|
|
Dear Neighbor, I hope the new year is off to a good start for you and your family. In this week’s e-newsletter:
As always, please contact my office if you need any assistance with state programs. |
|
|
|
Office Closure and PTRR Reminder |
|
We will be closed from 9 am - 12 pm on Tuesday, January 13 for training on 2025 Property Tax/Rent Rebate (PTRR) protocols. We will reopen at 1 pm that afternoon. PTRR applications will open on Thursday, January 15 - we look forward to seeing many of you for this service over the next few months! |
|
|
|
|
Congratulations! |
|
I want to congratulate all the elected municipal leaders on Millersville Mayor Phil Lastowski and Lancaster City Mayor Jaimie Arroyo, Lancaster City Council, Lancaster Township Supervisors, and Millersville Borough Council on their swearing in this week. I look forward to working with you! |
|
|
|
A Dire Moment for America |
|
President Trump’s unilateral violation of sovereign territory and the kidnapping of a foreign leader is an act of war. Doing so without consultation with Congress violates the U.S. Constitution. We have an emboldened, criminal government, nakedly attacking other nations for the purpose of accessing their resources. When our country took similar actions in Iran in the 1950s in overthrowing the country’s prime minister, Mohammed Mosaddegh, it cost the American people and Iranians in lives and undue suffering, and we continue to live with the consequences. And, guess what? The U.S. did this at the behest of Great Britain which wanted to protect British Petroleum’s control of oil fields in the country. Sound familiar? When we took similar actions in Iraq in the first 20 years of this century, it once again cost Americans and this time, Iraqis in lives and undue suffering. It gained little for the American people, but much for fossil fuel corporations and arms manufacturers. Are we sensing a theme here? Now, we are repeating these actions in Venezuela. Our president has declared he will be running that country and that his administration would take control of selling oil from the country indefinitely. Never has his administration provided evidence of his claims for justification for these illegal actions. Instead, they manufacture distractions and bloodshed as costs for our people continue to rise. This action will not shore up American security but will expose us to untold dangers. This is a shortsighted act of evil. In the Trump era, the Republican-controlled Congress has abdicated its responsibilities set forth in the Constitution to a lawless president. Although Maduro was not a president we'd want for ourselves or for the Venezuelan people, this does not give the US the right to depose him, overturn international law, or allow Trump and his cronies to continue enriching themselves as the cost of global stability and shared norms around democracy and justice. I am heartened to see that 5 Republican U.S. Senators voted with their Democratic counterparts to pass a resolution that would block Trump from taking additional military action in Venezuela without congressional approval. I call on the U.S. House of Representatives to pass this resolution to end to this unchecked hostile takeover and restore the rule of law. Now. |
|
|
|
The PA Minimum Wage: It’s time for a raise! |
|
Our neighbors in New York and New Jersey are getting a minimum wage hike - but not Pennsylvania. Despite claims that employers will “run for the border” if Pennsylvania raises its minimum wage, all our neighboring states have increased the minimum wage since 2009. It makes you wonder, where these employers are going to run to? A strong economy is built on a fair day’s pay for a hard day’s work. House Democrats have repeatedly passed bills to boost Pennsylvania’s minimum wage, but they are continuously killed by Senate Republicans. Send a message to the state’s Senate leadership to raise the minimum wage here. Enough is enough. Our neighboring states are leaving the commonwealth in the dust. It’s past time Pennsylvania raises the minimum wage. |
|
|
|
|
Applications for home heating help |
|
Applications for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program are available. Through the program, you can apply for a cash grant to help pay your heating bill—from $200 to $1,000 based on your household size, income, and fuel type. For more information, click here. You can also contact my office if you need help applying for LIHEAP or need help with any utility-related issues. |
|
|
PA ABLE expands eligibility, opening savings opportunities for more Pennsylvanians |
|
The PA ABLE Savings Program has expanded eligibility, allowing thousands more Pennsylvanians with disabilities to benefit from a tax-free way to save for their future. Individuals are now eligible to open a PA ABLE account if their disability began before age 46 -- an increase from the previous age limit of 26 -- making this a significant and impactful change. Since its launch in 2017, PA ABLE has helped people with disabilities build financial security without jeopardizing essential benefits such as Medical Assistance (Medicaid) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Participants can contribute up to $20,000 annually, use funds for a wide range of disability-related expenses, and deduct contributions from Pennsylvania state income taxes. Currently, more than 11,500 Pennsylvanians have saved nearly $185 million through PA ABLE, with many more now eligible due to the expanded age limit. To learn more, visit paable.gov or call 855-529-ABLE (2253). |
|
|
|
.png)
|
Multimodal transportation grants available |
|
PennDOT announced recently that they are accepting applications for a new round of Multimodal Transportation Fund (MTF) grants. Applications are due by February 13. The MTF provides grant funding to municipalities, councils of governments, businesses, economic development organizations, public transit agencies, and ports and rail freight entities to improve transportation assets that enhance communities, pedestrian safety, and transit access. More information about applying for the MTF grants is available by clicking here. |
|
|
|
State Grant Program Funding Available |
|
The latest state grant opportunities are available on my website! My office is happy to help connect you with government funding like this, so please reach out if you have any questions or need a letter of support. |
|
|
|
College Financial Aid Webinars |
|
Interested in attending college? Check out these helpful webinars. |
|
|
|
|
|
2026 Pennsylvania House of Representatives Legislative Fellowship Program |
|
Applications for the Summer 2026 Pennsylvania House of Representatives Legislative Fellowship Program are now being accepted.
Applications for the Summer Semester are due on Monday, March 2.
The Fellowship Program is based in Pennsylvania’s magnificent Capitol Building in Harrisburg. Fellows are assigned to work in House Standing Committees or House Leadership offices, are compensated for their work (which may also include college credit), and are provided the opportunities to draft and present their own legislation, attend meet-and-greets with various public officials and staff, and tour some of the Commonwealth’s historic public spaces, to name a few. The Summer Semester will run from Thursday, June 4 through Thursday August 6, 2026.
Qualified applicants will be:
If you know of any college students who would benefit from the Fellowship Program, please invite them to visit the website at: www.pahousefellowship.us. Applications can be submitted via email to: pahousefellowship@pabmc.net. |
|
|
|
|
Semiquincentennial Scholarships for High School Students |
|
In commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary and to honor the legacy of Pennsylvania’s strong commitment to education, America250PA will be awarding $250,000 in scholarships to deserving Pennsylvania students attending Pennsylvania colleges and universities in the 2026/2027 academic school year. Who What Where When Learn more here: America250PA | Start Here, America Did! |
|
|
|
|
District Office 150 East King St., Suite B (717) 283-4218 |
|
Pennsylvania State Capitol (717) 772-0752 |
|
