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In this Update:
$162 Million Wasted at Vacant State Properties in White Haven, Hamburg and Beyond – When Will it End?
State legislators and local officials from across Pennsylvania called on the Governor and his Pennsylvania Department of General Services (DGS) to end their wasteful delays and reuse the long-vacant Hamburg, White Haven, and Polk centers at a public hearing this week of the Senate Majority Policy Committee in Hamburg. I chaired the meeting, as requested by Sen. Chris Gebhard and Sen. Scott Hutchinson; the high taxpayer burden of maintaining vacant state properties rather than returning them quickly to productive use was the focus of the discussion. It’s been 1,946 days since former Sec. Curt Topper of DGS based his testimony on reselling state properties around this principle: “Time is Money.” I certainly agree, but since then, these three state centers still sit vacant after they were closed by Governor Wolf. This governor, the last governor, and their appointed cabinet officers in the Departments of Human Services and General Services should all be embarrassed by their continuing bureaucratic nightmare.
This governor claims that his administration is “working to move at the speed of business.” No private employer would flush millions down the drain maintaining empty properties, year after year. These properties need to be repurposed now. Pennsylvania taxpayers deserve MUCH better. The White Haven and Hamburg communities deserve answers, after these long (AND EXPENSIVE!) delays. Joining us at the hearing: new Rep. Jamie Walsh, who represents the White Haven area; Rep. Jamie Barton, who represents the Hamburg area; Sen. Tracy Pennycuick; Sen. Joe Picozzi; Sen. Pat Stefano; and Sen. Dawn Keefer. Taking the Oath of Office as the State Senator for Schuylkill, Carbon, and Southern Luzerne Counties
On Tuesday, I took the oath of office at the State Capitol on my Great Grandmother Schultz’s 1871 German family bible for an additional term as the state senator for Schuylkill, Carbon, and southern Luzerne counties. Beth and I were joined by several friends and all of my staff members from our offices in Hazleton, Mahanoy City, Pottsville, and Harrisburg.
Even after studying German for seven years in high school and college, the old-fashioned German Gothic print provides a real translation challenge! I was honored that every single precinct in the 29th district, from Pitman to the Poconos, voted to send me back to Harrisburg as your voice in our state senate. My main goal remains the same: to continue to work with my local partners to breathe new life into all of our towns across this senate district. I will continue to serve on the Senate Leadership team as the chair of the Majority Policy Committee this year. This committee will hold statewide public hearings on a wide range of issues including the shortage of quality housing, the spread of blight, and the impact of crime on our largest cities and smallest neighborhoods. Local Winners at the 2025 Pennsylvania Farm ShowCongratulations to all local winners of awards at the 2025 Pennsylvania Farm Show!
A few highlights: Stoker’s Brewing Company took home 2nd place for their Kindling Kwad Belgian Dark Strong Ale and a bronze medal for their Myrtille Wild Blueberry Lambic. (I can personally testify to the quality of the latter!!) Emily Heffner of Wayne Township won first prize for her canned apple and grape juices and second place for her cherry jam and assortment of five jams and jellies. Paul and Pam Shealer and Chris Botek from Crystal Spring Tree Farm in Lehighton won awards for their Christmas trees. On Monday, my staff was on hand to congratulate students from Pine Grove Area School District and Tri-Valley School District who received jackets or Keystone degrees from Pennsylvania FFA at their annual convention. These awards celebrate students who have gone above and beyond as FFA members, serving the community and engaging with one of Pennsylvania’s largest industries – agriculture.
Jacket recipients include Trysta Dorman, Brighton Renninger, Violet Krill, Ville Heckman, Nathan Brandenberger, Giulia Knutzon, Ana Cook, Logan Harman, Makayla Marberger, Aspyn Schwalm, Madelyn Bowman, Scarlett Foreman, Alyssa Cook, Dylan Blum, Izabelle Thurman, Ty Troutman, Leah Specht, Hailee Kovaschetz, Luke Hepler, Lyle Lesher, Randy Heckman, and Charles Green.
Keystone degree awardees include Zane Holden, Zeke Holden, and Paige Somers. Demolishing Blighted Buildings, Breathing New Life into Old Neighborhoods
Blighted, decaying, rat-infested buildings in Ashland, Girardville, Mahanoy City, Palo Alto, and Tamaqua are quickly moving towards demolition after action by the Schuylkill County Commissioners. These projects were made possible thanks to state grants I secured with the assistance of our state representatives in Schuylkill County – Reps. Jamie Barton, JoAnne Stehr, Tim Twardzik, and Dane Watro. Blight affects us all – it lowers our property values, it strains the real estate market, it hurts our schools, it breeds crime and poses a serious threat to our safety and well-being. We’ve worked to secure millions of dollars in state grants and successfully written new laws to provide much-needed dollars, so we can repair some old buildings for new housing and tear down others to breathe new life into older neighborhoods. Scholarships Available Soon for Students Earning Degrees in In-Demand Jobs
Pennsylvania students pursuing a degree for an in-demand occupation will soon be able to apply for a $5,000 scholarship through the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) because of a law passed by Senate Republicans. To bolster industries with lots of open positions, the law requires them to agree to live and work in Pennsylvania in an in-demand occupation for at least one year for each year they accept the scholarship. Those occupations include agriculture, computer science, business, education, special education, STEM education, engineering, nursing, allied health, criminal justice and other programs approved by PHEAA. The list of in-demand occupations will be adjusted regularly to reflect Pennsylvania’s workforce needs. Out-of-state students are eligible for scholarships that allow them to pay in-state tuition rates. If a student receives a scholarship but does not complete the educational program or fails to meet other terms of the agreement, the scholarship will be converted to a loan and must be repaid by the student. The application is expected to be available on PHEAA’s website in April, and more information will be shared then. Online Resource Tracks State Plows
Winter weather can impact safety on the roads, particularly before snow is cleared and salt is spread to mitigate icy spots. As the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) crews work to keep roads passable, you may be wondering where the plow is in your area. All of PennDOT’s roughly 2,200 owned and rented plow trucks are equipped with automated vehicle location systems, which use in-truck technology to log and share data in real time for that truck. View the routes of these interstate and expressway trucks here. PennDOT maintains nearly 40,000 miles of roads and 25,400 bridges statewide, which translates to more than 95,000 snow-lane miles. More Veterans are Eligible for Free Birth and Death Certificates
New this year, more veterans and their families are eligible for free birth and death certificates from the Pennsylvania Department of Health because of legislation passed by Senate Republicans. All veterans who were discharged or released from services under conditions other than dishonorable can receive a veteran fee waiver. Previously, they were only available for military members who were in active service or who were honorably discharged. Normally, there is a non-refundable $20 fee per copy, but with this law, up to 10 free copies will be available. The fee waiver may be applied to applications for the veteran, spouse and dependent children. To be eligible for the waiver, applications for birth and death certificates must be submitted with documentation proving military status.
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