BIG INVESTMENT FOR ERIE

It was a big weekend for downtown Erie.

I joined the Governor and state & local leaders to break ground on the Trust Hotel — one of the biggest private investments our city has seen in a long time.

The project will bring new life to the historic Renaissance Centre with 195 hotel rooms, a restaurant, and event space that will help keep the momentum going downtown.

Public-private partnerships are important. It’s exciting to see what’s possible when people come together, invest in our community, and believe in Erie’s future. When our urban core does well, our region does well.

REALTORS AIM TO IMPROVE PA HOUSING

It was great catching up with Erie County members of the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors this week. They're in Harrisburg to advocate for more housing, cutting taxes, protecting home buyers and more — including my first-time homebuyers savings account bill, a way to help more people afford a home of their own.

LOCAL STUDENT ADVOCATES FOR CANCER PREVENTION

It was great talking with Rujula this week. The Fairview School District (Fairview, PA) student was in Harrisburg to advocate for cancer prevention legislation on behalf of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Pennsylvania - ACS CAN. As a childhood cancer survivor, I'm a long-time supporter of their efforts, and it's great to have young people advocating for change and making their voice heard.

SAVE THE DATE, AUG. 17

Join us on Monday, August 17th from 9 a.m. to noon for a one-stop-shop event connecting seniors, caregivers, and families with valuable resources, services, health information, veteran benefits, technology assistance, consumer protection support, and so much more.

Last year’s event brought out more than 1,400 attendees, and we’re looking forward to making this year even bigger and better.

Bayfront Convention Center
1 Sassafras Pier
Erie, PA 16507

More details are coming soon! Please spread the word, or contact my office if your organization would like to participate.

NEW LAW TO LIMIT DISTRACTED DRIVING

A new law goes into effect today: You can be ticketed for touching, holding or using your phone or device — even if traffic is stopped or you are at a red light. Find more details here.

D-DAY ANNIVERSARY IS SATURDAY

We will accept nothing less than full Victory!
- Dwight Eisenhower

The invasion on June 6, 1944, combined air, sea and land Allied forces from the United States, Great Britain and Canada, crossing the English Channel to France. Codenamed Operation Overlord, it remains the largest amphibious invasion in world history, beginning with nearly 24,000 airborne troops landing behind enemy lines shortly after midnight.

Nearly 160,000 Allied troops participated. By nightfall on Day 1 of the operation, the Allies had suffered 10,300 casualties — killed, wounded, and missing.

Read more from the National World War II Museum in New Orleans or follow author Alex Kershaw on social media for details.

AMERICA 250 EVENTS IN ERIE

This year’s America250PA celebration lineup includes:

🎶 A sold-out FREE concert with The Fray tomorrow.

⚾ A SeaWolves game and fireworks on June 12th

🎨 The America250 Arts & Music Festival in Wattsburg on June 14th

🎉 The America250 Birthday Bash on the Bayfront on August 21st

Additional events throughout the year will feature library reading challenges, local history programming, trivia nights, and more as Erie County celebrates our shared history while bringing communities together for the future.

You can learn more and stay updated by visiting eriecounty250.org.

FARMERS MARKET NUTRITION PROGRAM VOUCHERS

Voucher distribution events for the Farmers Market Nutrition program will take place over the next few weeks. This program helps provide WIC recipients and low-income seniors aged 60 and older with fresh, locally grown fruits, vegetables and herbs.

The first distribution events in our region will be tomorrow on Friday, June 5 at both the GECAC Northwestern Senior Center (9 Academy St., Albion) and the GECAC Union City Senior Center (27 Johnston St., Union City) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Seniors are asked to bring proof of age and residency and cannot have already received vouchers this year. Proxy forms may be accessed here. See below for a full list of upcoming voucher distribution events.

AMTRAK ERIE ELEVATOR OUTAGE

Passing along some important information from our friends at the Erie Amtrak station as summer travel plans get underway. The elevator at the train station is out of service and will remain unavailable until further notice due to required repairs.

At this time, the only way to access the train platform is via a steep staircase. It’s important to note that Erie is an unstaffed station, meaning on-site assistance is not available.

Passengers who may have difficulty using stairs or who are traveling with heavy luggage are encouraged to make alternative travel arrangements. We will keep you updated with the latest information on the repairs.

You can read the message we received from Amtrak below:

HOW WE VOTED

The House is scheduled to work in Harrisburg every week this June. You can see how the House voted here.

The House passed a bipartisan proposed budget April 14, and the House continues to work with the state Senate to deliver a balanced budget that serves workers and strengthens Pennsylvania.

STATEWIDE WORK WITH POLICY COMMITTEE

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 71 hearings with 49 hosts across 47 neighborhoods during this legislative session.

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.