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In this Update:
WVIA Highlights Senate Majority Policy Hearing on Dental Workforce
WVIA recently highlighted a Senate Majority Policy Committee hearing, which I chaired in Luzerne County, focused on dental workforce challenges across PA. The committee heard compelling testimony about the consequences of limited access to dental care. Many rural communities have become dental deserts, forcing residents to travel long distances for treatment. Dental industry leaders also noted that Pennsylvania led the nation in dentists leaving the state from 2014–2024, along with a severe shortage of dental hygienists. Several solutions were discussed, including streamlining insurance credentialing through my Senate Bill 888, investing in hygienist training programs, joining an interstate licensure compact, and strengthening workforce pipelines. There was also strong support for establishing an additional dental school—like the one opening in Tamaqua with Temple University. Congressman Dan Meuser, Rep. Jamie Barton, and I are continuing to work with community partners to open Temple’s first rural dental clinic in Tamaqua—a 24-chair facility where students will train while providing care to underserved patients. The center is expected to open later this fall. Read the WVIA story here. Senate Urban Affairs & Housing Committee Advances Bills to Make Homeownership Easier
The Senate Urban Affairs & Housing Committee advanced several bills to make homeownership a reality for more people. Across Carbon, Schuylkill, and Luzerne counties, I have heard from many employers, workers, and families that we urgently need more quality housing. We have seen some recent successes with new housing in Pottsville, Hazleton, Weatherly, Shenandoah, and Frackville, but we must do more. My Senate Majority Policy Committee recently confronted this hard truth: housing development in Pennsylvania is too long, too expensive, and too uncertain! I am pleased to see these commonsense measures advance, cutting through red tape and bureaucracy. All the bills passed with strong, bipartisan support, and now await a vote in the full Senate. Read more about the bills here. Discussing Dental Care Shortage with Students at Penn State Harrisburg
I was invited to meet Dr. Beckett-Camarata’s Public Policy class at Penn State Harrisburg to discuss access to affordable, accessible dental care. This semester, the class conducted a research project focused on this very challenge and presented potential solutions to this issue. As a former adjunct professor at this campus, I appreciated the thoughtful policy recommendations this group of students shared, and I look forward to taking their ideas back to the Capitol for further discussion. PA Senate Honors America’s 250th Birthday
The PA Senate recently gathered for a rare meeting in Philadelphia to honor America’s 250th birthday. The event also featured students from across the state.
During the meeting, I introduced a resolution commemorating the most historic square mile in the United States, Independence National Park in Philadelphia. I was joined by Max Almanzar-Castillo, a sophomore at Hazleton Area Academy of the Sciences. He is the son of Maximo Almanzar and Shaskya Castillo. Watch the meeting here. Cleaning Up Scrap Tires
On a recent mountain bike ride near Coaldale, I came across this pile of scrap tires, which reminds us why the General Assembly needs to act on my new Senate Bill 664. One of my first bills to become law created the Waste Tire Recycling Act/Small Business and Household Pollution Prevention Program Act. I introduced it after visiting a burning, illegal dump near Pottsville with 750,000 waste tires. Since this bill became law, 97% of all scrap tires across Pennsylvania – over 31 million tires – have been safely recycled—and the illegal tire dump is now a popular park! My new bill will continue the cleanup of nuisance scrap tires, specifically targeting replacement tires Cutting Costs for PA Families by Ending Outdated Emissions Testing
Taking legislative action to do away with an outdated and unnecessary mandate, the Senate voted to eliminate the vehicle emissions testing requirement across the commonwealth. The measure will save Pennsylvanians an estimated $160 million annually. Senate Bill 1298 would remove all 25 counties currently subjected to annual emissions testing. It also clarifies that no additional counties can be added into the program, protecting Pennsylvania vehicle owners. The bill was sent to the House of Representatives for consideration. Read more about Senate Bill 1298 here. Senate Approves Legislation to Help Relieve PA Nurse Shortage
The Senate approved legislation to help alleviate Pennsylvania’s nurse shortage by increasing the number of qualified nursing students. Senate Bill 998 would establish the Nurse Education Capacity Expansion Grant Program, aimed at increasing the number of qualified nursing students by providing targeted support to accredited nursing schools across Pennsylvania. Nursing education programs would have to meet key performance benchmarks, including strong graduation rates, high licensure exam pass rates and successful job placement outcomes. The bill now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration. Read more about Senate Bill 998 here. Hearing on Resource Adequacy, Energy Market, Barriers to New PA Power Generation
Continuing efforts to ensure Pennsylvania families and employers have access to reliable, affordable electricity, the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee held a public hearing to examine the latest energy market conditions and barriers to new power generation in the commonwealth. The panel heard from testifiers representing the regional power grid, PJM, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and others. ReliabilityFirst, which is responsible for ensuring the dependability and security of the regional bulk power system, projected risk to grid reliability could come in 2029 instead of in the early 2030s as previously projected. The surge of demand from data centers and the need for more skilled infrastructure workers were also discussed. You can view written testimony and the hearing video here. |
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