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In this e-newsletter:
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Upcoming District Office Closures |
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Please note the following upcoming office closure:
Friday, April 3 - Easter vacation |
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In the District
A wonderful Community Hiring Event! |
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Thank you to our event partners, employers and job seekers for a wonderful Community Hiring Event this past Tuesday! For any job seekers looking for birth certificates, driver's licenses or other employment requirements, our office is here to help.
Event partners: Rep. Nikki Rivera Lancaster Public Library Second Chance Jobs, LLC Record Eraser
Application and Interview Preparation Partners: Olé "PhotOlé" Hongvanthong (Headshots and digital presence coaching) PA CareerLink Lancaster County (Resume coaching) Truist* and volunteers (Mock interviews)
Resources: Lancaster County Food Hub Community Action Partnership of Lancaster County Stark Law Group, LLC
Companies: Boys & Girls Club of Lancaster 1-800-GOT-JUNK? Arcadia Home Care & Staffing Chellas Arepa Kitchen Landis Landscaping, Inc. Sparkle Squad of Harrisburg and Lancaster
*Also provided resources |
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At the Capitol: Legislative update |
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I was back at the Capitol this week to advocate for legislation that would help you. |
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Stopping the rise of Legionnaire’s disease in PA |
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Patient advocates, disease experts, and water management officials joined state Rep. Ed Neilson, D-Phila., and me at the Capitol this week to support our H.B. 2085, which is aimed at stopping the spread of a severe type of pneumonia, Legionnaires’ disease, that is on the rise in Pennsylvania.
The Alliance to Prevent Legionnaires’ Disease is hosting a free webinar at 12 p.m. on Tuesday, March 31 on the EPA’s 2023 Working Group’s recommendations that included a national chlorine residual up to .5ppm.
Our legislation has received coverage in the press. Lancaster Online today published an article about Legionnaires' disease in a Lancaster nursing home and hospital. |
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It’s time for marriage equality in PA |
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H.B. 1800 bill would update the legal definition of marriage in Pennsylvania from a civil contract between one woman and one man to instead be a civil contract between two people. It would also remove Pennsylvania’s ban on same-sex marriage which was found unconstitutional by a Supreme Court decision in 2015. The bill heads to the Senate for consideration. |
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Family Care Act, a family and medical leave insurance program in Pennsylvania |
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The House passed H.B. 200--The Family Care Act—that would bring economic stability to more working families by creating a family and medical leave insurance program in Pennsylvania. More than a dozen other states offer paid leave that ensures workers don’t have to choose between their job and their family’s well-being after the birth of a child or during a serious illness. It’s time PA did, too! The bill heads to the Senate for consideration. |
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Closing the wage gap: economic justice for Pennsylvania’s women |
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Economic injustice is a problem in PA. H.B. 630 would update and strengthen Pennsylvania’s equal pay law to help ensure women receive equal pay for equal work. But it’s been stuck in committee and has not been scheduled for a vote by the Republican-controlled Senate. The Senate is saying that they are okay with the fact that in 2025, women in Pennsylvania were paid an average of 82.4% of what men were paid, according to the U.S. Labor Department. I want to point out that women of color make far less, with Black women making 66 cents and Latina women only 58 cents for every dollar a white, non-Hispanic man makes in the commonwealth. Pennsylvania is lagging behind the national average and three out of six of Pennsylvania’s neighboring states. The pay gap leads to women:
If Pennsylvania’s women were given equal pay for equal work, the number of working women and single mothers living in poverty in the commonwealth could be reduced by nearly 40%. Economic injustice is hurting women and their families. Let’s close the wage gap! |
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Increasing the minimum wage for PA workers |
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For the third year in a row, the House passed a bill to increase the minimum wage. H.B. 2189 is a comprehensive bill that would increase the statewide minimum wage from $7.25 per hour (where it has been stuck since 2009) to $11 per hour, effective Jan. 1, 2027. The minimum wage would then increase to $13 per hour in 2028 and $15 per hour in 2029, followed by annual cost-of-living adjustments. In addition, the bill would give counties the option to implement a $15-per-hour wage sooner and set the minimum wage for tipped employees at 60% of the statewide minimum wage. FYI: Neighboring states have all raised their minimum wages. It’s time Pennsylvania did too. It heads to the Senate for consideration. |
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Bill tying legislator raises to minimum wage increases introduced |
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The House Democrats have been struggling for years to raise the minimum wage, where it has been stuck at the 2009 level of $7.25. While inflation has risen by more than 50% since 2009, the Republicans in the legislature have consistently voted against raising the minimum wage, while enjoying a 45% salary increase over the last 17 years. (Legislators’ yearly COLA was instituted by law). To draw attention to that contradiction, House Democrats introduced H.B. 2312 that would tie annual cost-of-living increases calculated for lawmakers’ salaries to be applied to Pennsylvania’s minimum wage. Since you, the PA taxpayer, are funding legislators’ annual raises, you should see your minimum wage increase as well! |
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A first-ever regulatory framework for data centers |
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While Pennsylvania has become a site of interest for widespread data center development, the commonwealth currently has no statewide standards for data centers and lacks oversight of these facilities. H.B.1834 would create the first-ever regulatory framework for data centers in Pennsylvania. The bill would protect ratepayers from even higher utility bills, increase the construction of renewable energy, and fund low-income energy assistance programs. |
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Delivering for you in Harrisburg |
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This week, we also passed the following bills, which are on their way to the Senate for consideration: We supported our veterans by expanding property tax relief for disabled veterans (H.B. 1257) and improving trauma-informed care for veterans who have experienced military sexual trauma (H.B. 2024). We protected consumers by requiring insurers to inform homeowner’s insurance buyers when policies don’t cover flood loss (H.B. 1718). We improved railroad safety by prohibiting trains from blocking crossings in a way that delays emergency responders, limiting train length, expanding the number of workers and the use of safety monitoring systems and strengthening oversight of hazardous materials transported (H.B. 1191). |
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Upcoming Event Record-Clearing Information Session for Justice-Involved Residents |
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I’m partnering with Rep. Rivera to host a Record-Clearing Information Session to help justice-involved residents better understand Pennsylvania’s expungement, pardon, and record-sealing laws.
📅 Wednesday, April 22
During this workshop, representatives and partner organizations will be available to answer questions and explain the steps individuals can take to clear eligible records. If you or someone you know is working toward a fresh start, this session can help you learn about the options that may be available.
This event is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to bring any questions or relevant documentation.
We hope you’ll join us and take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about clearing your record and opening doors to new opportunities.
Register here: https://recorderaser.net/event/04-2026-record-clearing-info-session/ |
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Government Programs & Grants |
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Click on the image below for information about PTRR, LIHEAP and government grant programs accepting applications. |
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Scholarships |
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Click on the Image below to learn about scholarships and contests. |
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My Office is Here to Help |
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If you have any questions about this email or need assistance with any state-related matter, my staff and I are here to help you however we can! Reach out at RepIzzy@pahouse.net or call (717) 283-4218. |
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District Office 150 East King St., Suite B (717) 283-4218 |
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Pennsylvania State Capitol (717) 772-0752 |
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