Dear Neighbor,

It was a busy week in our community and across the nation. This newsletter covers some of our work at this moment to support and uplift our neighborhood. It includes responses to hateful vandalism at Roxborough High, attention to national issues like the killing of a U.S. citizen and mother by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, vaccine rollbacks, and military action. It also highlights local progress, like securing nearly $1 million to make the Schuylkill River Trail safer and more accessible for all of us!

As always, my office is here for you and eager to help: 215-482-8726 | RepKhan@pahouse.net | 4001 Main St., Unit 101 Manayunk

In this issue:

🕊️ Honoring Renée Nicole Good
🚲 $950K Secured for Safer Trails & Bike Paths
🏫 Roxborough United
⛽ Holding Gas Corporations Accountable
📰 What’s Really Happening in Venezuela
💉 Standing Up for Vaccine Access
👵 The Golden Girls Law Explained

Remembering Renée Nichole Good

On Wednesday, a US Citizen and mother, Renée Nicole Good, was shot in the head and killed during an ICE operation. Her death is a devastating consequence of reckless, fear-driven policies coming out of the White House that are making our communities more dangerous instead of supporting American families.

Image: Photo Credit Jane Glenn. At ICE protest on Sunday outside Cathedral Village.

As I said after the shooting, under Donald Trump, ICE has been politicized, poorly trained, and stripped of standards. It’s been remade in the president’s own image to serve his agenda rather than the public interest, with less oversight and less accountability — and that’s how tragedies happen.

In response, I introduced two pieces of legislation. The first, with Rep. Chris Pielli, would ensure that no Pennsylvania tax dollars are used by local law enforcement to support ICE operations. The second, with Rep. Emily Kinkead, would prohibit ICE arrests in or around commonwealth buildings and courthouses, so people can access essential services and the justice system without fear. This is on top of two other bills I’m co-sponsoring — one to prevent ICE masking and concealing their identity, and another to prevent ICE from conducting operations in our schools.

Image: Renée Nicole Good, wife and mother of three, who was shot dead by ICE on Wednesday.

We mourn this senseless killing and the politicization and militarization of ICE that puts armed force and terror over public safety and common sense, harming families instead of protecting and supporting communities.

Click here or the video below to watch my statement on the incident.

💰 Building the Wisshahickon Gateway Trail

Nearly $950,000 Secured for Safer Trails in Manayunk!!

Some good news: I’m excited to share that I helped secure nearly $950,000 in state funding to move forward with the Wissahickon Gateway Trail. This project in our neighborhood will make walking and biking safer and more beautiful up and down the Schuylkill River!

The $947,668 grant, awarded through PennDOT’s Multimodal Transportation Fund, will allow the city to acquire the right-of-way needed to build a new trail segment linking Kelly Drive and Main Street near the Pencoyd Bridge. This will close a dangerous gap between the Schuylkill River Trail and the Wissahickon Valley Park trail network.

Right now, people are forced onto busy roads (think Ridge Avenue by the Wissahickon Transit Center past the movie theater) where the crash rate is four times higher than the city average. This project will replace that risky stretch of road with a safe, off-road connection, and will improve daily life for commuters, families, and visitors.

I’m fighting to bring resources like this that enhance the health, safety and quality of life in our community every chance I get!

Image: Future Trail Bridge over the Wissahickon Creek and some of the 2,000 feet multi-use trail.

🏫 Community Comes Together at Roxborough High

Like many families in our community, I was deeply troubled by the racist and antisemitic graffiti at Roxborough High School. Our students and educators deserve safe, welcoming spaces, and there is no place for hate in our community.

Image: Neighbors and school administrators posting loving messages last Sunday morning outside the school.

We made sure the story wasn’t about one troubled individual’s actions. Just hours after the incident was discovered, about four dozen community members joined Principal Williams-Smalley and her team to fill the entrance and sidewalk with messages of love and welcome for students who were about to return to school for the new year. That response, neighbors coming together, is what truly reflects who we are as a community.

For more perspective from the scene, the Fox29 video linked here and below includes voices from those on the ground.

Image: Screenshot from Fox29 video covering the incident.

I’m grateful to the school administration, the School District of Philadelphia, maintenance workers, Northwest detectives, and the neighbors and alumni who helped replace hate with positive messages. Many also returned the next morning to welcome students back to school and remind them that they are loved, welcome, and that they belong.

Image: Welcoming students back to School last Monday.

If you have information about the perpetrator of the racist & antisemitic graffiti on Rox. High School, please contact the Northwest Detective Division at 215-686-3353 or 215-686-3354, or call 215-686-TIPS (8477).

Image: Image of the suspect released by the PPD.

📰 Making Gas Companies Pay Their Fair Share

Pennsylvania lets gas companies pull about $20 billion a year of Pennsylvania natural gas out of our ground — but gas companies do not pay the state a severance tax. Almost every other gas-producing state charges companies for taking public resources.

Rep. Chris Pielli and I introduced our severance tax bill last week. Our commonsense bill is about fairness. If corporations profit from Pennsylvania’s natural gas, it’s only fair they should pay their fair share to help fix our roads, support our communities, and protect our water. That share should go back to Pennsylvania families, not for corporate profits.

📰 Read my OpED in the Roxborough Review story here or by clicking the image below.

Image: Screenshot of the Roxborough Review story.

🌎 Secret Invasion of Venezuela

Recently, the U.S. took military action against Venezuela without approval from Congress — a serious breach of our Constitution. I’m standing with my colleagues to oppose this unauthorized use of force and call for respect for our nation’s democratic process.

I joined fellow state lawmakers in legislation to oppose recent U.S. military actions against Venezuela that were taken without approval from Congress. Our resolution calls for respect for constitutional checks and balances, urges the administration to seek proper approval before any future military actions, and demands accountability for decisions that affect peace and stability.

It’s important that our leaders follow the law and protect democratic oversight to ensure our government acts responsibly at home and abroad.

💉 Protecting Vaccine Access in Pennsylvania

Federal health policy shifted this week as the CDC under RFK Jr. has reduced routine recommendations for several childhood vaccines — a change driven by politics, not science. Experts warn this could lead to more preventable illnesses and hospitalizations.

Image: Screenshot of Philadelphia Inquirer article on the new vaccine policies.

Pennsylvania acted early. The House passed a bill I created with Rep. Arvind Venkat to protect vaccine access by requiring insurers to cover vaccines recommended by the state health department and trusted medical experts, even if federal guidance changes.

Now, it’s time for the Senate to act and keep our communities safe with science-based protections.

👵🏼🏠 The Golden Girls Bill ☀️🏠

Recently, I introduced a “Golden Girls” bill to stop towns from banning people who aren’t related from living together, yes, like the four friends in The Golden Girls. 🏡

Outdated local rules make it harder for roommates to share a home, driving up housing costs and squeezing people out.

In this economy, we need solutions like this bill. It scraps arbitrary limits (while keeping safety rules in place) so friends, older adults, and working folks can live together, split the rent, and keep more money in their pockets.

Read about my bill from USA Today network by clicking here or on the image below.

Image: Rose, Blanche & Dorothy approve.

Warmly,