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Dear Neighbor,

It’s still July out there – and this heatwave is the second time in a month that we’ve had warnings about how dangerous the weather is.

This time, it’s even worse because of the smoke from wildfires pouring into the area. Please heed the warnings that you are hearing. Especially if you are medically sensitive to heat or pollution, do not venture outdoors if you don’t have to. The air quality index right now for almost all of Pennsylvania is purple – and that means it’s hazardous to your health!

In legislative news, we have a budget enacted in Pennsylvania – and I got to advance one of my core legislative priorities into law, providing guardrails for handling noxious food processing residuals across our farms. Read on for more information on that legislation.

First, this year's budget delivers real wins for our district and our commonwealth.

We funded a Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for our retired teachers, firefighters and police officers. These are the people who taught our kids and kept us safe. Honoring our commitment to them isn't optional.

We also expanded agriculture lending so our farmers have access to the same economic tools everyone else does. Farms are the backbone of Pennsylvania. From the soil to your grocery bill, when farmers have what they need to succeed, we all do.

We also continued tax relief for working families through the Working Families Tax Credit. Because at the end of the day, if hardworking Pennsylvanians don't have enough to provide for their families, then what are we even doing?

And keeping with a promise in Pennsylvania, we’ve invested in education, increasing funding to schools across the state by $670M dollars. Because the moral and constitutional reality is that every student deserves an excellent education in Pennsylvania, regardless of their ZIP code.

And we did it all with a balanced, fiscally responsible budget, built with bipartisan cooperation. Harrisburg can still work when people choose to make it work.

I’m also proud to announce that my legislation to better address how food processing residuals are handled in Pennsylvania was written into law, beginning with this budget.

Food processing residuals, also known as FPR, are the leftover products created by commercial food processing. They can include vegetable peelings, raw meat scraps and liquid waste from cleaning processes that might contain blood, fat, hair, feathers, and a variety of other vegetable and animal byproducts, as well as chemicals used in processing. The results of spreading FPR on farmland have included noxious odors, air quality problems and contaminated drinking water.

For four years I've been working with stakeholders and with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and in both chambers to pass protective legislation. The process was extensive and worthwhile, because it led us to legislation that could pass with wide support, be signed into law, and get the job done.

The new law follows years of outdated oversight and easily exploited loopholes regarding commercial food waste. It is a massive win for Pennsylvania farmers who want to protect their soil, and for neighbors who deserve clean air and water.

Thank you to all of the supporters and experts who helped get this over the finish line.

Farmers’ Breakfast is Aug. 7

Finally, Farmers in the 26th Legislative District are invited to my next Farmers’ Breakfast on Aug. 7. Please email RepFriel@pahouse.net to RSVP.

Farming is the backbone of our economy, and agriculture remains a top priority for me. I would like to hear from you on the matter, challenges and all. I hope to see you there.