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In this Update:
Do You Support Closing Penn State Schuylkill and Penn State Hazleton?
Thank you to the more than 3,500 people – in less than 2 days – who have filled out our survey about the potential closures of Penn State Schuylkill and Penn State Hazleton. This overwhelming response shows how impactful these campuses have been so many people in our region and beyond. Since the survey first went out, I’ve spent a lot of time reading through the stories people shared with me about how their experiences at these Penn State campuses shaped their lives. Here are a few that stuck with me: “As a former student, I can say that Penn State Hazleton played a critical role in my education and my life. The proximity to my home, local access to some of the best educators in the Commonwealth, and a facility that provided top notch experiences made earning a degree from an outstanding university a dream come true for me and so many of my friends and colleagues. I am a proud graduate of Penn State Hazleton and deeply understand the need for this campus to continue to provide experiences like it did for me.” – Neal D. “PSU Hazleton has been integral to my success as an individual and in my career. This campus means the world to me and so many others. Closing it would negatively impact the community, students, alumni, the local economy and so much more.” – Zena L. “I know that had it not been for the accessibility of the Schuylkill Campus of PSU, I very likely would not have ended up where I am today, and that is a story I am certain many of my fellow alumni share. I hope that we might just be able to save the campuses so that future generations of alumni can go on to give back to their communities just as I have.” – Steve A. “If it wasn’t for this campus existing, I probably wouldn’t have been able to attend college at all. I loved my time at Penn State Schuylkill, in part because of the smaller classes and the community feel. It gave me the foundation I needed to continue and graduate from Penn State Harrisburg with two bachelor’s degrees. Perhaps college wasn’t your path or Penn State wasn’t your college of choice. But for so many of us, and so many within Schuylkill County, this was our chance at a much sought-after higher education.” – Lora G. “Penn State Schuylkill provided me with opportunities of a lifetime, from studying abroad to working full time in Washington, D.C., to now being in law school. The professors there changed my life. The school gave me opportunities that most students my age who went to other state schools never received.” – Corinne E. This is why we’re fighting to save these campuses. They have changed so many lives for the better. Closing them now would deprive thousands of people of the same opportunity, and our communities will suffer because of it. If you haven’t taken the time yet, please consider filling out our one-question survey here. The final results and the unified opposition of our local state legislative delegation, including me and Reps. Jamie Barton, JoAnne Stehr, Tim Twardzik, Jamie Walsh, and Dane Watro, will be shared directly with Penn State leadership. This is just the beginning of our efforts to fight for these campuses. Telephone Town Hall on the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly in State Government
On Tuesday, almost 6,000 people from Carbon, Luzerne, and Schuylkill counties joined me for a telephone town hall. This was the first of eight town halls I’ll sponsor in the next few months—both via telephone and in person, designed to review the good, the bad, and the really ugly of how our state government operates. Stay tuned for more details! I asked everyone on the call to weigh in on five questions currently confronting our state government.
Bipartisan Support for Investing in Pre-School Teachers
Investing in pre-school teachers is a bipartisan win for everyone. On Tuesday, I joined Gov. Josh Shapiro, Rep. Tim Twardzik, and Bob Carl of the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce at a Pottsville press conference about the workforce crisis facing childcare centers. In his budget proposal, the governor included $55 million to recruit and retain teachers at childcare centers. We heard from Michelle Dallago of The Perception Training Center in Pottsville about her challenges with keeping teachers at her center. Meredith Driscoll drove home the importance of childcare to working families by sharing that she drives from Tamaqua to Pottsville every single weekday so that Perception can help to care for and educate her young children.
The governor’s proposed investment in childcare is a win for our kids, working families, employers, pre-school teachers, and our communities. In my comments, I pointed to my Grandfather Argall’s 1930 Middleport elementary school teaching contract. We support our teachers better now than we did then – he only made $990 a year – but we still don’t assist our pre-school teachers as much as we should, despite the passion they bring to their important work. To borrow our governor’s favorite quote – let’s get this stuff done. Transportation Grants Awarded to Repair Beltzville State Park Bridge, Breathe New Life into White Haven, and More
More than $4 million in state grants were awarded to projects to improve our transportation system in Schuylkill, Carbon, and Luzerne counties this week. A project to refurbish the deteriorating County Bridge #19 on Pohopco Drive in Towamensing Township was awarded $600,000. Bridge #19 crosses Beltzville Lake and Pine Run and provides key access to Beltzville State Park and the largest public boat launch in Carbon County. Repairing it and extending its life has been a key priority of Carbon County officials. Phase one of a significant project to improve downtown White Haven and better connect the borough with the Delaware and Lehigh (D&L) Trail was awarded $350,000. Once completed, this project will improve the streetscape on Main Street and connect the D&L Trail at the northern and southern ends of the borough. A project to replace the deteriorating Clark Street Bridge over Good Spring Creek in Donaldson was awarded $453,881. This project is a top priority for Frailey Township officials because of the high volume of residents, employers, construction vehicles, and first responders who use this bridge. I worked closely with our local state representatives – Jamie Barton, Doyle Heffley, JoAnne Stehr, Tim Twardzik, Jamie Walsh, and Dane Watro – to secure this highly competitive funding. The Farm Store – Pottsville’s Newest Grocery Store
I visited The Farm Store on Wednesday – downtown Pottsville’s newest farm-to-table grocery store. Founded by Angela and Josiah Meck, The Farm Store is now open, providing the community with fresh food sourced from local farms from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Angela and Josiah won the first ever IGNITE Schuylkill competition, an event created by the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce to give local entrepreneurs the chance to grow their business and compete for funding. It’s exciting to see the ideas presented during this competition become reality! Joining me was Savas Logothetides from the Pottsville Area Development Corporation. Breathing New Life into Hazleton
Rep. Dane Watro and I met with Hazleton Mayor Jeff Cusat this week to discuss many of the ongoing projects we’re working on together to improve the city. We’ve had a lot to celebrate lately, including the opening of the Mericle Family Center YMCA at the formerly vacant and blighted Hazleton YMCA building and tenants now moving into the new, market-rate apartments at the Altamont Hotel. Now, we’re working to bring even more new housing to the area at other vacant buildings and advance other initiatives to breathe new life into Hazleton. How Can We Recruit More Firefighters?
I’m hosting a firefighter recruitment event on Wednesday, March 5 at 5:30 p.m. at the Columbia Hose Company located at 742 W Centre Street in Shenandoah. We’ll discuss how local volunteer fire companies and school districts can work together to address the serious manpower shortage affecting fire companies across Pennsylvania. The event will feature Tracie Young-Brungard, Administrator of Recruitment & Retention for the Pennsylvania Office of the State Fire Commissioner and Eric Frantz, a volunteer firefighter who has successfully developed a high school firefighting club in the Danville School District. RSVPs are required for this event. Call 570-773-0891 to reserve your spot today. Friday, Mar. 7: Scam Seminar in White Haven
Rep. Jamie Walsh and I are hosting a scam seminar on Friday, March 7 at 11 a.m. at St. Patrick’s Church, located at 411 Allegheny St. in White Haven. With scammers becoming increasingly brazen and creative, we all need to be aware of how to protect ourselves from falling prey to these criminals. RSVPs are required for this event. Please call 570-773-0891 to reserve your spot today. Senate Continues to Review Gov. Shapiro’s Budget to Protect PA Consumers, Empower Parents
The Senate Appropriations Committee continued public hearings this week on Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed $51.5 billion spending plan for Fiscal Year 2025-26. His plan would increase state spending by more than 7.5% above the current year’s budget and create a funding shortfall of more than $27 billion in the next five years. Among the highlights of recent budget hearings: During the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) budget hearing, discussion centered on inefficient government and delays people experience when trying to get permits. The governor’s continued pursuit of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) electricity tax on Pennsylvania consumers and the hidden cost of Shapiro’s new “Lightning” energy plan were also discussed, including the fact that both plans would raise energy prices for consumers, limit job growth, and make our electric grid less reliable. The Department of Aging hearing highlighted concerns about the accountability, oversight and costs of court-appointed guardians. The viability of the Lottery Fund, which pays for new initiatives benefiting older Pennsylvanians, and helping seniors avoid financial scams were also part of the conversation. At the Department of Education budget hearing, committee members shared problems regarding education funding and declining student proficiency in basics like reading and math. The importance of career and technical centers, apprenticeships and other job-training programs was also discussed. Members of the committee also highlighted the importance of school choice programs, including Lifeline Scholarships to support choice options in low-performing schools. Thursday’s hearings included the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Community and Economic Development. Find the hearings schedule, livestreams of budget hearings, daily recaps and video from prior hearings at PASenateGOP.com.
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