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In this Update:
Budget… and Beagles?
The Senate returned to session this week to continue work on the 2025-26 state budget. I welcomed a furry visitor to my Capitol office on Wednesday for a meeting about Senate Bill 381, known as the Beagle Bill. This legislation would prevent laboratories from using state funding for painful animal testing procedures and expand adoption opportunities. As a long-time friend to three Kerry Blue Terriers, I’m a strong supporter of this important bill. Requiring Cursive Instruction in Pennsylvania Schools
The Senate Education Committee advanced Rep. Dane Watro’s bill to require cursive handwriting instruction in our schools with my strong support this week. Cursive stimulates areas of the brain linked to memory, language, and thinking and plays a role in everyday life. Despite this, it is no longer taught in many schools. The committee also advanced two bills sponsored by Sen. Tracy Pennycuick to require wellness checks for students who attend cyber charter schools and verification of student residency twice each year. These measures will ensure the integrity of the cyber charter school system. All three bills now under consideration by the Senate Appropriations Committee. Breathing New Life into South Schuylkill County
Rep. Tim Twardzik, Commissioner Gary Hess and I attended the South Schuylkill Unified Committee for Community Revitalization’s presentation of additional information about their 5-year plan to revitalize the region on Monday night. This regional effort includes representatives from Schuylkill Haven, Cressona, Wayne Township, North Manheim Township, South Manheim Township, and many local volunteer organizations. We’ve often seen how dedicated volunteers working together can make transformative changes. Earlier this year, we witnessed the strength of local partnerships in southern Schuylkill County when Penn State Schuylkill was under consideration for closure. After months of advocacy by thousands of residents, we successfully saved this campus for future generations. I look forward to supporting these efforts! Preventing Flooding in Freeland
Rep. Jamie Walsh and I announced that Freeland Borough secured a low-interest loan of almost $3.5 million from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST) to reduce flooding in residential neighborhoods. Over 3,000 feet of pipe, 36 inlets, and new curbing will be installed at Yale, Foster, North, Chestnut, Laurel, and Pine Streets, providing drainage during heavy storms. Anyone who’s ever lived in a flood-prone area knows the stress that comes every time a storm rolls in. I’m grateful PENNVEST recognized how important this effort is for residents. These projects can be very expensive for smaller communities. Preserving Forested Land Near Lehighton
While I was voting in Harrisburg this week, local leaders including Rep. Doyle Heffley and Commissioners Michael Sofranko and Wayne Nothstein gathered at Riverview Park in Lehighton to celebrate the preservation of 72 acres of forested land along the Kittatinny Ridge in East Penn Township. Future generations will have additional space for hunting, hiking, camping, and more thanks to the strong public-private partnerships that led this effort. Locally, we’ve made significant progress both protecting and cleaning up our environment in the past few decades. I’m especially proud of the Growing Greener program, the largest ever investment of state funding into conservation, and my bill that cleaned up 97% of all scrap tires in Pennsylvania. But this work is never done. If we want to preserve the natural beauty of our region – and the economic benefits it brings by attracting visitors from all over the world – then we must all work together to do so. Remembering State Rep. EJ Lucyk
Schuylkill County has lost one of my favorite Democratic state representatives, EJ Lucyk – an all-state football player, West Point graduate who served two tours of duty in Vietnam, and an 11-term legislator from 1980 until 2002 who is remembered fondly for his pride in our coal region. On Saturday, his family and I shared a smile at St. Richard’s during this difficult time, remembering EJ’s character. Hazleton Area’s Memo Lara Reappointed to Commission on Latino Affairs
Guillermo “Memo” Lara was reappointed as a member of the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs. Memo is a Hazleton area resident advocating on behalf of the region as a member of the commission, which gathers information about the experiences and need of Latino Pennsylvanians, reviews programs, and provides recommendations about how to best meet their needs. Congratulations, Memo! Congrats to Educator of the Year Nicole Melnick!
Congratulations to Nicole Melnick, who was recently named Educator of the Year by the Pennsylvania Association of Practical Nursing Administrators. Nicole serves as a practical nursing instructor at the Schuylkill Technology Center – a very important job, given the serious healthcare shortages affecting rural Pennsylvania. Rep. Tim Twardzik and I presented her with official Senate and House citations in recognition of her devotion to her students. Restoring the Pottsville Maroons’ Stolen Championship
It’s been 100 years since the Pottsville Maroons won the NFL championship, only to have it revoked shortly after because the team played an unsanctioned exhibition game. There is no reason why this championship should not be restored – the reasoning given at the time had nothing to do with the performance of the team. After learning more about this from the Schuylkill County Historical Society, I wrote a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell asking for this injustice to be corrected as soon as possible. The historical society is hosting a celebration in recognition of this fascinating piece of local history on August 16th featuring former NFL players and authors who wrote books on the Maroons. Argall TV Report: Students Become Senators for a Day
The July edition of my monthly tv program visits Penn State Schuylkill, where high school students from across the 29th district learned what it’s like to be a state senator or representative at my Senator for a Day student government seminar. As the son of two public school teachers and in my years as a very part-time college instructor, I’ve learned that some of the best education takes place outside of the classroom. Senator for a Day is designed to bring lessons about history and our government to life. I was very impressed with the students’ knowledge and ability to carefully review and discuss some of the most complex topics now under consideration in Harrisburg. During the program, students shaped the policies and laws that affect their everyday lives by serving on a Senate committee, debating issues with their classmates, and learning what it takes to get a bill signed into law. They also discussed the role state senators and representatives play in more localized issues of community interest by reviewing how local partnerships worked to save Penn State Schuylkill and Penn State Hazleton from closure earlier this year. Watch Out for Scammers Posing as State Employees
Older Pennsylvanians are being targeted by emails from scammers posing as state employees requesting payments necessary to access a non-existent inheritance. In an incident reported to commonwealth officials, an older Pennsylvanian received an email from a generic account resembling an official state email address and claiming to be a representative of a credit union. Don’t respond or click on any links! Report any incidents like this by phone at 1-866-PAComplaint or online. |
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