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In this update:
2023 in Review: Improving Education in Pennsylvania
2023 began with a new role for me as the state senator for the 29th district – the chair of the Senate Education Committee. Since I took on this task, I’ve traveled across the state hearing from parents, students, teachers, administrators, and other stakeholders about how we can improve our schools from pre-school to grad school. One bill I proposed after chairing a public hearing on educator workforce shortages was signed into law last month. My bill has placed Pennsylvania into the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact, removing barriers for qualified, well-suited teachers looking to get their certification when moving here. Looking ahead, I expect many more spirited debates in 2024 about how we can provide more educational opportunities for children and how best to address the Commonwealth Court decision that the way we fund our public schools is unconstitutional. Read a recap of education policy in Pennsylvania by the Center Square here. 2023-24 State Budget Invests in Student Mental Health, Educational Options
The final pieces of the long-awaited 2023-24 state budget were finalized last month, ending a lengthy standoff between the Senate, the House, and the Governor. The final product funded many key educational programs and institutions, including community colleges, public libraries, and career and technical schools. $100 million was also allocated for K-12 mental health programs for schools. $150 million will provide scholarships for more educational opportunities for kids through the Education Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs. A new program to support critical school infrastructure and facility improvements received $175 million – a key need for many school districts across Pennsylvania. New Law Gives Students Strong Financial Literacy Foundation
Legislation sponsored by Senator Chris Gebhard to provide students with basic money management skills was recently signed into law. It requires completion of a half-credit personal finance course to graduate high school. The course will give high school students the understanding they need about topics like credit and credit scores; savings and investments; college, home and auto loans; and planning for postsecondary education and retirement – all necessities in today’s world. Morgan Success Scholarships Bring New Opportunities for Higher Education
A recent report from the Center for Rural Pennsylvania examined the impact of college promise programs, focusing in part on Lehigh Carbon Community College’s Morgan Success Scholarship. The LCCC Morgan Center in Tamaqua provides an important low-cost option for people of all ages throughout the region I represent, with a special offer for Tamaqua Area High School graduates – free tuition for two years. According to the report, the Morgan Success Scholarship has “profoundly influenced eligible students’ college-going behavior.” In the first year after the scholarship was introduced, the share of Tamaqua High School graduates pursuing higher education who attended a community college jumped from 12% to 63%. Since the Morgan Center opened its doors 20 years ago, as can be seen above, it’s changed the lives of so many people. I’m proud to have been a part of the partnership that made the LCCC Morgan Center possible! Read the full report here. Punishing Looters and Thieves
My bill to punish looters was approved with strong bipartisan support in the House of Representatives and Senate and has been signed into law by the Governor. Retail theft has become a plague on employers large and small in recent years. The widespread looting that occurred in Philadelphia just a few weeks ago was shocking to see – but the spike in these crimes affects communities across Pennsylvania. A recent study by Forbes ranked PA as the fifth highest state for organized retail crime in the nation. We must take harsh action to deter these criminals and protect family-sustaining jobs in Pennsylvania. Keeping Pennsylvania Tax Dollars out of the Hands of War Criminals
My bill to ban the Russian government from receiving Pennsylvania taxpayer dollars won unanimous, bipartisan approval in the House and has been signed into law by the Governor. We’re approaching the second anniversary of the start of the war, and Ukraine still holds strong against the unprovoked onslaught of the Russians. Despite the innumerable war crimes and thousands of fallen soldiers and civilians, a recent report noted that Russia has lost 87% of the total number of active-duty ground troops it had prior to their invasion. My constituents of Ukrainian descent have been loud and clear – we need to keep PA taxpayer dollars out of the hands of the war criminals who aim to conquer the home of their distant cousins.
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