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In this update:
$162 Million Wasted at Vacant State Properties in White Haven, Pittsburgh, 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 the first public hearing of the Senate Majority Policy Committee this year. 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 almost 2,000 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 Department of Human Services and DGS 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. These communities deserve answers, after these long (AND EXPENSIVE!) delays. Pennsylvanians Deserve the Truth about Electricity Costs
Last week, Gov. Josh Shapiro made multiple announcements about the cost of electricity in Pennsylvania. One of those claims is that customers will save billions of dollars through an agreement he made with PJM, a regional transmission organization that coordinates the movement of wholesale electricity in all or part of 13 states and the District of Columbia. The reality is that none of the governor’s announcements will save any of us a single dollar on our electric bills. His administration’s misguided policies have directly contributed to higher prices. Now, he’s trying to take credit for lower prices that won’t even happen. We will continue working to enact energy policies which reduce costs for hardworking Pennsylvanians, ensure the future stability of our power grid, and help expand access to good, family sustaining jobs here in Pennsylvania. Fighting Waste, Fraud, and Abuse in Public Assistance Programs
Three bills I introduced to stop waste, fraud, and abuse in Pennsylvania’s Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program and Medical Assistance program were passed by the Senate with bipartisan support last week. Criminals and dead people should not receive millions of taxpayer dollars year after year. These dollars are meant to provide critical assistance for those struggling to make ends meet. We need stronger laws on the books to stop blatant fraud and abuse. Senate Bill 155 would prevent dead people from receiving benefits by requiring the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) to check death certificates at the Bureau of Vital Statistics against recipients of public assistance. A state audit previously found 2,324 deceased public assistance recipients received benefits totaling $700,000 in a 12-month period. The bill was approved by a bipartisan vote of 30-19. Senate Bill 156 requires DHS to compare wage records held by employers and the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue with public assistance recipients quarterly to prevent fraud. From 2019-23, the Pennsylvania Office of State Inspector General filed more than 2,900 criminal complaints of welfare fraud, with more than $15 million owed in restitution. The bill was approved by a bipartisan vote of 30-19. Senate Bill 157 would update the Public Assistance Integrity Act to require DHS to issue a yearly report on their efforts to ensure lottery winners are not receiving cash benefits. The Public Assistance Integrity Act, a bipartisan initiative signed into law in 2018, closed a loophole that did not require lottery winnings to be considered as income when determining eligibility for benefits. The bill was approved by a bipartisan vote of 29-20. Renaming the President Biden Expressway
Sen. Lisa Baker, Sen. Judy Ward, and I are introducing legislation to strip former President Biden’s name from a Scranton-area highway. Our bill will restore its name to the Central Scranton Expressway. Many people throughout our region were outraged after the former president commuted the sentence of a key figure in the “Kids for Cash” scandal, during his final days in office. For the families affected by these crimes, the past few weeks have reopened old wounds. I hope to see quick action on this important legislation for northeast Pennsylvania. My 2025-26 Senate Committee Assignments
In addition to my new Senate leadership role as chair of the Majority Policy Committee, I was appointed by President Pro Tempore Kim Ward to serve on six additional committees for the 2025-26 legislative session. I will serve as the vice chair of the Institutional Sustainability and Innovation Committee, working closely with committee chair Sen. Frank Farry to advance legislation encouraging the growth of hospitals, educational facilities, and nursing homes. As the author of four bills to support our long-term care workforce, I understand the challenges these institutions are facing. I’m looking forward to tackling these issues to strengthen our local economy and create new jobs. I will also serve on the Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Education, Rules and Executive Nominations, State Government, and Urban Affairs and Housing committees. These assignments will give me the chance to pursue many of my key legislative goals, including improving our schools from Pre-K to graduate school, fighting the spread of blight in our neighborhoods and older downtowns, and curbing wasteful spending by our state government.
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