In this update:

• Paid Family Leave Passes House
• PRT: Do NOT Drive During NFL Draft
• Women Set New Record in PA House

• Community Clean Up
• Reducing Veteran Suicide in Pennsylvania
• And so much more!

“Another bill introduced in the House, introduced by Reps. Emily Kinkead and Roni Green would tie the minimum wage to a cost-of-living increase received by lawmakers in Harrisburg.”

During our three-day session week, I was proud to vote for incredibly important legislation that would improve the lives of Pennsylvanians across the Commonwealth, including bills to raise the minimum wage, expand access to paid family leave, and strengthen marriage equality.

These measures are critical and long overdue. While $15/hour by 2029 is too little too late and Pennsylvanians deserve a minimum wage bill that delivers a higher wage increase much faster, even the bill we passed (H.B. 2189) is a start. However, the reality that this legislation is likely dead on arrival in the Senate is a measure of how obstructionist this Republican-controlled chamber can be.

It’s the third bill in four years addressing the minimum wage that we have sent to the Senate and their refusal to work with us on this issue is a prime example of the difficulties we face working in a divided legislature like Pennsylvania’s. States where Republicans control the Governor’s mansion and the legislature, like Ohio and West Virginia, have higher minimum wages than Pennsylvania.

Additional bills passed by the House this week include but are not limited to:

H.B. 200 – Establishing paid family leave to help eligible workers take up to 12 weeks for major life events like having a child, recovering from serious illness, or caring for family.

H.B. 1042 - Encouraging incarcerated individuals to pursue vocational training or other education by allowing people serving time in state prison to earn credit toward sentence reduction.

H.B. 1800 – Protecting marriage equality by updating Pennsylvania’s archaic legal definition of marriage from a civil contract between one woman and one man to a civil contract between two consenting adults.

H.B. 2024 - Strengthening trauma-informed care for veterans by requiring county directors of veterans' affairs to learn about military sexual trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, and traumatic brain injuries.

H.B. 2163 – Improving dental school recruitment by easing restrictions that limit where licensed dental faculty can teach and practice in school-affiliated clinics.

Remember that, in order to become law, these bills must also be passed by the state Senate and approved by the governor. Visit this page to read about the more than 300 bills we have sent to the Senate this session.

Click here to sign the petition to raise the minimum wage in Pennsylvania – help us deliver 1 million signatures to Governor Josh Shapiro and Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman.

This week at the state Capitol, I was proud to join the Pennsylvania Hunger Action Coalition in advocating for more than 1.7 million Pennsylvanians facing hunger every day.

The fact that the richest nation in the world has a food insecurity problem is a policy choice. Unfortunately, at the federal level, we’re seeing these actions in real time. With cuts to SNAP and the Local Food Purchase Assistance programs, we are heading entirely in the wrong direction. I’ll always be a voice for fighting food insecurity and restoring dignity back into the lives of the most vulnerable.

Our state legislature has existed for 350 years, but this week we hit a milestone never before achieved in the body.

This week, with the swearing in of Reps. Jen Mazzocco and Ana Tiburcio, I proudly became one of 65 women making history as the state House set a new record high for women serving in the chamber! Still, that’s only 32% of the House and women are 51% of Pennsylvania’s population. So when will we have enough women in the Pennsylvania House? I say – channeling Ruth Bader Ginsburg – when there are 203.

The state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs announced that it has launched a statewide suicide prevention initiative to support Pennsylvania’s service members, veterans, and their families, thanks to a $143,947 investment through the state Commission on Crime and Delinquency’s Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program.

Approximately 20 veterans die by suicide every day in the United States. It is important for everyone to know that if you are a veteran in crisis — or you are concerned about one — free, confidential support is available 24/7. Call the Veterans Crisis Line at 988, then press 1.

Veterans can receive assistance accessing their benefits at my office! Call 412-321-5523 to schedule an appointment. We host VA benefits experts twice each month to help veterans connect with all the benefits they’ve earned and are eligible to receive.

Pittsburgh is expected to welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors for the NFL Draft happening April 23 -25. Please review Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s transportation plan to help ensure you can get where you need to be during this time.

Additionally, Pick Up PA – the state’s largest community improvement project – can provide FREE work gloves, safety vests, and trash bags as supplies last for anyone who is interested in helping to beautify our city ahead of this colossal event. Get more information here.

Dumpster Day for Avalon and Bellevue residents is happening from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 18 at the Avalon Borough pool.

Ross Township Cleanup Day is back this year on Saturday, April 25.

Call 412-931-7055 before April 15 to sign up and receive FREE cleanup supplies!

Click here to sign up for West View Borough’s "Redd Up" day! If you plan to participate, meet at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 2 at West View Brew on Perry Highway for instructions and materials.

There’s only a few weeks left to apply for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) – don’t miss out on up to $1,000 to help pay winter heating bills for eligible households. The deadline to apply is May 8.

My office can assist you with LIHEAP applications and answer your questions.

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 RepKinkead@pahouse.net or call 412-321-5523.

Pennsylvania State Capitol

116-B East Wing

Harrisburg, PA 17120
(717) 787-5470

District Office

658 Lincoln Ave.

Bellevue, PA 15202
(412) 321-5523

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