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In this update:
Increasing Funding to Fix our Roads and Bridges
Photo by Jacqueline Dormer of the Republican Herald PennDOT MUST do more to fix our roads and bridges in Schuylkill, Carbon, and Luzerne Counties. At the request of so many of my constituents unhappy with the state of our roads and bridges, I joined a strong bipartisan majority of 41-9 in the Senate, approving more dollars to fund those much-needed repairs. We approved Senate Bill 656, to require electric vehicle owners to pay their fair share for road and bridge repairs across PA, by establishing for the first time a flat fee paid by all electric vehicle owners when they register their vehicle. These fees will provide $15-20 million (which is expected to grow) each year for much-needed improvements across PA. Tamaqua Summerfest – Featuring a Coal Mining Bus Tour
My family and I really enjoyed Tamaqua’s Summerfest on Sunday, joining thousands of people (and more than a few dogs!) on Broad Street. I especially enjoyed Lehigh Anthracite’s coal mining bus tour – this was the first time this was available to the public in many years. Congratulations to the Tamaqua Historical Society on a great event! Downtown Tamaqua, from its restored 1874 Railroad Station to the many recently renovated buildings, has made some significant progress since I was growing up in our “half a double” on Arlington Street in the 70s….and I look forward to working with Tamaqua’s many local volunteers and PA State Rep. Jamie Barton on future improvements in the years to come. Their next event is Tamaqua Railfest, coming up on August 26th. Blue Mountain Eagles Softball Team, Schuylkill County Dairy Princess Visit the Capitol
The Blue Mountain School District Eagles softball team visited the Capitol to celebrate their first-ever state championship. Congrats on the historic season!
Schuylkill County Dairy Princess Lexi Butler of Pine Grove visited the Capitol and took part in a press conference to celebrate our dairy industry as part of National Dairy Month. I will continue to support the important impact our dairy farmers have on our communities and local economies – Pennsylvania would not be the same without them! With almost a half-million cows producing over 10 billion pounds of milk annually, Pennsylvania is ranked 7th in the nation for total milk production. I also welcomed a delegation of German and American state legislators to the Capitol as part of the Aspen Institute’s Laboratories of Democracy Program. We also visited Philadelphia and sites in Schuylkill and Carbon County – more on this next week. Protecting Prescription Medication Coverage for Seniors
I voted in favor a bill to help Pennsylvanians aged 65 or older afford their prescription medications by protecting access to the PACE and PACENET programs. We took an important step to support our seniors struggling to make ends meet on a fixed income. Senate Bill 607 would protect PACE and PACENET participants who may be pushed beyond the eligibility limits due solely to a cost-of-living increase in Social Security payments. Pennsylvanians on Social Security received an 8.7% cost-of-living increase in their benefits for 2023. As the Senate continues work on the 2023-24 state budget, I will continue to support measures to support our seniors. No More Unnecessary Emissions Testing for Luzerne County Drivers?
Luzerne County drivers would no longer have to get emissions testing done under Senate Bill 562, which was passed by the Senate. Under current law, only 25 counites are required to participate in this test – Luzerne County is, while Carbon and Schuylkill Counties are not. We took bipartisan action to remove this extra burden from the people of Luzerne County. Drivers in one county should not have to pay for an unnecessary emissions test their neighbors down the street don’t have to do. Ignite Schuylkill: Boosting Local Entrepreneurs
One of the tried-and-true methods of breathing new life into older downtowns is encouraging new employers to set up shop. In Pottsville we’ve witnessed Drasdis & Son, Black Rock Brewing Company, Pilger Ruh Brewing, The Crimson House and Pressed Coffee & Books open their doors, to name just a few! The Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce is now hosting a competition, Ignite Schuylkill, to provide startup funding for more Schuylkill County entrepreneurs, to bring the success seen in Pottsville to other towns across the county. Learn more about the competition here. Hexcel Celebrates 75 Years in Business
On Saturday morning, I was invited to join Hexcel Corporation’s 75th anniversary across the nation. They’ve operated a manufacturing plant in East Norwegian Township since 1980, where they build sophisticated parts for Boeing 787 planes, Blackhawk helicopters, and more, employing 300 local people. They’ve been a reliable employer for many years – here’s to 75 more years of success! More Natural Gas Funding for Local Projects?
Marcellus Shale impact fees brought in over $278 million in 2022, a huge jump from last year’s total. The money collected funds many important programs in Pennsylvania, including the Growing Greener program, water and sewer infrastructure grants, soil and water conservation districts, and county and municipal governments where shale gas development occurs. This money will help support many important projects across Pennsylvania, including the ongoing efforts to clean up the Schuylkill River (pictured above), which was once one of the dirtiest, most polluted waterways in the country before funding like this and dedicated volunteers began to restore it.
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