operating a massive tractor trailer to recklessly violate our highway safety laws and endanger fellow motorists. Driving commercial vehicles is a responsibility not to be taken lightly, and obtaining a CDL is a privilege that should only be awarded to those who meet the strongest standards. The committee advanced two bills, both sponsored by its chair, Sen. Judy Ward (R-30), and both passed with bipartisan support. Senate Bill 1295 would require English proficiency in all testing applications to operate an 80,000-pound commercial vehicle on public highways. Senate Bill 1296 would establish new penalties for unsafe CDL drivers, ensuring those deemed unqualified are removed from operating a commercial vehicle on Pennsylvania roads. Pittsburgh Students Come to Capitol for Career & Technical Education Day
I was proud to welcome students this week from Steel Center for Career and Technical Education and Parkway West CTC to celebrate Career & Technical Education Day at the Capitol. These students are working toward careers in growing fields like nursing, welding, carpentry, and more – they will play a huge role in building Allegheny County’s future!
Share Your Thoughts on Clean Drinking Water in PA Schools
Pennsylvania schools are recommended to test for lead, but the law does not require them to do so. As a result, nearly 9,000 Pennsylvania children tested positive for lead poisoning, and were confirmed to have unsafe levels of lead in their blood, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s 2022 Childhood Lead Surveillance Annual Report. Lead poisoning has well-documented adverse effects on children, such as brain and nervous system damage, physical growth delays, learning and behavior problems, and speech and hearing impairment. These factors can lead to lower IQ and even a higher risk of criminal behavior in adulthood. In response, I’ve introduced bipartisan legislation with Sens. John Kane (D-9) and Art Haywood (D-4) to require school districts to replace old, outdated drinking fountains with lead-filtering hydration stations by 2028. The legislation, Senate Bill 759, also includes funding mechanisms to help school districts achieve this goal. Do you support this legislation? Share your thoughts with me by taking a moment to fill out my brief, one-question survey here. Strengthening Electricity Affordability and Reliability
Pennsylvanians need electricity that’s affordable and reliable. That’s why I joined legislative colleagues in February urging action to preserve critical baseload power generation by preventing the premature shutdown of two commonwealth power plants. I’m pleased to report the federal government has reached an agreement with the state Department of Environmental Protection, and the operator of the Keystone and Conemaugh Generating Stations in Indiana and Armstrong counties to allow continued operation of both plants. The agreement ensures continued, environmentally compliant generation of 3,400 megawatts of electricity for the regional grid, and preserves the livelihood of more than 1,000 workers. I applaud the parties for working to find common ground and will continue working to expand Pennsylvania energy production to provide our residents with a true “all of the above” energy strategy to ensure affordable, reliable electricity. National Healthy Kids Day Activities at Sewickley Valley YMCA
Thank you to all the families and friends who came to the National Healthy Kids Day event at the Sewickley Valley YMCA! Rep. Valerie Gaydos (R-44) and I were happy to provide various resources to families about how to improve their health and well-being, as well as information about how Pennsylvania state government works and how our offices can help you. See more photos from the event here. Troop 248 Eagle Scout Ceremony
Congratulations Shawn A. Catlain, Jasim Munir Khilji, and Gavin Michael Mitchell from Troop 248 on attaining the rank of Eagle Scout! These impressive young men embody the Scout Law, adhering to high standards of being trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. Their family, friends, and community are proud of them for achieving this great honor. See more photos from the ceremony here. The Importance of PA’s Waterfront Development Tax Credit
Pennsylvania’s Waterfront Development Tax Credit program is an essential tool that helps communities, both rural and urban, create public access to the water, increase property values, restore ecology, and create jobs and economic growth. I’ve proposed legislation session with strong bipartisan support to increase the cap and percentage of this program for the second because I’ve seen firsthand how it can transform a community – improvements to Allegheny Landing park, Allegheny Riverfront Park, and the new Shore Thing entertainment barge in Pittsburgh’s North Shore are all projects in our community that benefited from this tax credit. The three rivers are a large part of Pittsburgh’s identity, and we’ve cleaned them up over the years by incentivizing the community to do so.
Read the full Spotlight PA article here. Upcoming License Plate Event with Rep. Mihalek
On Thursday, June 4 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Rep. Natalie Mihalek (R-40) and I are hosting a FREE Placard and Plate Event at her district office located at 1121 Boyce Rd., Upper St. Clair, PA 15241. Staff will be on hand to assist in renewing your hard-to-read license plate or placard. We hope to see you there! Michael “DeMo” DeMichela Inducted into Vulcans Hall of Fame
Congratulations to my cousin, Michael “DeMo” DeMichela, for being inducted into the California (PA) Vulcans Athletics Hall of Fame! DeMo has earned this honor after maintaining passion, commitment, and loyalty to the Cal U football program for over six decades. He was a four-year starting tight end for the Vulcans in the 1970s and was the coordinator of the Vulcan Alumni Game for nearly 25 years. In the late 2000s, the football program created the DeMichela Award that is given annually to the player who best exhibits leadership, spirit, and hustle during the spring practice season. Congratulations to all the 2026 inductees! See more photos from the ceremony here. Application Deadline Extension for Skyline Academy at Carlow UniversityFrom June 22–27, 2026, NAIOP Pittsburgh (the regional chapter of the Commercial Real Estate Development Association) will host Skyline Academy at Carlow University – a week-long, residential experience for rising juniors and seniors focused on careers in fields like real estate development, architecture, construction, engineering, finance, and analytics. Students will have the opportunity to explore careers in these fields alongside industry professionals through hands-on experiences, classroom instruction, and collaborative group projects. If you or someone you know is a rising junior or senior in high school and unsure about next steps after graduation, please review the information about the opportunities for firsthand career exploration at Skyline Academy here. Interested individuals can apply for Skyline Academy here by 5 p.m., on April 30, 2026. Women Veterans Invited to Share Their Stories of Service
Pennsylvania women who served in the United States Armed Forces are encouraged to register by May 8 for a state Capitol ceremony honoring their service. The fourth annual Women Veterans Day Commemoration will be held on Wednesday, June 10, at 11:30 a.m. in the main rotunda of the Pennsylvania state Capitol in Harrisburg. As a proud veteran of the United States Marine Corps, I am familiar with the extraordinary service and sacrifice of Pennsylvania’s women veterans. Their bravery, resilience, and contributions to our nation’s military deserve recognition and celebration, and I commend my colleague, Sen. Tracy Pennycuick – a U.S. Army combat veteran – for organizing this event to pay special tribute to all Pennsylvania women veterans. Women veterans across the commonwealth are invited to submit entries for a display featuring each participant’s likeness alongside a personal reflection on “What Service Means to Me.” The deadline for submissions is Friday, May 8. To submit a biography and be featured in the display, click here. Take the PA Family Health Needs Assessment Survey
You can provide feedback to help improve maternal, child, and family health in Pennsylvania by completing the Family Health Needs Assessment Survey by April 30. You can find the survey here. It’s part of the federal Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant, managed in Pennsylvania by the Department of Health. It requires a comprehensive needs assessment every five years to identify key health priorities. The survey takes about 20 minutes to complete. If you have any questions, please email RA-DHPATITLEV@pa.gov. Help Prepare Your Child for Kindergarten
If your child is entering kindergarten this fall, you can help prepare them for the experience with the Kindergarten Here I Come booklet filled with resources and activities that follow Pennsylvania’s early learning standards. Topics in the booklet include:
You can review and download the booklet here. National Library Week
This week, we celebrated National Library Week! Thank you to the many libraries across the 37th district for the educational opportunities and services you provide to our community. Find a library near you here and check out some of my archival photos of local libraries and reading events here. Local Government Day in Pennsylvania
April 22 was Local Government Day in Pennsylvania! From water and sewer to snow removal and emergency response services, these dedicated local officials strive to make our communities better by providing critical services that improve our everyday lives. We are grateful for all you do!
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. |
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