VISITING MCDOWELL HIGH SCHOOL

I had a great discussion with students at McDowell High School this week about voting, civic engagement, and the issues shaping Pennsylvania’s future.

From education and jobs to consumer protection and our communities, the students asked thoughtful questions and were fully engaged.

No matter your age, your voice matters — stay informed, speak up, and get involved!

PRIMARY ELECTION IS TUESDAY

Please remember to have your voice heard and your vote counted on Tuesday!

My office and many state and federal offices will be closed on Tuesday for the Primary Election. We will begin returning messages on Wednesday morning.

Have election questions? Contact the PA Department of State: Call the voter hotline, 1-877-868-3772, or visit vote.pa.gov.
If you applied for a mail ballot, you can track the status of your mail ballot’s progress online at vote.pa.gov/MailBallotStatus.
Reminder: Mail ballots must be RECEIVED by your county elections office by 8 p.m. Election Day. A postmark by that time is not sufficient.

KEEPING PA COMPETITIVE + PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITIES

Pennsylvania can compete and win in the digital economy with data centers — but not at the expense of higher utility bills, strained water supplies, or local control. It’s why House Dems:

PASSED: Protect Our Families Act — keeps utility costs in check, demands accountability & supports clean energy.
PASSED: Big Tech Accountability Act — requires transparency on data center electricity & water use.
PASSED: Community Decides Act — gives local governments tools to protect their communities.
PASSED: Protecting Our Clean Water — requires disclosure of data center water consumption.

We are building a stronger Commonwealth without sacrificing our communities.

Source: HB 1834, HB 2150, HB 2151, HB 2246.

HOW WE VOTED

The House returns to session to vote on bills in Harrisburg on June 1, unless recalled sooner by the Speaker. You can see how the House voted here.

ENDING FRAUD, WASTE AND ABUSE

The Policy Committee traveled to Philadelphia last week to learn more about the ways Pennsylvania is protecting taxpayer dollars. PA gets top marks in catching Medicaid fraud, and stopping it before it can start.

State Secretary of the Department of Human Services Val Arkoosh and Inspector General Michelle Henry testified. They detailed the added protection of a False Claims Act, which the House passed in July but has not been taken up in the state Senate. The bill would incentivize whistleblowers to report fraud.

But no system is fail-proof, and Henry detailed how out-of-state and even international crime rings have used skimming devices in PA to steal from EBT cards with SNAP benefits – defrauding recipients of the social safety net they rely on. The testifiers detailed how they would prefer to lessen the chance of fraud by issuing chip cards, but it would need funding in this year’s budget to make that fraud prevention step a reality. Watch the full hearing here.

POLICY COMMITTEE CONTINUES STATEWIDE MISSION

As Chairman of the PA House Democratic Policy Committee and a member of the House Majority Leadership team, I travel across the state with the Policy Committee to hear from workers, seniors, advocates, business leaders, and officials on emerging issues and initiatives. We examine how policies are working for people across the state and identify opportunities to advance reforms that would help even more residents.

The committee has hosted 70 hearings with 49 hosts across 46 neighborhoods during this legislative session, including a joint hearing in Philadelphia on Monday.

UP NEXT: The Future of Healthcare on Friday, May 22 on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

WE ARE READY TO HELP YOU

So far this year my dedicated team closed more than 7,100 cases. We have completed nearly 650 Property Tax & Rent Rebates, returning $420,000 to the region. If you need help filing your Property Tax/Rent Rebate, trust the professionals — we’re here to make it easy.

Stop by our Millcreek office or contact us if you have questions. A member of my team can also be reached at the Fairview Township Building on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

WE ARE READY TO HELP YOU

If you need assistance with state programs, my office can help!

Last year, we:

helped 1,200+ people apply for the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program,
resolved 4,500+ issues with PennDOT, and
completed 38,000+ items of casework.

Trust the professionals! Bring your issues to my team, we can help.