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Thank you for subscribing to my E-newsletter. I am honored to serve the 36th Senatorial District and look forward to working with you toward building a stronger Pennsylvania. This E-newsletter serves to keep you updated on what is happening throughout Lancaster County and what I am doing as your State Senator in Harrisburg – I hope that you find it helpful! Should you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please DO NOT reply to this email; instead, please feel free to contact me here.
In this Update:
Court Ruling Helps to Safeguard Elections
A win for election integrity in Pennsylvania was just handed down in the Third Circuit Court’s recent ruling upholding a current Pennsylvania law that requires voters to date a mail-in ballot for it to be accepted. Many voters, election officials, and good government advocates feel preserving election integrity must be a priority, and my Senate Republican colleagues and I have worked diligently over the last few years to do just that. One step toward our shared goal of safeguarding elections is upholding laws that are already in place. While this may seem obvious, in recent elections some counties accepted and counted undated ballots – despite the state law prohibiting that action. Applying the election law uniformly across all 67 counties is a significant step forward in the effort to protect the integrity of our electoral process. Senate Republicans will continue to work to protect Pennsylvanians’ constitutional right to free and fair elections. SURVEY: Do You Support Legislation Requiring Disclosure of Taxpayer Spending on Newspaper Ads?
Did you know that an archaic mandate in Pennsylvania law requires local government entities like school boards and municipal governments to advertise any upcoming public meeting in a newspaper of general circulation? This mandate costs taxpayers an average of $28 million annually in advertising fees imposed by newspapers like LNP | LancasterOnline and the York Daily Record. Yet, most taxpayers are unaware the mandate even exists, and there’s currently no easy way for the public to see the amount of taxpayer dollars being spent on these mandated advertisements. Furthermore, newspaper circulations have dropped by more than 50% during the last 17 years. With all that in mind, would you support legislation to increase transparency in this process by requiring the cost of these advertisements to be published for taxpayers to view? Tell me your thoughts by filling out this brief two-question survey here. Register Now for My Coffee & Conversation Event on May 20
To connect with residents of the 36th Senatorial District, I will be hosting a Coffee and Conversation event on Monday, May 20, from 9-10:30 a.m. at Columbia Market House, 15 S. Third St., Columbia. It’s an informal opportunity to discuss issues that are important to Lancaster County communities and what’s happening in Harrisburg. There will be light refreshments, and people are welcome to drop in whenever best suits their schedule. Please click here to RSVP to attend the event. Welcoming Two Students to the Capitol as My Shadows
My office was pleased to host Katelyn Niedwick (left in photo), a high school senior at Mount Calvary Christian School in Elizabethtown, as a shadow for the day at the state Capitol. She got a behind-the-scenes look at what a typical day for legislative staff is like and asked many excellent questions to get a better idea of what she wants to do after she graduates. Watch my full introduction of Katelyn on the Senate Floor here. We also recently hosted Elizabethtown College student and Warwick School District graduate Malini Sakrudkar (right in photo) as a shadow at the state Capitol. Malini serves as secretary for the Elizabethtown College Republicans and is also involved in local political campaigns. She spends her free time volunteering with Unified Track and working part time jobs. Watch my full introduction of Malini on the Senate Floor here. Local Small Business Wins Entrepreneurship Award
Congrats to Quub on its impressive achievement of winning the Pinnacle of Entrepreneurship Award from the Pennsylvania Small Business Development Center! Quub is a small business in Akron that is building a constellation of microsatellites to monitor our natural resources like water, coastlines, and forests. It also creates and retains high-paying technology jobs that benefit the local community and economy. Learn more about Quub and its mission here. To view photos of Quub’s work from a tour I took of its headquarters in 2023, check out my Facebook post here. Talking Education with School Officials
I hosted my annual legislative breakfast for school district leaders from across the 36th District. I am grateful for all their efforts to deliver a high-quality education to students throughout Lancaster County! We discussed mental health funding, parental responsibility regarding student phone use and e-cigarettes, how state dollars are directed to schools, early childhood education, a two-year budget cycle, and the effect of poverty on students. For more photos from the breakfast, check out my Instagram post here. Survey: How Did PennDOT Do This Winter?
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is offering a short survey so motorists can offer their feedback on the winter services PennDOT provided. By filling out the short survey, you will have the opportunity to share your thoughts about where you get information about road conditions, how soon you can expect roads to be safe to travel following a winter storm event, and what features you would find useful from 511PA.com. There is also an opportunity to share additional comments. The survey can be completed anonymously. Destroy Spotted Lanternfly Eggs, Support PA Agriculture
Spotted lanternflies are an invasive pest that could damage the state’s grape and wine industries, as well as other types of agriculture. This time of year, Pennsylvanians can take an important step to control the spotted lanternfly population. While most adult spotted lanternflies have frozen to death, their eggs can survive over the winter. A single egg mass holds 30 to 50 eggs. The egg masses – which can commonly be found on trees, rocks, and equipment stored outdoors – should be scraped into a bag of hand sanitizer. Learn what the egg masses look like during various stages and find more information about how to destroy them here. PA Broadband Development Authority Unveils New Website
The Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority (PBDA) launched a new website aimed at offering visitors a more intuitive experience. New features include a navigation panel for locating information; quick links to hot topic resources; real-time data on unserved/underserved locations, projects awarded and funding allocated; and resources that are specifically tailored for various audiences. Created by the General Assembly, the mission of the PBDA is to expand access to high-speed internet. The authority is accepting applications until April 20 from community anchor institutions and units of local government to fund community projects that enable public work, education, and health monitoring. Mobile Van Connects Veterans with Important Services, Programs
Pennsylvania is home to more than 700,000 veterans and their family members. With such a significant veteran population, the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) works hard to connect veterans and their families with the services and programs available to them. One way the agency can meet and assist veterans in the communities they live is through one of its two mobile veterans outreach vans. They travel throughout the state to assist veterans in obtaining information and initiating benefit claim paperwork with the assistance of DMVA accredited veteran service officers. Request a van for a community event such as a sporting event, county fair, parade, or festival. The form should be submitted six months but not less than 45 days prior to the event. Requests with less than a 30-day turnaround will be handled on a space available basis only. Honoring Sacrifice on Gold Star Spouses Day
Friday, April 5, is Gold Star Spouses Day – a day when we pause to reflect on the incredible loss felt by men and women who have lost their partners in the line of duty. It was first recognized in 2010 as Gold Star Wives Day. Later, it was updated to include any surviving spouse of any person of the United States military who died while a member of the armed forces of our country or who died after such service as a result of an injury or disability incurred during such service.
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